Hi, I'm Ailbhe McDonagh. In this video, we are beginning our journey into vibrato.
Vibrato is the oscillation we add to a note with the left hand to help the sound sing and resonate. It adds colour, fluidity, and a "luxurious" quality to the music. This is perfect for the romantic era repertoire we will eventually play.
The mechanics: it opens from the elbow
The most important rule of vibrato is that the motion comes directly from the elbow. Many students make the mistake of trying to vibrate using their wrist or by twisting their fingers. This creates tension. Instead, imagine your arm is light (like a balloon or candy floss) and simply open and close the forearm using the elbow hinge.
The "door handle" analogy: imagine turning an old-fashioned round door knob. Your forearm rotates, but the power comes from the elbow.
Exercise 1: polishing the fingerboard
Before we try to vibrate on a fixed note, we need to learn the motion.
- Place your 2nd finger on the fingerboard (between the strings, not pressing down).
- Slide your hand up and down as if you are polishing the fingerboard.
- Keep the movement big and free. Watch your elbow—it should not bob up and down; it should act as the pivot point.
Finger support rules
Different fingers need different support to maintain this motion:
- 1st & 2nd fingers: can vibrate/polish on their own.
- 3rd & 4th fingers: these are weaker. When vibrating with the 3rd finger, keep the 2nd finger behind it for support. When using the 4th finger, keep the 3rd finger behind it.
Exercise 2: refining the size
Once you are comfortable with the big "polishing" motion, try to make it smaller.
- Start big then go small (1 inch / 2cm) then go big again.
- This ensures you don't tense up when the motion gets smaller. The goal is to keep the hand loose and the elbow hinge active.
Exercise 3: the coordination challenge
Now, let's add the bow. This is like "rubbing your belly and patting your head" because the hands have opposite feelings:
- Right hand (bow): heavy and consistent weight on an open string.
- Left hand (vibrato): light, floating, sliding motion on the fingerboard.
Play an open string with a big, warm sound while doing your "polishing" exercises with the left hand.
A note on patience
Vibrato is not learned overnight. I like to think of this as a six-month process. Rushing it leads to a tense, nervous vibrato that is hard to fix later. Take your time, keep it loose, and enjoy the process! In the next video, we will learn how to finally "plant" the finger and vibrate on a specific note.