Hi, I'm Ailbhe McDonagh. Welcome to the third and final video in our vibrato mini-series.
In our first two videos, we mastered the mechanics of the arm (opening from the elbow) and learned how to "plant" the finger to transition from sliding to oscillating. Now, we are going to look at how to refine the sound to make it professional and in tune.
Intonation: vibrating "into" the pitch
The first secret to a beautiful vibrato is where you aim the oscillation.
- Imagine the centre of the pitch is your target.
- You should vibrate from below the note up into the centre.
- Why? If you vibrate above the pitch, the note will sound sharp and out of tune to the listener. If you stay below and touch the centre, the ear hears the note perfectly in tune.
Controlling speed with the metronome
To speed up your vibrato without getting tense, we use the metronome (set to roughly 60 bpm).
The pulse exercise:
- 1 pulse per beat: vibrate slowly so that you hit the "top" (centre) of the pitch exactly on the click of the metronome.
- 2 pulses per beat: double the speed (forward-back, forward-back) within one beat.
- 3, 4, and 5 pulses: gradually increase the number of oscillations per beat.
Reducing the angle
As you speed up, the physical motion must get smaller.
- Slow vibrato: uses a wider angle (approx. 45 degrees).
- Fast vibrato: uses a narrower angle (approx. 30 degrees).
By practicing these pulses, you can develop a "luscious" vibrato that you can control at any speed, rather than a nervous shake that you can't stop!