How do I play vibrato?

flautist blackie · Post by **flautist blackie** » Fri Feb 06, 2004 8:54 pm

First of all, I''m not sure where this post belongs
(beginner or intermediate) but I put it here because more people read this
section. If you are reading this, I''ve proved my point. I''ve been thinking
about this: How do I play a really heavy vibrato (or light, anything that might
help)? I''m not sure if you have to vibrate your lips or just get the air out
in a particular way. So far, the only way I''ve been able to vibrate my tone
is by shaking my head rapidly while playing which isn''t very efficient.
Thanks.

sakuramimato · Post by **sakuramimato** » Sat Feb 07, 2004 10:44 am

[quote] ---------------- On 2/6/2004 8:54:38 PM
First of all, I'm not sure where this post belongs (beginner or intermediate)
but I put it here because more people read this section. If you are reading
this, I've proved my point. I've been thinking about this: How do I play a
really heavy vibrato (or light, anything that might help)? I'm not sure if you
have to vibrate your lips or just get the air out in a particular way. So far,
the only way I've been able to vibrate my tone is by shaking my head rapidly
while playing which isn't very efficient. Thanks. ---------------- [/quote] For
vibrato, I use my diaphragm by making pulses. It's the same as when you're
singing vocally with vibrato. (I'm assuming that that's the common way of
playing it.) As for the heavy vibrato, I'm still learning how to get there.
Possibly from practicing scales while playing vibrato, you can build up your
sound with it until it develops into the deep, rich vibrato experienced players
have.

flautist blackie · Post by **flautist blackie** » Tue Feb 17, 2004 5:44 pm

Thanks. That really helped.

notootsieno · Post by **notootsieno** » Sat Mar 20, 2004 9:02 pm

I read somewhere on a website that playing
vibrato is like panting like a dog.

whsmusicguy05 · Post by **whsmusicguy05** » Wed Apr 21, 2004 10:09 pm

Yeah, I agree with the diaphragm thing, but I
got some pointers from the flute professor at Bowling Green State University. He
said that when you figure out how to make the vibrating tone, play a straight
whole note (no vibrato), then play a whole note with the vibrato pulse on the
quarter note, then a whole note with the vibrato pulse on the 8th note, then
pulse on the 8th note triplet, then finally on the 16th note. This is something
to do when learning, and then its good to do when you warm up alone. After you
go through that sequence, you then play a whole note with no vibrato. The
purpose of that is to be able to play vibrato at different speeds, then turn it
off when you need to. You also need to know not to make the vibrato seem too
much like it's in a certain pulse, because then it sounds overdone. I hope that
helps!! [:bigsmile:]

powayflute01 · Post by **powayflute01** » Thu Apr 22, 2004 1:17 am

That sounds exactly like how I learned vibrato.
It also helps to tape record yourself and play it back to see how even or uneven
the sound of your pulsing is.

seldomseen · Post by **seldomseen** » Sat May 01, 2004 8:14 pm

Some instruments also can work with a throat
vibrato (best way I can describe it is, think of snoring into the instrument.)
I'm wondering ... would this work on flute too? I'm real curious.

embum79 · Post by **embum79** » Sun May 02, 2004 11:07 am

I would be very cautious about using a "throat"
vibrato. You can get into real problems.. with clicking noises in your throat..
and other things that are just not helpful. If you concentrate on what your air
is doing, you should be okay.

woof · Post by **woof** » Mon May 03, 2004 7:55 am

[quote] ---------------- On 5/1/2004 8:14:28 PM
Some instruments also can work with a throat vibrato (best way I can describe it
is, think of snoring into the instrument.) I'm wondering ... would this work on
flute too? I'm real curious. ---------------- [/quote] I use throat vibrato-
not so much a "snoring" but rather just changing the volume of the mouth by
moving the tongue and stuff(?). It is a little hard to explain but there are no
clicking sounds etc. It works well for strong and soft notes and is relatively
easy to do but I am sure it has it limitations and probably the most reliable
vibrato is through the diaphram.

powayflute01 · Post by **powayflute01** » Mon May 03, 2004 1:53 pm

I'm actually not sure that diaphram vibrato is
the "best" way to do it because you have to use more air to give your sound that
pulse, which would make you breathe more frequently. It seems like the most
efficient way to do it is with the mouth, and I haven't noticed any substantial
difference in the quality of the vibrato.

embum79 · Post by **embum79** » Tue May 04, 2004 8:09 pm

I guess what I meant by "throat vibrato" was
when you don't involve the air in your mouth at all.. you merely use it as a
passage for the air to go out. I used to play vibrato that way, with a very
tight mouth, and I had to learn the hard way how that that's not the best way
to go. It is so hard to explain in words though.. you really almost have to be
in person to show how it works.