Can't Sing, Let Your Computer Teach You How

Is there anything a computer can’t do these days? Researchers in Israel have developed a software application to teach proper vibrato technique for singing. Vibrato is the subtle wavering of pitch, usually found at the end of a note being sung. Until recently, only a classically trained vocal expert could coach aspiring “Pavarottis” on this subtle aspect of singing, but a research team from Tel Aviv University has successfully trained a computer to rate the quality of a singer’s vibrato, and provide feedback to improve technique.

Vibrato is created when a singer adds a pulsating change to the note being sung. It is characterized by the steadiness or consistency of the pulsation, and the speed at which the note is varied. Voice coaches train singers to use a steady but subtle vibrato to add emotion, expression and nuance to a vocal performance. But the software innovated by the Israeli research team can actually “teach” aspiring singers to mimic the vibrato of the world’s greatest singers, without the need for an experienced vocal coach.

Of course, vibrato is just one aspect of a great vocal performance, but it has long been considered the most difficult technique of classical singing to teach. The reason? Good vibrato is subtle; singers with excellent technique may utilize thousands of subtle variations in the speed, depth and consistency of their vibrato, making it one of the most difficult aspects of singing to quantify.

Bad vibrato, on the other hand, is something we are all familiar with. The off-pitch warbling of a bad karaoke singer comes to mind! Learning to control and use vibrato masterfully is critical for classical singers, and even important in pop and rock music, as bad vibrato is fatiguing to the human ear.

The new software was created by having the computer analyze thousands of recordings of both amateur and expert singers. Over time, the computer was able to distinguish the differences between good and bad vibrato, and convert these differences into precise mathematical measurements. It is these measurements that allow the computer to effectively critique the vibrato of a singer, and provide feedback in real-time to help the students see where they need to make improvements.

But what if you have a tin ear, and no hope of ever being able to carry a tune? Never fear; there’s also software to turn lousy singers into good ones. Melodyne is a type of professional recording software that can both “tune” a vocal performance and adjust it to be perfectly in time with the backing music. The software is the brainchild of German company Celemony, and it can be heard on many hit records these days.

Unlike earlier software vocal tuners, Melodyne is virtually impossible to detect. The program effectively “pulls” notes into perfect tune, without affecting the quality of the voice or vocal phrasing. More and more, vocalists are turning to software solutions to improve the quality of their performance, and even lousy singers can turn in a reasonably good performance with the help of the computer.