The Vibrato Story Deepens

After the newsletter on vibrato of last week I received a few comments and questions. They’ve prompted me to experiment with my hands in some new ways the past few days.

Here’s what I found.

Well, hang on a sec. The other day I failed to mention another kind of vibrato that is known to the general playing population; the finger vibrato. It’s produced through the controlled flexing of the first knuckle.

As you can imagine it will tend to be narrower than the wrist or arm vibrato and is most effective in the upper positions.

One of the folks who wrote in mentioned that he must rely on this form of vibrato almost exclusively now due to an arthritic condition that’s developed in his wrist.

Another person wondered if I knew anything about a ‘bow vibrato’, something allegedly employed by the famous French violinist, Jacque Thibaud.

Now if Thibaud did use such a technique I rather think it would have been on long notes at the ends of phrases in slow music. The use of it my have evolved out of a bow control exercise some pedagogues teach, where you roll pressure on and off the bow as you draw it down and up the string.

I don’t practice this much myself but I have heard a colleague use it during warm-up. And I could see how one might be tempted to use it in certain musical situations. Yet to me it the calling for it would be very rare indeed, unless one really can’t produce a vibrato on the left side.

But getting back to what I’ve gotten into the past couple of days.

I have found an additional way to vibrato; something I’d call a ‘hand’ vibrato.

The hand vibrato comes about by gently applying and releasing pressure on the string with your left hand fingers. Now, I don’t do this with just the finger so much as with a squeeze of the hand; that is, I’m gently squeezing up from under the violin with my hand as I gently squeeze down from the top with the finger. In effect it’s a relaxed clenching and un-clenching of the hand.

I must say, I started making some nice sounds by using it. Again, it’s not a very wide vibrato, yet it can be very rapid, if one wants it to be.

The thing to remember, if you give a try, is not to release the string so much that you loose control of the note. I guess that goes without saying.

So while the bow vibrato and the hand vibrato are interesting things to fool around with as you warm up, they’re not going to revolutionize the way the violin is played. Just some fun and games and a new way to stretch yourself in a practice.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. In case you missed yesterday’s newsletter, here’s the link to the grand-daddy of violin master classes; a place where you can spend 3 days transforming your violin playing in awesomely beautiful surroundings.

How to Have a Sensational Weekend

Well, it’s Monday morning. Just dropped my daughter off at school and now am sitting in the car in front of my dentist’s office waiting to go to have a couple crowns installed. Whoopee.

Yet what better place to lift my spirits than by hitting the old laptop and telling you how to treat yourself to an exceptional weekend.

Last September I gave my first master class here in Sedona. It was my seventh since opening the doors of Violin Mastery. And it was an unqualified success.

With just 4 attendees present, it was an intimate affair. The amount of one on one coaching for each player was extensive. Progress you could feel and hear was in evidence from the very first session, and it just got better and better from there, right through the entire 3 days.

One of the great aspects of the experience – and this has been true at every one of my seminars – was the feeling of mutual support and encouragement shown by one and all. We had a blast together, in addition to solving numerous technical and musical challenges.

And afterwards, I was pleased hear from participants how useful it had been to listen to the others play and respond to carefully considered input.

You see they’re teachers themselves, and were thrilled to go home with new insights and solutions to share with students.

And though the technical skills and experience of the participants varied to a fairly large extent, the focus and passion for the art everyone brought to it filled the room with meaning and purpose.

And here’s the good news, we’re going to do it again.

Only THIS time you can bring yourself along for the ride as well.

For my part I can assure you I’m not about to rest on my laurels, in fact I’ve every intension to make this one even superior to the last. I’ve certainly got some HOT, new ideas to share with those present.

And if you move right along, and are amongst the first six to register, you’re going to do so at a terrific recession-beating rate; my lowest ever.

I look forward to your presence in June.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. And once you’ve registered we can help with finding the purrfect accommodations, whether in our scenically unmatched campgrounds, remorselessly opulent resorts, or in all manner of establishments in between.

The Vibrato Dilemma

Wouldn’t you know, I’ve been asked, once again, to comment on how I recommend cultivating that warm, rich, even vibrato that everyone wants to have.

It’s tempting to begin by saying it’s a skill somewhat akin to riding a bicycle; once learned, never forgotten. Yet in my experience it’s a little more complicated, rather like riding a unicycle – funny how THAT came to mind.

Unlike a bicycle, riding a unicycle requires a more constant presence of mind. A truly effective vibrato does too, at least in my experience.

It’s not something to just turn on like a light switch. It is, after all, an expressive device. And I like being as much in control of my expressive devices as possible.

This being said, there is, I admit, a reflexive or automatic component that must kick in, at a certain point. The thing is, though, many folks try to force the issue, way before they’ve trained their arm, wrist and hand in the proper form.

So what’s the proper form.

First, a good vibrato starts from the pitch, and oscillates down some fraction of a step before returning back to the original pitch. It does not go above the pitch; unless you want your listener’s hair standing on end.

Number two, the motion must be even throughout, like a nice sine wave.

Most teachers have students begin learning vibrato in 3rd position, and I agree with this. The reason for this is, the wrist can be lightly in contact with the rib of the violin and used to keep the wrist from wiggling back and forth during the motion; and you want the wrist to be stable, it’s just the hand that moves.

Now, there is something called an arm vibrato, which some people find easier than a wrist vibrato. The only problem with using this type, however, is that I find folks who rely on it often vibrate above the pitch, producing that hair-raising effect I mentioned above.

But getting back to the wrist vibrato, let me say something about the patience and mindfulness that goes into it. One must first understand the motion in detail, something I can’t do in an email but I demonstrate in months 7 and 8 of ‘Beginners Circle.’

Suffice it to say, relaxation is key. As is a well-formed hand and a soft touch with the left hand, particularly until the motion is well understood by the body.

As you will notice with anybody demonstrating a good wrist vibrato there is some flexibility required of the first knuckle of the fingers. This is something one might need some SLOW PRACTICE to acquire.

And as you gently urge the hand into more accelerated movements you must not push beyond your ability to hold form. Ultimately you arrive a combination of reflexive movement and consciously directed movement.

You’ve got to have the ability to change, at will, the width and speed of your vibrato in producing the various colors actual music demands.

In my ‘Beginners Circle’ program I allocate a considerable amount of time to demonstrating and assigning exercises to develop a fine wrist vibrato. And though I’ve been known to send these months out separately, on occasion, experience has shown that folks needing help with vibrato can also benefit in big ways with other technical aspects of violin playing.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. Once again, here’s the link to get started with Beginners Circle’ on either a monthly or an annual basis.