How to develop a flexible, effortless violin vibrato
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- Опубликовано: 22 дек 2016
- For a closer look at vibrato and so many other foundational techniques, take 5 days to learn my Violympic Theme with me: www.natesviolin.com/the-violy...
Here are the vibrato exercises I do every day. They come from Simon Fischer's wonderful book, Warming Up, which you can find here: www.simonfischeronline.com/war...
Fischer's exercises show that in the end, all vibrato is finger vibrato, since without flexibility in the fingers, you'd just be sliding your hand up and down the string! Therefore these four exercises work to develop that flexibility in slightly different ways.
Undoubtedly one or two of these exercises will feel more natural to you than the others, according to how you currently vibrate. But by practicing the four exercises daily, you will start to notice that your natural vibrato incorporates the different motions automatically.
I love that Fischer refuses to categorize his exercises as "wrist" or "arm" vibrato, or any other limiting terms! This is what the exercises have in common:
They focus on the main pitch but relax downward from there
There is only one impulse: "up", rather than two ("up, down")
The finger pressure comes out of the string as the pitch relaxes downward
In this video I demonstrate how to make each motion and then how to combine them for some rhythm practice with the metronome. Let me know how how Fischer's exercises work for you! 
Видеоклипы
For quick review and re-study:
Intro to Vibrato, Simon Fischer, Warming Up
#1 8:04 finger rolling
#2 9:30 finger/knuckle collapsing back
#3 10:27 finger/hand pull-ins
#4 11:42 hand in wheel motion
12:25 Review for daily use / Use with metronome
15:03 Speed Conclusion / Decreasing Arc
Until I discovered these exercises I spent a year trying to learn vibrato with zero success. I'm 73, so I don't have a lot of time to waste. Since watching Nathan's video (numerous times) and practicing these exercises (almost) daily, I finally get it. While I still have a long way to go, I'm making progress and believe vibrato might actually be a possibility. Thank you Nathan.
Every day for about a year, I've done the collapsing exercise, pushing the 4th finger knuckle down with the right index finger. About two weeks ago, with great concentration, the 4th finger collapsed without help. Now it does the exercise as easily as the other fingers. If I can do this at 76, so can anybody else.
I am 76 too and studying for Grade 4 violin. Just starting to learn vibrato!! Glad to hear that there is someone else as old as me!! I learned for a few years as a child and took it up again at 73! Having such fun!
Fantastic comment that produces the effect of encouraging others like me with 50 to try and make it happen.
so as a kid in my 40s this should be really easy, thanks ;)
So how you old fellas managed to do it? Can you teach me? I'm 26 btw.
You are totally correct (I am 30 and it took me two weeks
1st exercise starts at 8:05. I put it for myself to watch every day when I warm up. 🙏Thank you, Nathan!
This lesson is the only crystal-clear guide to vibrato I have found, and that includes paid lessons. Now my subconscious is getting informed along with my muscles. My fingers have become flexible and relaxed, finally, and they know what they should do without any doubts or desires to fly away. Vibrato is starting to just happen in my playing. I am very grateful for this lesson and for the tip about Simon Fischer's books. Thank you!
Mr Cole, please continue posting videos. You are truly an amazing instructor.
Vibrato has been a giant challenge for me. I am an adult learner dealing with arthritic changes in my hands. I have a hard-won vibrato of sorts but it is not consistent I think this might finally be the answer I have been looking for. Thanks you
Thank you. As an adult, mostly self taught, learner, the vibrato has been elusive. Neither of the "professional" violin tutors I hired provided a clear path of exercises and development. Your short explanation here is utterly astounding, and gives me hope that I will develop a working vibrato.
I'm excited for you, and I hope this is helpful for a breakthrough!
Thank you so much for this, Nathan. Really. Exactly what I was hoping to find after first having been given Simon's book recently.
Exercises #1, #3, #4 seem to mobilize three different groups of muscles, #1 related to each finger itself, #3 those rotating the left arm, and the fourth those on the opposite side arm.
In my mind a different image naturally appears for each exercise. Thus helps to better coordinate and control movements.
Some are easier to do at different positions.
And the position of the thumb also seems to be significant, particularly on the lower positions helping stabilize the violin.
I have not yet absorbed exercise #2, it seems to mobilize other muscle groups, perhaps oposed to the others, and foster relaxation, which seems very valuable and important.
Update: exercise #2 is great, now that I understand it is very very helpful. I did not understand it at first, but it really adds up
Altogether I wish that 30 years ago someone would have taught this to me as explained by Mr. Cole. In only one week it has helped me improve vibrato with surprising results! Congrats and thanks!!!
Hello. I have been playing guitar for a lot of time and recently got into violin. I was trying to learn vibrato because it's a thing I do very often on the guitar and I understand how important it is... but it is incredibly different for violin. Now I wish I could make you understand HOW VALUABLE YOUR VIDEO IS. I have watched over a dozen videos on vibrato and none of them have helped me almost in any way... but this info you gave is incredible. I have already started to do some kind of beginner vibrato just by lifting the finger a little and tilting it slightly backward (but very slightly, it's pretty hard to do for me) and it already sounds a hell of a lot better than what I've learned from the other videos. The one motion instead of two thing has even got me to get over the part where I usually go higher than the note I'm on instead of lower (because on the guitar when you do vibrato you can't go lower, you always bend to higher notes). THANK YOU. I have a long way to go but things are starting to sound a lot more pleasant :).
Thanks for the video! You've completely changed the way I think about vibrato.
Thank you so much ! I am learning by myself at home and have watched so many videos on vibrato and thought it would take me forever but after watching your video I found it much easier to grasp. With some practice over the next couple of months I should have it sounding really nice😀
Extremely helpful video! I decided to finally learn vibrato since the coronavirus is forcing me to stay at home, and this is one of the best videos I've come across!
Miranda Wilkey same
Me too I bought a violin and I’m learning it because we’re put under house arrest 🥴
Very good tip!
The best of them all is that they all help, somehow, to use MUCH LESS tension, for the idea behind them is to free the fingers according to each individual needs and limitations. Thank you!
Best teacher. Thank you!
Excellent! I can't thank you (and Simon Fischer) enough for this very simple and clear presentation on vibrato motions. The varied close-up camera angles you've used are right on, and even the backdrop is thoughtfully chosen. Well done; this demo is exactly what is needed on the subject!
Thanks for watching!
This is just what I needed! My vibrato is twice as decent now! I'm thrilled! Thank you so much for this video!
"The vibrato never goes above the note, only below."
I wish the various RUclips professional violinists would get together and discuss this, because no one can agree on this point. There are some very accomplished violinists who say you should oscillate around the note, both below and above.
Haha, I know what you mean! I've changed my mind on this since shooting this, and in fact the vibrato should go on both sides. I do believe this is still a great way to learn the motions, and to make them flexible, and to learn to focus the vibrato on a pitch. But in performance, the motion will go on either side of the note. You learn to place your finger centered.
This realllyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy helped me, thanks sooooo much!
I find your videos very helpful, thank you.
Thanks. A new way to look at it. Looks like it will be helpful.
this is the only video that actually helped me get my vibrato. Thanks for explaining the mechanics, that really helped!
Thank you for all your time and investment in us. I don't know how you balance this with your performing and family, but I truly appreciate your knowledge which inspires me.
Has that calm, humble, scientific (teaching) style... --- reminds me of Lord Menuhin...
Very well shown and very well spoken! Thanks!
What you're doing there seems to be a psychological trick called "chunking" - grouping the movements by only focussing on the "up" movements, just like you could group sixteenth notes by focussing on the first one - the rest falls in line automatically.
Since the human working memory can only contain 7 +- 2 elements, the solution is to enlarge the single elements - perceiving up and down as one unit rather than two 😉.
Yes, I would agree! I've read about chunking, and it's enormously powerful.
Nathan thank you very much for this wonderful lesson. As a beginner it has been very helpful and also , thank you for the book recommendation...a copy of "Warming Up" is on its way to me.
This video is so incredibly helpful! I put way too much effort into my vibrato. These exercises are so good for relaxing your hand. Thank you!
Thank you for all your videos, Mr. Cole. They help with cello too, and I always am inspired to go practice after I watch you. I recommended you to my colleagues in Akron Symphony and they are enjoying you too.
Merry Christmas!
Thank you, and hi to everyone in Akron!
strings rule out
Oh
strings rule dt
Thanks for this, Natan. Wonderfull.😊👍
excellent teacher !!! lot of thanks :)
Easy to grasp. Thank you.
Amazing video. Very detailed 👌
Thank you! I really love it.
Thank you! Time to go practice.
Thank you for the tips, they helped me do the violin vibrato better and easier
Thank you teacher
It's very helpful! Thank you!!!
i dont know why im seeing this almost 10 years after it was posted but this actually helped me so much😭 the only videos and tutorials i saw were the same ones over and over, and they didnt help because i couldnt get my fingers to be flexible but these actually helped a lot. thank you🙏🙏
Great, really glad this old video is still helpful! I just made a companion video for this one too.
Great video man!
This seems like a great way to develop more control and independence between each finger. My problem is speed. I have a relatively slow vibrato, and whenever I try to vibrate faster, my whole arm tightens.
This! Have you found a solution?
@@ishowyouapple I can keep my arm relaxed while vibrating quickly as long as I'm concentrating, but it is still not natural/reflexive for me. I think sometimes when I try to speed up, I end up just widening my vibrato, so the frequency is not actually any faster.
This is my problem too
@@ishowyouapple You can try practicing the motion without the violin and identify where are you tensing up. When you correct that try using it on your 3rd finger (a string), with time you will stop using tension.
Another one: put your elbow over a table and practice the motion, this will help to stop tensing up on your shoulder or uper arm. You will fing you don't need tension to do it faster.
Hope this helps.
Same! I actually have an okay vibrato now, but it's not fast enough to play pieces like Thais. Romantic pieces, they have very fast vibratos.
thank you so much. very helpful
I watched this video on Facebook this morning and found it very informative. On occasions when I have a lot of playing to do I find my vibrato tightens and I lose control of the speed and width. I have ordered the book and will try the exercises to see if they loosen up my vibrato when it happens. Thanks for a very informative video.
ahhhhhhh I got it at last. Thank you!!!!
Yes, your very helpful thank you
in my opinion, this is the easiest way to vibrate (i used the rolling technique before which requires more effort). totally worth the time to learn
Thanks!!!!! 🎶
I always took Fischer's #4 exercise as using the full arm to produce the wheel, whereas exercise #1 as the "wrist only" motion.
i have a question about vibrato: i was taught to do it by rolling the finger back and forth, as if following the curve of my nail. this produces the sound that other techniques do, but i’m afraid that it’s wrong to keep the finger curved and the wrist moving with that motion. should i reteach myself in a different way, even if it feels natural to me?
It's really very helpful... Than you very much sir..
Thanks, Nathan! I really need help with vibrato. I'm self-taught RUclips playing one year. I learned vibrato late, meaning I suck at it. Almost takes away the pleasure of playing.
Thank you so much...👍👍👍
Thank you. V helpful
Could you further explain What you meant by "circular motion", and "as a wheel" in movement #4?
Oh wow. I've been attempting my own terrible self-taught vibrato and all I did was take on board the concept from this that I should slide the pitch up repeatedly from below, and immediately my vibrato sounds a lot better because I'm focusing on that instead of wagging my arm/wrist/fingers about
Merci beaucoup, Nathan. I did watch this tutorial some months ago and should've bookmarked it as, "This is the best tutorial on vibrato technique don't get side tracked by other methods!" Hence, it is now booked marked ! I'd forgotten about the way you described the 'Up..Up.. approach...kind of like a triplet figure approach to the rhythm?
Good luck finding that book. I’ve looked for some time now.
Thanks for the video. To develop finger flexibility and strength, I go to Paganini's 24 Caprices, no. 6. Do just one line the first thing before I do any thing else. Once a day. Every day. Finish the 2 pages and start from the beginning again.
That's a tall order first thing in the day! I myself would want to be warmed up before tackling that...
Hi Nathan! Can you please make a video on position shift without the shoulder rest? That would be so great!
That's a great idea, and I've written it down for future plans!
@Nathan Cole: I agree with you for not defining these exercises for particular vibrato. However if someone is weaker in arm-vibrato, then which exercise would you recommend practicing more out of these four exercises? #3?
Hah! I’m still using that book everyday too. It just seems to work so well I sometimes feel one can get away with very little scale and etude work and still improve. It’s pretty old now so I really delighted to see a great player like yourself using it. Hopefully Simon’s royalties will support him on a comfortable little island in the Bahamas. Warmest regards, Buri.
Which book please?
warming up. by simon fischer
Happy New Year, Nathan!
Thanks, and to you too!
Nice . . . YOU ~ ROCK ! !
subscribed already !
Very cook. Thanks
One good example to understand this is if someone try to hit you with a stick, you can flex your knees by yourself, or you can relax them and let your body fall until you are low enough to avoid the stick damage.
orchestra directors jokes aside, try it and notice what way is faster and effortless
Well thought and made video. Thank you very much. Nathan, you say you use these exercises for warming up every day. For how long do yo use them? For how long do you warm up?
Hi Nathan, I love your videos! I am a violist who has been using Warming Up for about a year now. It's great having a visual for the vibrato exercises. My question is regarding the subtle difference between exercise #1 and #4. Is #4 in some ways just a "bigger" version of #1? More wrist motion? I have basically a wrist vibrato so to me the difference between #1 and #2 seem pretty minuscule. Thank you!
Hi Nate, I know this is off topic, but I wonder if you might discuss the advantages of going without a shoulder rest.
Hello Nathan.
When doing the movement back and forth I noticed some people involve upper arm movement and others don't. In your case for example I don't see movement of the upper arm here and it all seems to come from the forearm, but in the artistworks lesson on vibrato (maybe) there is a slight upper arm movement.
Should I focus more on having a still upper arm?
Thank you.
I'm interested in that clothe on the left shoulder, where one can get it from...?
nathan cole, I LOVE YOU. I have tried this for the better part of a year. nothing. not even close. disgusting. I watch this video. This video alone. I have a nice sounding vibrato almost instantly, just from doing exercise 1.
Amazing, I’m so glad!
Very helpful, thanks. I have been working with these exercises for a bit and am just starting to wrap my head around some of them. Already, the concepts of small motions and the fingertip sort of leading the motion have changed my vibrato immensely. I wonder if you could answer three questions for me:
1) When you say “up”, could it also work to think forward? Like you are rolling the fingertip or hand wheel forward? I almost feel like my fingertip is actually coming back down into the string and forward into the string on the beat, rather than “up”? Not sure if I’m thinking that correctly?
2) Is the sensation of the first basic motion a bit like feeling as if you are leaning into the front of the pitch/fingertip and then allowing the finger to relax back into a no pressure position more on its pad? It almost seems to me like the four exercises are all the same thing and you just move down the length of your hand and finger until the whole wheel is combined into a complete unit....fingertip...fingertip and first joint...fingertip, first joint, and base knuckle...fingertip, first joint, base knuckle, and joint where finger and thumb bones (ie. Palm) attach to wrist joint. Does that sound right? Like each exercise involves a component (or components) of the whole, rocking back and forth in an arc/rainbow...at first you just have the outer wheel (fingertip), then the rim (the first knuckle and base knuckle), and then the full wheel rotating on its access (full hand arcing with thumb as the axel).
3) Is the direction of the wheel and fingertip aligned with the trajectory of the string, so that you are essentially thinking of rolling into the correct in tune pitch and then allowing a slight relaxing backwards? Basically, I’m asking where you think if directing that “up” or forward impulse? Towards the bridge?
Anyone know where I can get the Simon Fischer 'Warming Up' book in the US? I can only find it on the Simon Fischer website in the UK and shipping costs are a bit prohibitive.
I seem to understand this guy a little better, but all are good, because everyone seems to really want to help.
Nathan, how are exercises in warm up different from Basics?
This is the best video. I have been struggling with vibrato and even purchase a vibrato course through a respectable teacher but I watched this and it made total sense. I was able to vibrate and make a vibrato on the second and third finger with in minutes of watching your video . Forth is harder as expected but my first finger seems not to have enough room to move. Any suggestions? I'm going to purchase Simon Fischer book and DVD. Thank you for sharing.
If you are helping to support the violin with the first finger (as I do most of the time), it is true that the first finger has less room to maneuver. Usually that's not a problem, as long as the hand is "soft". You will have enough room for good vibrato. If you need especially free vibrato for a certain first finger note, let the thumb support more of the instrument's weight so that the first can come away from the neck.
Good suggestions from Nathan. I would practice vibrato in the 3rd position(putting your 1st finger where your 3rd would be in 1st position). If you're vibrating a bflat on the A string, for instance, you won't have much room for the note to bend, as you end up running into the nut. If you practice it in the 3rd position, you shouldn't encounter this issue. If it's a flexibility issue with your 1st finger, then I would really practice with light fingers. Tension always gets in the way of your joints bending. Imagine playing pianissimo with your fingers. Use as little pressure as possible, and relax the side to side squeezing from your thumb to the base of your index finger. If you can imagine a tripod as being very secure because of the 3 contact points, our hand also has 3 contact points, potentially, on the neck/fingerboard. There's the finger on the string, your thumb, and the base of your index finger. In order for your finger to collapse properly, the base of your index finger must slide back and forth. At this point, you may retain the contact, or remove it completely, that's up to you, either way, you can't apply pressure. Because the remaining contact points are only two, you will be able to rock your finger joint back and forth, as long as there isn't too much pressure exerted on that joint. I hope this helps...
Nice suggestion to work in 3rd position.
Glad to help! Some people have their hand rotated such that the fourth finger is far away from the fingerboard, and the first finger is smashed up against it (in other words, the palm is almost pointed at the face). This will restrict that first finger. If this applies to you at all, you may need to rotate a bit so that 4 is closer and 1 gets a bit more breathing room. In any case, you don't want the sideways pressure from 1 into the neck of the instrument.
@@natesviolin These paragraphs are packed with golden information. Many, many thanks!
Another easy exercise that helps build vibrato muscle when you’re away from your violin is shaking a pill bottle. Hold the pill bottle as you would your violin neck and shake it forward.
nice
It's as if Simon Fischer's methods are more focused on a finger vibrato (which may be better for pieces with less vibratos dispersed throughout it with a relative shorter period and so with a "shorter" sounding vibrato as opposed to wrist or an arm vibrato which require longer but less repetitions than a finger or wrist would if that makes sense, kind of like the length of time determined by the annotation of the music and which requires for I to press on the sustain pedal on the piano with the piece telling me where with the indication of where to start and stop) than in a wrist vibrato though I do not know if he developed exs for different players with different types of vibrato? Thanks for sharing
edit: oh there we go at 5:35 you did mention that, I was in the right chain of thoughts there then
good
my vibrato seems to be the opposite, i release the pressure but my fingers bend inward rather than outward
Thank you so much for this! I happened to have Warming Up on it's way to me when I came across your video. Now I'm really looking forward to getting it. I'm coming back to violin after 20 years, and I just never learned vibrato well. Do you do these exercises with each finger separately, or as a group (especially #1 and #4)?
ednkirstin The idea is to do them with the individual fingers! I don't always do each exercise with each of the 4 fingers though.
Nathan Cole Thank you! I was also encouraged to see that your pinky finger doesn't bend well either (by itself). Before your video I was a little worried my pinky would be hopeless. Thanks again!
any tips for keeping your violin still?
I'm such an amateur at music that I feel like I don't deserve your videos, but nonetheless, I enjoy them greatly. Very helpful and informative. Thank you.
Edit: My fingers have difficulty "collapsing back" as you call it. My digital hinge joints seem to be actually incapable of opening to that extent. Will this pose a problem?
You may actually find it helpful to "help" your joints to collapse like I show in the video. It's possible that with a little assistance, they may be able to do it on their own later. And if not, no big deal. What you're after is to build flexibility in as many ways possible. If one doesn't seem to work, the others surely will.
Nathan - The only site I can find to buy the Fischer Warmup book is in England. Is there anywhere you know of that you can just buy and download a PDF?
I didn't know Medic from Team Fortress 2 teaches violin aside from his mercenary routine. I'm just kidding, though. Thank you for your explanation, it helped a lot!
OMG someone else from TF2 is here, thank you so much for this comment haha
"That is the sound of progress my friends"
Alexey Orlov
Lol
Nathan...violinist and teacher here. The Fischer teachings are interestingly related to what I teach, though I've never encountered that book. I fear, however, that with intermediate students making a first foray into vibrato study, that first bowless exercise could lead to hand tension, and more specifically, squeezing. How would you suggest to alleviate or prevent that? I don't anticipate that issue so much with more mature students...but tension's a killer, bro...
I keep trying to get it right but when my finger collapses the sound changes like I'm not pressing the string enough. How can I fix it cus I feel like I'm still holding the same pressure. I have only been learning for around a month and a half on my own. I started with "twinkle twinkle little star" and started learning "silent night" but it still doesn't sound right to me without vibrato. I am hoping to be able to play it by Christmas. Anyone have any tips?
When doing vibrato, do you give 80/100 pressure on your finger? Or full?
hi Nathan. do you have any advise for helping me to relax my fingers I'm very stiff and can't seem to slide along the strings
Have you taken a look at my video about finger pressure? "Find your MVP" it's called.
up!
Four motions are @ 8:00
Thank you for you videos! I bought the viola warming up book more than 3 years ago and had not been able to use it. I ask my teacher but he was unfamiliar with it and not interested. Now I know how to use it. What other exercises do you do from the book? What is the 'cloth' over your shoulder? Is it rubberized? I have difficulties holding the viola (16 inches) steady because of the extra weight compared to my violin. Where can you get it from?
The leather over my shoulder is a piece of scrap leather from www.brettunsvillage.com and it's super cheap! I actually use all the exercises in the warm up book, but especially the left hand ones. Those I do pretty much every day. The finger pressure one is gold! I'm going to do another video on that one.
Thank uou for this video. Pity that the explanations were not subtitled in french.
If you would like to translate, I'm happy to include them as a CC option!
No, thank you, it is very nice to you and thank you again.
Perhaps my biggest issue with vibrato is that my right and left hands do not work independently, as I speed up the left hand vibrato my bow movement speeds up to match the left hand. Any tips on how to gain right hand left hand independance?
Hi Nathan! You spoke of flexibility in the finger while vibrating, and if no flexibility, your finger would just be sliding up and side. I had a teacher who had no flexibility in his pinkie, so he slides his finger up and down the string, and he recommended to me that if I have troubles flexing my pinkie, I could just do the same. I am just wondering if this is actually 'allowed', if you know what I mean? What do you think? Do you recommend it?
Only 4 listening Vengerov! (Old cit. by You) LOL great work!
Thanks Eliana!
Do steel strings make vibrato more difficult?