What causes vibrato and is it a natural gift?

Answer 1

Vibrato is exactly what it sounds like: it's the vibration of a singing voice. You might here it in operas, on Broadway, etc. Most popular singers of today, sadly, don't have it. The few that do don't use it a lot.

Vibrato can be a natural gift, but it can also be developed with proper voice training, especially with natural breathing. It is easiest to use if one sings with his or her head voice. (Ask a voice teacher what that is; I don't know exactly how to explain it.) I personally developed my own vibrato first by forcing my voice to do that for a role that required it in a musical when I was in fourth grade. It eventually became a habit. I started taking voice lessons two years later, and that made it sound more natural and come more easily. A good singer can sing with or without vibrato. My advice to you, if you want to have a good vibrato, would be to take voice lessons, or at least practice deep breathing through your diaphragm.