Hi, I'm Ailbhe McDonagh. Welcome to the second video in our vibrato mini-series.
In the previous video, we focused on the mechanics: opening the arm from the elbow, maintaining a C-shape in the hand, and separating the "heavy" bow arm from the "light" left hand.
Now, we are going to take that motion and apply it to the string itself.
Step 1: polish the string (not the fingerboard)
In part 1, we polished the black wood of the fingerboard. Now, move your hand onto the D string.
- Repeat the polishing motion.
- You will notice it is "slidier" and slightly easier to move on the string than on the wood.
- The goal: keep the edges soft. Imagine a wave or a singing voice. Avoid any jerky or "staccato" stops at the end of the motion.
Step 2: the "plant" exercise
This is the most important exercise for transitioning from sliding to vibrating. We will do this in 3rd position (1st finger on G on the D string).
The exercise:
- Polish: slide your finger up and down the string (creating a sliding sound).
- Plant: stop the slide and "plant" the finger in one spot, but keep the arm motion going.
- Polish: release the pressure and go back to sliding.
When you "plant," the friction stops your finger from sliding, but your elbow should keep opening and closing. This rocking motion is your vibrato!
The goal sound: "the ambulance"
When you first start vibrating, it will sound hilarious. It should sound like a slow ambulance siren (wee-woo-wee-woo).
- Why? it is very easy to speed up a loose vibrato later, but it is almost impossible to slow down a tense, fast vibrato.
- Rule: if it sounds like a nervous goat, slow it down! Aim for the widest, loosest, slowest ambulance sound you can make.
Practice routine: weak vs. strong fingers
Your 3rd and 4th fingers are naturally weaker and need more support.
- 1st & 2nd fingers: practice for 1 minute each.
- 3rd & 4th fingers: practice for 1.5 minutes each.
If you are struggling with a specific finger, start with your "natural" (easiest) finger to get the rhythm going, then immediately switch to the difficult finger to transfer that feeling.