[-silverfox-]

To all violinists out there,

I've been trying for weeks to learn vibrato now and I'm finding it very difficult. I've tried so many times that it is becoming frustrating and my hands are actually cramping up. Is there an easier way in doing vibrato? Probably not.... but nonetheless I would like some tips and advice on how to do it or how you learnt the vibrato.

[christielovesyou]

If your hand is cramping up, then you've got too much tension. It should be a loose movement from the wrist, rather than the hand itself. I found that really hard at first, but if you just keep trying, and always remind yourself to keep it all loose, it should eventually just...happen.

I've heard a method where you put you hand and wrist against a wall, and wiggle your wrist so that it knocks the wall and your hand stays relatively still. However, that can be a bit tricky. I'd reccommend just flopping your wrist back and forth a lot to get used to that loose feeling. Just don't do it in public because people might think you're making some other gesture

[Claree]

Don't try to rush it, I spent several months learning vibrato learning corect technique as other wise you could end up having to relearn it later if you end up practising the wrong technique. I'd suggest stopping practising vibrato in a practise session when you start to tense up and try again next session so you're not practising tensing up.

I started by practising the vibrato movement away from the violin e.g. on a pencil to build up the correct finger strength.

[L-C]

(Original post by -silverfox-)
To all violinists out there,

I've been trying for weeks to learn vibrato now and I'm finding it very difficult. I've tried so many times that it is becoming frustrating and my hands are actually cramping up. Is there an easier way in doing vibrato? Probably not.... but nonetheless I would like some tips and advice on how to do it or how you learnt the vibrato.

Tbh I basically agree with christielovesyou but youtube has some good videos too - try http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dWsg...eature=related.

Also whilst yes you are probably too stiff and tight, it is something new for you so it's not going to come easily at first. Basically I mean feeling a bit cramped is natural at the beginning as you're using new muscles but make sure you stop if it gets too tight as otherwise you'll get into bad habits - be loose and relaxed and wiggle your whole hand if you need to at first but then restrict it to the wrist.

Oh also make sure your thumb isn't too tightly down (this could be the main reason for your cramp) - it's got to move slightly with your finger.

[-silverfox-]

(Original post by christielovesyou)
If your hand is cramping up, then you've got too much tension. It should be a loose movement from the wrist, rather than the hand itself. I found that really hard at first, but if you just keep trying, and always remind yourself to keep it all loose, it should eventually just...happen.

I've heard a method where you put you hand and wrist against a wall, and wiggle your wrist so that it knocks the wall and your hand stays relatively still. However, that can be a bit tricky. I'd reccommend just flopping your wrist back and forth a lot to get used to that loose feeling. Just don't do it in public because people might think you're making some other gesture

Thanks that was very helpful. I just need patience now. ^.^

(Original post by L-C)
Tbh I basically agree with christielovesyou but youtube has some good videos too - try http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dWsg...eature=related.

Also whilst yes you are probably too stiff and tight, it is something new for you so it's not going to come easily at first. Basically I mean feeling a bit cramped is natural at the beginning as you're using new muscles but make sure you stop if it gets too tight as otherwise you'll get into bad habits - be loose and relaxed and wiggle your whole hand if you need to at first but then restrict it to the wrist.

Oh also make sure your thumb isn't too tightly down (this could be the main reason for your cramp) - it's got to move slightly with your finger.

Thank you for the link it was incredibly useful

[Prince Rhyus]

(Original post by -silverfox-)
To all violinists out there,

I've been trying for weeks to learn vibrato now and I'm finding it very difficult. I've tried so many times that it is becoming frustrating and my hands are actually cramping up. Is there an easier way in doing vibrato? Probably not.... but nonetheless I would like some tips and advice on how to do it or how you learnt the vibrato.

Hand/wrist/arm massages may help - especially if muscle tension is a problem. I'm sort of resigned to not being able to do vibrato, but think this is more to do with not being able to find a shoulder rest that I am completely comfortable with.

[*WiNdOw LiCkEr*]

there are lots of different vibrato techniques to suit different players etc. my teacher has always taught me one where wrist action is not ideal----no squiggles lol! In this techniques the vibratio action comes from keeping the forearm and wrist straight and moving the entire forearm back and forward with the fingers flexing back and forward on the fingerboard. The movement uses the bicep and tricep muscles. Like in pretty much all violin playing tension should be avoided-cramps indicate what you are far too tense and actively need to relax.
Hope this is somewhat useful

[Bobifier]

My teacher taught me wrist vibrato, so I don't know anything about doing it from the arm other than that you can. He started off by having me place my wrist at the top of the viola and doing vibrato like that so that I couldn't move anything except the wrist. He always insisted that I should start off doing it wide and very slow - he said that to begin with, there should be between a semitone and a tone between the top and bottom. It is apparently a common problem that when people speed up they stiffen up and try to do it too fast and end up with so little width that it is worthless. So width is important in the beginning and, as with all things in music, start slowly and speed up as gradually as it takes to be able to do it properly.