Violin/Fiddle: Vibrato & Tremolo Technique for Violin or Fiddle
Date: Thu, 12 Aug 2004 22:30:03 +0000
Hi mickey!
Greetings Ahmed,
How do you do?
I'm doing fine thank you...
Thank you for you great help.
Glad to be of assistance...
I'd like to ask you a vibrato question.
When I do vibrato should i move all my arm (From fingers to the elbow) or just make my wrist do the vibrato?
There are different methods of vibrato...I personally prefer the wrist movement vibrato...this seems to focus the vibrato nicely...the full arm vibrato can sound a little exaggerated.
Do you know any site where i can download free various violin videos? Because i'm self-teaching.
I have no idea...we have videos on our violin instructional section...there's still many that are scheduled to be added...so please stay tuned with us:
http://www.folkofthewood.com/page3.htm
Mickey
Thank you
Ahmed
Subject: vibrato help
Date: Fri, 02 Jul 2004 02:02:51 +0000
hi Mickey,
I've been playing violin for a while, but one thing about the vibrato bothers me. This problem is somewhat less with wrist vibrato, but during intense arm vibratos, the violin inevitably shakes. Even though the hand/arm movement is along the direction of the neck and strings, it seems impossible to avoid some movements in other directions. But something shocked me even more: when I took my hands off the string and practiced doing a "vibrato" in thin air (without even touching the violin), the momentum of the movement also caused the violin to shake!
Where can I begin to fix this problem? I tend to be picky about techniques, but this is by far the biggest challenge so far.
Thank you so much for your help.
There is one exercise that can assist in the effort of keeping the violin still during vibrato efforts...
1. Try bracing the violin peghead against the wall...keeping your chin on the chinrest...be very careful not to add stress against the violin and not to be too loose or the violin may fall...(you might attempt this with a cheaper violin...)
2. Now your vibrato hand should be completely free from holding up the violin...now practice your wrist vibrato on top of the fingerboard...while rolling the tip of the finger...you should now be better able to isolate the stress factors...these are the areas where you're forcing the violin to move unnecessarily.
3. Once you've isolated these areas of tension, you can now focus on eliminating them and allowing your vibrato to float more freely...which is the ultimate goal...whether you're using your arm or wrist vibrato, you ultimate goal would be to allow the vibrato to float...
Hope this exercise helps...this exercise also assists in developing better vibrato strength...Mickey
Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2004 06:06:19 -0500
Hi Mickey,
First, let me say how much I have learned from reading your website. I would like to also ask a question: I am in the process of learning how to vibrato the violin (am self teaching). I have a couple great teaching guides but I am confused about something. Is the vibrato movement going from side to side or up and down? It feels and sounds better when I move the very tip of my finger up and down rather than from side to side. My guides both say it's like waving to yourself with your left hand but is that wave going from side to side or from front to back? It sounds more like vibrato when I go from front to back. Am I doing it wrong?
Sincere thanks,
Stormie
Greetings Stormie,
It's a wrist movement from side to side...I roll the tip of my finger from side to side synchronized with the movement of the wrist....think about it: when moving your fingers up the neck, you're increasing the pitch...when moving down the neck, you're lowering the pitch...hence, by shortening this movement to a rapid side to side (pitches are then going up and down) within a small space of the string, you will get a warble from the pitches moving above and below the note where your finger is placed. Seems to me, if you're going up and down in movement, you wouldn't be noticeably raising or lowering the pitch of the string...and it may take more overall movement to notice the pitch variations that create a vibrato.
Be careful to not overdo this; try a controlled side to side wrist driven movement so that your vibrato is subtle most of the time...otherwise, you may take away from the music you're playing by putting too much emphasis on the vibrato...let the vibrato enhance each individual piece of music you're playing not bring attention to itself. Each song should dictate its own level of vibrato...
Hope this helps...Mickey
Subject: RE: Vibrato Technique
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2004 10:58:25 +0800
Thank you very much! Your assistance is very much appreciated!
You're most welcome...
I am just wondering about the role of the thumb. Is it supposed to be as a
support to the neck?
I believe on the classical approach most of the support should be coming from the chin and shoulder...the thumb should be used mainly as a pivot point (of reference)...on fiddling, the fiddle is commonly supported by the left hand in some way...my suggestion would be to avoid using the thumb solely for support...but to try to distribute the support between the thumb, chin and shoulde. You want to make sure that your thumb can be released quickly to play in the upper register. When doing this, the support falls back on the shoulder and chin.
Especially when you do vibrato, the pressure (or weight) of the neck will
increase, am I right?
Yes, in some ways the weight changes when playing a vibrato...again, I personally believe that the playing hand should be free to move with vibrato and shift positions...and, if it's carrying the weight of the neck, this becomes somewhat difficult.
Hope something here helps...Mickey
If this is
the case then the thumb behaves as a probe/support. Or is it our shoulder
and chin that bear all the weight?
- beginner
Subject: For Mickey Cochran: Help On Violin
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2004 12:47:09 +0800
Hi,
Greetings Zabion,
I enjoy reading your website. I love violin very much but I am still
learning. I have just bought a cheap
violin for about USD150 and unfortunately there is no violin teacher
available in this small town
(Borneo Island, South East Asia). I surf a lot in the net to find lessons
and tips. I wish if you could explain to me a few things about the left-hand
(holding the violin).
I would be glad to assist:
1. Do you shift the position of the thumb when you play vibrato?
The thumb should remain stationary when playing vibrato...in other words, it should be in the same playing position as when you're normally playing...now, I personally, will move my thumb slightly under the neck on certain vibrato positions...especially when attempting to perform vibrato with my index finger.
As you have
explained, when we start playing (wirhout vibrato) the knuckle/joint of the
thumb must be touching the side of the neck. What would happen when we play
vibrato, (on both arm and wrist vibrato)? We put to the base of the neck?
It should remain in this position when playing vibrato...
2. When on vibrato, the flesh side of the first finger is always in contact
with the side of neck. Is it true?
No, the first finger can be completely lifted from the violin neck. It depends on what's comfortable for you.
Or do we make a gap between the 1st finger and the neck?
I've found that this gap is very easy to make when lowering the thumb under the neck during a vibrato.
3. Everyone says that the point of finger should be rolling and not
shifting when doing the vibrato.
Yes, this is true...you want to roll the very tip of your finger...
How about the knuckle of the fingers?
Remain straight? Remain bent? Bend-straight-bend etc?
I noticed that my knuckle move naturally with the vibrato...there's still a slight bend in my fingers.
Hope something here helps...Mickey
I really am excited to hear from you. Thank You
Sincerely
Zabion Jimmy
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2003 13:32:59 -0500
Subject: Problem with vibrato
Hi Mr. Cochran,
I am so glad to read your article or comments on violin technics. Definitely it helps some players.
I have played violin for about 4 years. I learned from a teacher only in the second year, and most time I played following etudes. My vibrato style is the combination of wrist and arm. My problem is that when I perform vibrato with some fingers (particularly finger 1 and 4), the violin body shakes with my left hand fingers. this may cause problem with bowing in some cases. For example, when I play the first note of Bach's Air with finger 1 (it is a long note with up going bowing), I have trouble at the end of this note when close to the end of bow. Could you let me know who I can improve my skill on this? I thank you so much for your time.
Frank
Greetings Frank,
As you aware, this becomes quite subjective to try to answer by e-mail...your questions are truly high-end and qualify for a personal instructor.
I will offer this:
1. When practicing vibrato, your violin should not be shaking. It must have something to do with where your hand is touching the back of the neck...specifically, where the neck resides on your hand.
2. I play vibrato with more of my tip of my finger rolling back and forth on the string...by rolling the tip of the finger, you would not be forcing the violin to move whatsoever...additionally, this should free the hand from being too connected with the violin in movement.
3. Try bracing your violin's peghead against a wall, so that it's supported between your chin/shoulder and the wall solely. Now, attempt to practice your vibrato by rolling the tip of the finger on each note...while doing this, notice the force of your hand and wether it's now impeded since the violin is completely stationary. This may assist you in focusing on why your violin is moving during your vibrato efforts.
Hope this helps, Mickey
Date: Tue, 9 Jul 2002 19:37:47 EDT
Hi! I'm a beginner player of the violin and I am unable to perform a tremolo. Can you give me a few tips?
Greetings...
I'd be glad to assist...
On a tremolo, the bow is rapidly played back and forth in short succession...this gives the effect of a shuffle bow only sped up. This is relatively easily accomplished and only requires a fluid movement. The tremolo is a quick reiteration of the same note; this technique would be mostly used during a dramatic portion of an orchestral piece.
Since a tremolo is relatively easy to accomplish, I suspect you may be referring to the vibrato effect which is where the left hand is moved rapidly back and forth to accomplish a warbling sound on a drawn out note. This ensures that a long drawn out note doesn't sound flat. Singers use this effect so that notes do not sound flat when drawn out for any length of time.
On a violin, the vibrato can be one of the most difficult techniques to learn to do well. A minute fluctuation of pitch is accomplished by moving the hand back and forth as the note is being played. The vibrato technique also serves the violinist well if the intonation is slightly off...when you arrive at the note, and it turns out to be slightly flat or sharp, simply add a strong vibrato and it will appear true in pitch. Traditionally, violin masters felt that the vibrato should be used sparingly and only during heightened levels of note expression. Today, I hear the vibrato used most often both in fiddling and in violin technique. Any time I draw out a note, I'll add just a little vibrato so that the note does not become blase.
How do you accomplish a vibrato? With lots of focus and practice. I highly recommend a personal instructor or a good video that would demonstrate the vibrato visually. It's next to impossible to learn vibrato technique from the written word. I can express to you what to avoid when playing vibrato:
1. Avoid just rapid movement of the left hand without thinking of the piece you're playing. On a slower piece, use a slow vibrato with tasteful overtones...I play a vibrato where the warbling is kept to a minimum and the vibrato itself is subtle and contributory to the piece I'm playing.
2. Try to move the arm with the wrist and not the wrist alone...the forearm should have a slight movement to it as you're moving the wrist. This would contribute to a stronger more forceful vibrato as opposed to a weaker wrist movement only vibrato. I believe this also adds to the control of the vibrato.
3. I've noticed that it's far easier to have a controlled movement when playing with the 3rd and 4th fingers than the 1st and 2nd fingers. And, the 1st finger is especially hard to emit a solid vibrato from. To overcome a weak 1st and 2nd finger vibrato, try lowering your thumb slightly behind the neck. Instead of the thumb riding high on the edge of the neck, the thumb placed lower and right below the edge of the neck, seems to release the 1st and 2nd fingers to move more freely. Please consult with your instructor on this...I only know this works for me.
4. When practicing vibrato, try playing closed position scales and focus on all four fingers independent of each other to ensure that you have an even feel for vibrato...without the imbalance of one finger having a stronger vibrato feel over another.
5. When performing a vibrato, avoid any type of slide movement of the finger. The tip of the finger should be rolling back and forth slightly...there should never be any slide movement whatsoever.
Hope the above helps somehow...Mickey--
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