Many songs work best with a combination of different types of vibrato to set the tone from one part of the song into the next. For example, a dramatic tango may start slow, then transition to a faster pace as the dance intensifies. You could use arm vibrato to provide a sense of tension building during the slow part, then transition to a wrist vibrato.
Make sure your finger is not moving up and down the string or bending the string too much. You want to keep the correct intonation while playing vibrato. Once you’ve got the movement down with your index finger, repeat the exercise with your middle finger, then your ring finger, and finally your pinky. Don’t think you need to get the motion down with all of your fingers in one practice session – take your time and build the muscle memory one finger at a time.
Practicing this movement away from your violin can help you develop muscle memory. Hold a stress ball or tennis ball in your hand with your arm at the same angle it would be if you were playing the violin and practice the knocking motion. [5] X Research source If you place your pointer or ring finger on a note, you can practice vibrato by actually knocking your knuckles against the E-string tuning peg – just take care not to knock too hard or you might knock your E string out of tune.
It can help to imagine that instead of politely knocking on a door, you are pounding on a large castle door. As with wrist vibrato, practice the movement until you have the technique right.
Some accomplished violinists aren’t able to create a strong vibrato with their pinky finger – so don’t worry if you can’t do it with all 4 fingers right away. Although it’s less common for a skilled violinist to have trouble with the first finger, there are some who still have difficulty.
Simply tapping on a tabletop is a basic exercise to improve your finger strength. Cup your hand along the edge of the table and tap your first finger 5 - 10 times, then move to the second and repeat the exercise, all the way down to your pinky. If you know how to play trills (alternating quickly between one note and the note above), you can use that technique to improve your finger strength as well. Stretch your fingers by opening your hand and curling each fingertip to the base of your thumb. Try to move your fingers independently without moving the other fingers. Hold the stretch for a breath or two, then release. Repeat 3 - 5 times with each finger of your left hand. [9] X Research source
Finger vibrato uses the same rolling motion that you used when creating wrist or arm vibrato. However, you need to move your finger much faster so that your finger is vibrating against the string. Finger vibrato creates a light, wavering sound that can add liveliness to notes in faster pieces.
When you first start practicing, don’t be alarmed if your vibrato sounds more like a police siren or a dying cow than the beautiful, emotional instrument you know the violin to be. Keep at it, and you’ll gradually develop a better tone. At this point, it’s more important to make sure you’ve got the technique down than to produce the best sound. The sound will come, but if you don’t have the technique you’ll develop bad habits that could increase your risk of repetitive injuries later on.
Some fingers and strings will be more difficult than others. Typically, your shorter, weaker pinky finger will be the most difficult. Don’t worry if you can’t get it right away, or if some fingers come more quickly than others – just keep at it.
It will take some adjustment to get used to moving your left arm in time with the metronome and not moving the right arm at the same time – this is why a strong vibrato takes practice to perfect. Set the metronome as slow as you need to start, and don’t worry if you mess up. Just take a deep breath and start again. Dedicate a couple of minutes during each practice session to working on your vibrato technique. Any more than that and you’ll likely get bored or become frustrated. Don’t attempt to mix the technique in with your regular playing until you have the technique perfected using most (if not all) fingers.
Remember to keep your left arm and hand loose and relaxed as you play. Avoid the tendency to tense up on the violin as you change finger positions. As you play the scales, gradually increase the intensity (speed) of your vibrato.
If you’re practicing alone, it can help to record your playing and listen to it later to check your intonation.
If you start with a song you already know, you won’t have to worry about hunting for the notes to play as well as figuring out where to add vibrato. You can simply focus on the vibrato. It’s a good idea to start with slower songs, so you won’t feel rushed trying to slip in the vibrato.
Arm vibrato is typically most suitable for notes that are held out for a long time. This will enable you to get the most vibrations out of the tone.
Practice using vibrato on different notes, and at different places in the song. Although you can always mimic great violinists, it can also be a lot of fun to try to put your own spin on an arrangement.
Watch videos of famous violinists, such as Joshua Bell or Itzhak Perlman, to see how they use vibrato when playing. Make a note of when they switch to different types of vibrato to enhance the mood of the song.
