| Author |
Subject |
Patricia2
Registered User
(1/3/01 7:58:51 pm)
Reply |
Beginning vibrato...a question
For those of you who remember
learning and now don't even have to think about it.....(is that how
it goes? like learning to ride a bike?)
Is is something you
either get or not? And have to just keep trying till suddenly one
day you go "AHA!!!" ??
Or is it something you can sort of
get, shakily, erratically, and it gradually gets more reliable the
more you practice?
I have read old posts, and the Library
Technique Tips, and found much helpful information on this sticky
subject; I also have a great teacher whom I trust completely -- I
know he won't let me develop bad habits.
I'm just feeling a
little frustrated.
Wondering if it's the *direction* that's
important.
Thanks for any insight 
|
Paul
Tseng ICS Staff 
Administrator
(1/4/01 12:16:29 am)
Reply
 |
Re:
Beginning vibrato...a question
Hi Patricia,
Vibrato was (and
still is) one ofmy big obsessions in cello playing.
My advice
(without getting technical) is to stay relaxed and be very patient
with yourself.
I didn't even begin to like my own vibrato
until 15 years after I began studying. It won't take you 15 years to
get a vibrato though. But I'm still searching for a better one for
myself. It's kind of a life's journey.
I like using the flat
fleshy pads of my fingers to get a good vibrato. NEVER squeeze your
left hand. Read the long thread/debate about Level vs. Arched
Knuckles on cello chat if you are interested in my take on
this.
The thread on painful joints has some good info from
JanJan and Victor Sazer too!
Best wishes and happy vibrato
chasing!
PS. Did youever get you MD recorder?
Paul Tseng
My Website
MP3!
Edited by: Paul
Tseng ICS Staff at:
1/4/01 12:16:29 am
|
ekifri
Registered User
(1/4/01 12:18:03 am)
Reply |
Re:
Beginning vibrato...a question
Rats, Paul.
You edited this
before I got to make snide remarks.....
-eva
|
Paul
Tseng ICS Staff
Administrator
(1/4/01 1:01:29 am)
Reply
|
Re:
Beginning vibrato...a question
haha! To quick for ye!
Paul Tseng
My Website
MP3!
|
Dorie
Straus 
Registered User
(1/4/01 5:14:23 am)
Reply |
Re:
Beginning vibrato...a question
I think vibrato is one of those
things you do awkwardly at first and then it gets better. It gets
harder because you'll start to use it expressively. It was drilled
into my head that it's about control. I had a vibrato that I sort of
taught myself and then had to unlearn it. I don't think it's like
riding a bike; right now I feel like I've lost some of the control I
had and I need to go back to some basic exercises
again.
|
Andrew
Victor
Registered
User
(1/7/01 11:34:40 am)
Reply |
Not
like riding a bike.
I have to agree with your Dorie - as
my joints get older, creakier, and occassionally sore - making a
vibrato work in the "space" still available to me seems different
than years ago (of course I probably have not been a bike in more
than 20 years either - and maybe I can't do that now - I crtainly
don't like my granddchildren's Razor scooters, its been 55 years
since I was last on my own scooter).
But also, there are
several kinds of vibrato. First of all there is the vibrato that one
stuck for a performance on a Kay cello must push to get decent sound
and projection - you don't want to have to do that too often. Some
people like to rotate (roll) the forearm; some people condemn that
and say the vibrato motion of the hand should be parallel to the
neck.
The rolled forearm creates a vibrato much like that of
a pure violin wrist vibrato, a perfectly legitimate vibrato, in my
opinion, for some effects, especially when playing softly and
sweetly, but probably limited to a small range of vibrato speed and
width for most (not all) people. An arm vibrato (parallel) to the
neck allows most people to more easily vary the speed and width, the
motion will probably also carry more naturally up to the thumb
positions - although up there (down there?) the higher frequencies
require a much narrower range of frequency and smaller vibrato
motion that can usually be accomplished between the wrist and
fingertips.
As a violinist, a rolled cello vibrato always
seemed a wonderful thing to me because it was such a natural motion
and achieved a type of sound that I found very difficult to get on
the violin below the third position.
Just my observations and
approaches.
Andy
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jekerry
Registered User
(1/7/01 1:53:34 pm)
Reply |
Re:
Beginning vibrato...a question
My teacher just found a book that is
supposed to teach vibrato (and only costs about $4!!). She's going
to look it over and start handing it out if it seems to work. I'll
let you know what happens. I'm excited since I've always hated my
vibrato!
Jane
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