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  • Know Your Music - Vibrato or Tremolo

    Before the actual information piece, have a look at this WikieMedia video on the "Envelope" of sound, and the ADSR elements. When you're done, come on back for the actual feature.



    The video outlines the "ENVELOPE" of sound, as divided into its four sections: ATTACK, DECAY, SUSTAIN, and RELEASE. A VIBRATO or TREMOLO is a way of modifying that envelope, either manually, or mechanically.


    We all know of that wonderful bar attached to guitars - some of us call it a TREMOLO BAR, but the Fender site says it is actually a VIBRATO BAR (or a WHAMMY BAR). There is a lot of debate as to the correct name for the effect being produced, but I'll just present the case and let y'all decide for yourselves.

    As we learn from Fender, VIBRATO ad TREMOLO are two separate entities that produce similar effects:

    "Vibrato is a pulsating sound effect produced by slight and rapid changes in the pitch (frequency) of a note. It has been used for centuries as a technique for adding expression and coloration to music, and it is characterized by two parameters, depth (the amount of pitch variation) and speed (how quickly the pitch is varied).

    Tremolo, on the other hand, is a trembling or “shuddering” effect produced by slight and rapid changes in the volume (amplitude) of a note. It, too, has existed for hundreds of years as a musical technique, but for our purposes it is a much more recent technical innovation used in amplifier design. It is characterized by similarly labeled parameters, including depth (the amount of volume variation) and speed (how quickly fluctuations in volume are varied; also variously labeled as rate or intensity).


    In short: Vibrato deals with change in pitch. Tremolo deals with change in volume."

    Read the entire article HERE.

    Though less common than on a regular guitar, the Whammy Bar can also appear on the bass. (check out the YouTube comments area for a rather intense discussion of it's true name)



    This is what Scott Grove has to say about it:




    What about VOICES? The application of a vibrato to one's voice produces a smooth sound and adds real dimension to music. A tremolo produces a tense modification and makes the music seem much more troubled.

    Does Barry Gibb sing with a vibrato, or a tremolo? Sometimes it sounds smooth and rich, other times dangerous and edgy.



    What about Robin Gibb? I always saw his voice as a full blown tremolo.




    Lastly, have a look at this video by Voice Guru, Franco Tenelli, as he demonstrates different vibrato and tremolo sounds in various singing voices (watch for his EXCELLENT rendition of how Engelbert Humperdinck sings)




    To close off, go back to the video from the beginning, the ADSR demo. We'll leave you with this one question: When we look at the Sound Envelope and its make-up, how do you think a VIBRATO would affect the structure of the ADSR envelope? How would a TREMOLO affect it? Where in the envelope might each modification appear? The ATTACK, the DECAY, the SUSTAIN, or the RELEASE?


    Enjoy these other articles:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vibrato

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tremolo
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