Finger Slipping While Vibrato Violin
- The first element of violin vibrato to focus on is the motion: Start by choosing a note with the index finger, set a metronome to a slow pulse, and bow the note while allowing the first joint of the index finger to collapse and then re-bend in rhythm with the pulse.
- The middle or second finger might also be good since it is a strong finger, but sometimes students have difficulty letting the middle finger joints be loose and easy enough for good vibrato motion. The index finger in its “square” position is a tense posture, and generally most students have difficulty doing vibrato with this finger for.
Aug 22, 2018 - Vibrato requires two points of contact with the violin: the pad of the thumb on the neck and the tip of the finger on the fingerboard. But one has to be able to “let go” when doing vibrato—otherwise the motion will shake the entire violin!
If you have been learning to play the violin and have progressed beyond the beginning stages as a violinist, you likely feel ready to tackle a few more advanced techniques.One advanced technique that isn’t too hard to learn is vibrato. Doing vibrato on a violin is not simple, but anyone can master it with a bit of practice. You can easily pull it off on a, too.First, let’s clarify exactly what vibrato is. It is a musical technique that allows performers to express their individualism as an artist. This expressive musical tool helps you display the mood or character of a phrase or note.So how do you do vibrato on a violin?First, I need to point out that there are three major kinds of vibrato: they are finger vibrato, wrist vibrato and arm vibrato. Traditionally, classical music and bombastic passages require smaller and tighter vibrato, whereas low, romantic pieces call for bigger and wider vibrato.The most common vibrato is the wrist vibrato, which is also known as general vibrato. It is the one used most by performers.
This article will focus on wrist and arm vibrato and give a step by step description on how to perform each.How To Produce Wrist VibratoNote that you should only begin practicing the vibrato technique, after you are comfortable with finger placement and you have memorized the positions of all the required notes. It is important to know how your wrist is meant to move when performing a vibrato. You should begin by holding your left hand as if you are preparing to play the instrument. Holding your hand in this position, imagine that you are holding a pencil almost 5 cm from the side of your raised arm. Move your wrist and arm as if to touch the imaginary pencil with your arm.
Keep in mind that the only body part that you should move while vibrating is your wrist. Motion back and forth, as if you are attempting to brush two pencils together on either side as you move your hand. This motion is what will be used to create the vibrato.
As you perform this movement, it is important to keep your left hand very still. Now that you have practiced the vibrato movement slowly and without an instrument, it is time to do it with an actual violin. Remember that the vibrato works best with only one finger on the string. The vibrato can be done with any finger, but is generally easiest when done on either the second or third fingers. I’d suggest not using the fourth finger until you have mastered performing the vibrato with all the other fingers. Avoid sliding your finger on the string. Roll it against the fingerboard, instead of slipping it back and forth.
Remember that the wrist vibrato should only incorporate wrist movement. The arm should not move at all. Put some effort into rolling your finger on the string, since your wrist alone is responsible for making the vibrato motion. Try to bow the string being held by the vibrating finger. You are supposed to hear the pitch diminish, because as you vibrate, the finger should begin on the correct pitch and then roll towards the scroll, lowering the pitch.
Afterward, your finger should roll back to the previous pitch. This is what creates the shaky vibrato sound. It is important to move very slowly while learning and practicing the vibrato, in order to develop proper muscle memory. The process takes time, but doing it correctly pays off.
Your playing will see a huge improvement. How To Do Arm VibratoThe arm vibrato is simpler than the wrist vibrato, but it produces a richer sound. To perform the arm vibrato, begin exactly as you did with the wrist vibrato. However, instead of just moving your wrist, move your entire forearm forth and back.After familiarizing yourself with this movement, get your violin and place a finger on the fingerboard, while very slowly moving your arm back and forth. Keep you finger on the fingerboard.
Switch fingers to give them all a try. It is important to be comfortable performing this movement with all fingers.Once you are comfortable doing this in slow motion, pick up the pace and learn how to do the vibrato faster.It is important to regularly practice this motion until you are comfortable playing both the wrist and arm vibrato, with all fingers and at varied speeds. You need to be able to vary vibrato, because it is dynamic. You want to master all the different kinds and variations of vibrato, so that you can express yourself more freely and widely through your music.You want to be as expressive as you can with your violin and allows you to do that. So keep practicing, until you have them all down!
Finger Slipping While Vibrato Violin For Beginners
Slippery fingers when trying to do vibrato August 18, 2018, 8:46 PM Dear friends,I dared to post here my beginner's question after trying every video on YouTube on how to do vibrato without the expected success.I'm a 42 years old beginner. I've been learning for about two years on my own. I have some experience with some other instruments (piano, flutes.) but my kid starting with violin at that music school pushed me into this instrument two years ago. I was frustrated not being able to help her, so I started self teaching me how to play, essentially using YouTube. Later she stopped with violin and jumped into piano, but for me it was too late, I was really hooked,and now I'm so much hopelessly in love with this instrument that seems to avoid loving me back in a similar volume.I'm now fighting with all I've got to learn to vibrate. I suffer from tendinitis in the right side (below the pinkie) of my left wrist, so my practice of vibrato is quite painful.Besides that, I feel like my main problem now is that if I don't press my fingers enough they won't stay at the tuned place, but they would slip over the fingerboard, so I lose the entonation constantly. If I press any harder, my hands get stiffer and I lose flexibility.
It's like I have too smooth fingertips!I've tried everything! I know every YouTube video on how to vibrate! I have even tried to make my fingertips a bit stickier with a bit of resin so they would stay in place, but then it's very uncomfortable to play a passage with sticky fingers.Please, advise! I'm a bit desperate with this! Also, I suspect that if my hand stayed in place maybe it would be more relaxed to have a better vibrato and less pain from that tendinitis.Thanks in advance,Javi.
August 18, 2018, 11:24 PM Dear Mary Ellen, thanks very much! I really have very little time (that's why recur to online stuff), but I'm taking your advice very seriously and will try to find a good teacher to look at my position, at least.I fall as a kid over that hand and that's perhaps the reason for the tendinitis. I went to a doctor and his advice did not include a solution but to treat inflammation. Maybe I also need another doctor's opinion. Gosh, I hope I can keep on playing!Thanks! August 19, 2018, 9:48 AM I am also trying to develop my vibrato.
I concur with others that the thumb position looks high. Though not shown in the videos, this could be secondary to instability from the chin-rest/shoulder rest configuration if you use a SR, and a need to support more weight than necessary with the left hand.
That will surely make vibrato harder. Re the slippery fingers - I am a surgeon and scrub my hands so much that my finger-tips are like dry leather. I found that some Neutrogena 'Norwegian formula' had cream (no proprietary interest), worked in very well before touching the instrument, makes my fingers and thumb pad slightly 'sticky' and facilitates vibrato. Don't use too much, or it will have the opposite effect (slippery, not tacky). Hope this helps!
Edited: August 19, 2018, 11:19 AM When I was first introduced to vibrato 70 years ago (an arm vibrato such as Javier appears to be doing) I was told to1. Slide my finger back and forth on the string about one-quarter tone - with my bow still in the case. Work on this for about a week, reducing the motion of the fingers on the string until the finger could be held in place.2. After about a week try bowing while doing this and then go back to practicing the vibrato motion silently - on all strings.After a month I had developed a vibrato that was good enough to use when I played.A few things I notice in your videos, Javier:1. Violin neck too deep in the thumb crotch for first position.2. Left elbow not far enough to the right to get enough natural arm weight on to the strings.3. Obvious reason for sliding up and up the string is that the vibrato force going up is greater than the force going down.ONE QUESTION: Is it possible that your nut is not cut deep enough and that the strings in 1st position are too high?
The height of the strings above the fingerboard adjacent to the nut should just allow a business car to slide in. If the strings are any higher than that everything about playing, including vibrato, is more difficult.I know it is easier to use arm vibrato if the violin is straight in front of you, but this is often not a proper position for bowing by people with longish arms.Learning vibrato, especially wrist vibrato, is easier in 3rd position than in 1st position.One does not have to play with vibrato - especially if all playing is still in 1st position - especially just 2 years in. There is a relationship between vibrato motion and the motion for shifting positions. It is probably best to get at least to the level of Suzuki book 4 before getting into vibrato.Just my thoughts.Mary Ellen's teacher suggestion is the best idea.
August 19, 2018, 12:27 PM I also agree with Mary Ellen's 1st reply. Pain is your body and brain telling you not to do that. Review posture, form and ergonomic motions. If the neck rests on the joint at the base of the first finger that will automatically give you the needed space below the neck and your personal height of the thumb. I will respectfully disagree with some, and repeat myself. The vibrato is not a sliding motion, but a pivoting, rotation on the finger-tip.
Finger-vibrato is a misnomer; the motion, for both wrist or arm vibrato, is produced by larger muscles in the arm. The sliding motion is used for: playing half-steps with the same finger, audible glissando, fine adjustments of the pitch on long notes. August 19, 2018, 1:11 PM The harder you press, the harder it is for the joints to move. You are doing a lot of things wrong: pressing too hard, not enough back and forth movement, moving too fast, too many repetitions and the hand not pivoting at the wrist. Try practicing a very slow wide vibrato(much much much slower than what you are doing now, you can even take a breath between each repeat) back in the harmonic position(touching the string but not the fingerboard) and repeat 6-8 times then move to the next finger, and then practice the same exercise with a light tough. Stop wait 20min. Then try it again, but this time add timing variations.
August 19, 2018, 1:47 PM Joel, I think your remark about sliding was aimed at my contribution. Of course you are right. I was taught that way to get used to the larger motion (in that case, of the forearm). By the time it actually became a vibrato about half way through that first month my finger 'pad' (or 'tip') on the string was just rolling and the joints were flexing.Unfortunately I suffered a cervical spine injury almoat 30 years ago and could no longer use an arm vibrato. I had to go through the whole learning process all over again; this time for a wrist vibrato. It has taken me a lot longer than one month! August 20, 2018, 6:34 AM Thank you all!
Finger Slipping While Vibrato Violin Lyrics
I will try every tip! I'm trying to do it by flexing the distal finger articulation while vibrating, but I know there is that other school of rolling over the string, I also tried a time ago. Watching videos of top today's performers it looks more frequent to observe flexing instead of rolling. But I'll try both!I'm trying arm vibrato because hand vibrato was more painful regarding my tendinitis.I know I have too many issues to solve! But I have the patience!You're all very kind! Thanks very much!!