Vibrato

[Sobers]

I've heard that there are three different types of vibrato (for the violin?): arm, wrist, and finger.

My teacher only taught me one (I'm guessing wrist vibrato) and said that she did not like finger vibrato. My orchestra conductor says that he only uses one vibrato (which he didn't have a name for... it was just 'vibrato') and that he couldn't help me in differentiating between those three vibratos.

So, what type of vibrato do you use?
And... if anyone uses finger vibrato, could they explain how to do it? I heard one musician using finger vibrato, and it was absolutely beautiful (I only know how to use wrist vibrato).

[Aernallien]

for lower notes (I play the cello) I use a very wide vibrato which uses the whole arm up to the elbow, and for higher notes (particularly ones up in the third position and up on the highest string - A for me) I use a faster vibrato in the wrist. Lower notes don't pick up the wrist vibrato as well as higher notes and high notes sound just strange with a really wide sound...it makes it sound out of tune, which is exactly what vibrato is supposed to prevent.

[shiokazehime]

i use all three. i dunno how i do it though. i think its a bit near minded of your teacher to not teach you all the vibrato. different vibratos work for different styles and textures and youre gonna need them all for different purposes.

[Modest Memories]

Im pretty sure that there is one type of vibrato.
If your having trouble with vibrato, here are some tips sad if you play violin or viola)
-put a piece of small wax paper on the strings.
>place one of your fingers on top and move your wrist
-practice on a pencil? sweatdrop
Sorry, I though I had more tips, but thats how I learned vibrato...a long time ago... domokun

[moreandholy]

i have more of a wrist vibrato... just how it works for me sweatdrop

[FoxsVine]

My violin teacher only taught me ONE correct kind of vibrato, I guess you'd call it the wrist vibrato. Perhaps the others are for different instruments, any other kind of vibrato I would find awkward.

[Ash Rail]

: ) Vibrato isn't just a string thing you know.

I'm a reed player, and I know two kinds of vibrato.

Saxophone and flute vibrato. Clarinet is traditionally played w/o vibrato, but if you do use it, it'd be similar to saxophone.

Saxophone vibrato involves moving the lower jaw up and down to change the shape of the throat. That bends the pitch around. : ) this is also called jaw vibrato. You bend the pitch down about a half step and then back up. ^^ Sax vibrato is just bending done in an up and down pattern.

Flute vibrato is pretty much the same as singer's vibrato. : ) It's just pulsing the diaphragm to make undulations. It's less "wavy" than sax vibrato imho, but sounds very nice too. Bassically, it's just kicking little chunks of air out.


: ) how does double reed vibrato work?

Also, how does brass vibrato work.

^^

[mistressakene]

Slide trombone vibrato is quite strange. It involves using your wrist to move the slide about a half inch back and forth. It's rarely used unless during a solo though.

When it comes to strings, there is no one. Many teachers just teach that one type because it is the kind they are most accustomed to using. For example, I cannot use wrist or arm vibrato to save my life. It just doesn't work.

Horn vibrato is kind of cool although there are many different kinds that produce a different sound. One involves moving the jaw up and down very very quickly almost as if you were cold. Another that works well is to shake the actual instrument like a string. This is less advisable for horns and more so for trumpet or other brass because of the accuracy and pitch problems that occur so often with the horn.

[Ash Rail]

Ok, so jaw vibrato for brass too?

[mistressakene]

Yes. Jaw vibrato is rather common.

I really prefer lip vibrato which is almost strictly for horn because it requires a lot of pucker which is only possible due to the strange embouchure.

Also, a very difficult kind which I am in the process of perfecting(or figuring out. Whichever you prefer) is finger vibrato. It's like a more subtle version of the string finger vibrato but it's done INSIDE the bell. Done too harshly, the horn falls off the lips and makes a strange sound doing so.

Diaphramitic vibrato is possible too(the flute vibrato which you described) but you need the diaphram to play well(or at all in my case) so it's out of the question without excellent breath support.

[Ash Rail]

*cough

well, my breath support isn't so great ^^: it's not bad.

After all, I am the Prince, right?

Anyway, I'm still having trouble keeping my flute vibrato steady. It starts slowing down, or getting choppy after awhle.

[mistressakene]

Well, I don't know about the flute except for the fact that it's second only to tuba in terms of breath requirement. If you can get it down so soon though, you are worthy of much praise, your majesty. **bows**

Oh, and maybe you should take some cold medicine or something. If your throat hurts too, get some ramen. Trust me, it works.

[Ash Rail]

Nah ^^:

I'm just extreme-



-like that.

And piccolo matches tuba in terms of air. : ) a lot more air is needed on picc, and a lot more of it is wasted ><

[sheathforkatana]

for trombone you can use either the v mentioned above or the jaw, y band dirsctor was in coast guard band for a LONG time as 1st trombone so hes the MASTER and on baritone the shaking doesnt work too well ,mainy for the higher brass like trumpet and french horn but the jaw v is a lot smoother in low brass cuz if you change your jaw on trumpet for example it CAN chage it a whole step but on low brass its not as easy so i dont know how but the jaw works better on low brass

[Ash Rail]

I'm trying to play this oboe right now.

I'm thinking jaw vibrato for this thing too.