How to hold a long note (vibrato)?

Question:

How to hold a long note (vibrato)?

I have vibrato and I can control how fast or slow it goes, until it comes to hitting those long notes. How do I hold a vibrato on a long note and how do I make my vibrato sound stronger?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I have a bachelor of music performance (hons) in classical singing and I wrote my thesis on the need for the awareness and controlled application of vibrato. I'm so glad you asked this question!! If you are struggling on long notes, then unfortunately you do not have control of your vibrato. In fact it sounds to me like what you think is vibrato could possibly be an artifical wavering sound, shaking sound or tremolo (a wide form of vibrato that is considered undesirable because it is too slow, too wide in pitch and very difficult to correct once it becomes a habit). The natural or automatic use of vibrato (when you are singing and not thinking about its rate) will not lose integrity on longer notes if supported correctly (by the diaphragm).

Vibrato is a highly neglected part of singing instruction - I recommend you seek a professional classical teacher (opera singer or an expert in mus theatre if that's your thing) to first of all find out if your vibrato is OK and they should be able to establish why you can't maintain it. Most singing problems are related to breath support but as I can't hear or see you singing, you should seek professional advice otherwise you may damage your instrument.