vibrato

/vəˈbrɑdoʊ/

Other forms: vibratos

You are hearing vibrato in a singer's voice when the pitch wavers up and down, slightly above or below the note being sung. This usually happens when the singer pauses on a note, but not necessarily every time.

The Italian word vibrato looks like it's related to the English word vibrate, and it is! Vibration is a movement back and forth, and vibrato is a kind of back-and-forth alteration in the pitch produced by the voice. It's common and very pronounced in operatic singing, but in some styles of singing it's virtually absent. The same effect can be produced by certain instruments. Electric organs usually have a switch for optionally turning on the vibrato.

Definitions of vibrato

1. noun

   (music) slight, rapid variations in pitch above or below a musical note to add warmth or a tremulous, quavering effect
   types:

   tremolo

   vocal vibrato especially an excessive or poorly controlled one

   type of:

   sound

   the sudden occurrence of an audible event