[SoulMate]

Greetings,

I tried the search button, but couldn't find anything useful.
This questions deals with soprano specifically. I noticed that after playing soprano for 6 months (tenor player for 16 years now) that I use the same vibrato (sparingly, mostly at the very end of a note) on soprano as on tenor. I mean, I use the same technique. What strikes me is that my vibrato sound just sounds like … vibrato.
If I hear other great soprano players (especially in pop/smooth Jazz), I hear a totally different kind of vibrato. It reminds me more of a flute kind of thing. It's not really a vibrato, but more of an amplitude modulation (varying the loudness).
How is it achieved? Is it by using your diaphragm or throat like singing? Or do you move your tongue to get that specific effect? It puzzles me. It's a sound produced by the likes of Kenny G (please don't start a rant on him, I'm not that keen on his musical style, but the man can play big time) or Dave Koz or Greg Vail.
Just giving you two examples. The first one is how I use vibrato (just the vibrato part, I'm not a virtuoso as this guy is&#8230, the second one is the more smooth jazz style vibrato. How do you do that?

 

[Enviroguy]

I'm a heavy (too heavy) user of vibrato. Mine is a combination of diaphragm and lower jaw. Probably more lower jaw. I find that less vibrato is better on sop than on tenor. You can hear me playing Kenny G's Wedding Song here:

https://soundcloud.com/

 

[SoulMate]

Thanks Enviroguy!

If only I could figure out how to control my diaphragm! Is it a bit like laughing? Only faster maybe? Maybe I should try to learn flute or trumpet, that will force me to only use my airstream to do the effect.

 

[bandmommy]

Do you know any oboe players? They use a lot of diaphragm vibrato and could easily teach you the techniqe.

 

[PaulGH]

I have found that I do a diaphragm vibrato whether I'm trying or not. I sing with one of those over-exaggerated vibratos like you would find in a punk or hardcore baritone (think Danzig or Keith Caputo in his early Life of Agony days) so if I just concentrate on getting the sound where I want it, I get a vide diphragm vibrato.

The nice part is that the note stays level during the whole process. The bad part is that it compromises some speed I can squeeze out of my jaw but not my lungs. I'm practicing the jaw vibrato but I'm finding it less natural for me.