Chapter 1 - Master Your Vibrato I Lihay Bendayan (Article + 7 Videos)

Master your Vibrato, article and instruction videos

By Prof. Lihay Bendayan
Head of the Violin Class, Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance

 1. Preparatory exercises (to be practiced without vibrato):

Experience the impact of the following parameters on the quality of sound produced by the left hand, playing up to several full bows per note. Listen to the sound created by each finger (as the only finger on the string and together with the previously played fingers on the string) and to the variations in "colors" and "deepness" of the sound when practicing as follows:

a. Changing the angle of the fingers on the string

You will certainly notice that the flatter the position of the fingers on the string, the warmer the sound becomes and that with a more perpendicular position, the sound becomes more focused and more narrow.

b. Changing the amount of pressure of the fingers on the string

In addition to the influence on the sound, using the strings as "springs" is an efficient way to alter the amount of tension and muscular tonus in the hand, fingers, thumb, and arm.

c. Changing the position of the 4th finger when the other fingers are played

You might notice that when the 4th is generally positioned above the string which is played, it has a significant impact on the sound of the other active fingers. This results from a higher general muscular tonus in hand in that position and the fact that the 4th finger is not "pulling" the other fingers, restraining their flexibility.

d. Changing the position and the amount of pressure of the thumb

Try to move the thumb higher or lower along the neck together with the wrist (in one line) and notice the influence on the sound as the hand is in different positions relative to the middle wrist position (continuing the line of the lower arm). In parallel, be sensitive to changes in the sound when releasing the pressure of the thumb from the neck of the violin or when pulling the last joint of the thumb backward away from the neck, allowing the violin to vibrate more freely.

e. Releasing the tensions between the fingers

Space between the fingers, even when playing semi-tones, will improve the sound of the (vibrating) fingers and avoid a 'sordino' effect made by a passive finger in contact with an active finger.

2. Arm vibrato

A vibrato initiated by the lower arm relies on the capacity of the movements of the fingers to allow it.

The following exercise aims to develop these movements (flexibility) for each finger while the arm is moving freely but passively in consequence. When using the scale above as a platform, we first exercise each finger alone and then gradually add the previously played finger(s) behind it: 1, 2, 2+1, 3, 3+2, 3+2+1, 4, 4+3, 4+3+2, 4+3+2+1 - also when going down the scale.

During this exercise, it is essential to perfectly maintain the wrist position in the mid-position of the hand towards the lower arm. At the same time, the fingers produce large, slow, controlled but tensionless movements on both sides.

We can start with four beats per note (metronome on 60'), repeating each note several times. After that, we gradually increase the tempo over time for each finger individually and then for the whole scale.

3. Hand vibrato

This exercise should ideally be executed on a scale played in the 3rd or 4th position (for example, a one-octave C major or D minor scale, starting 1st finger on the G string) as we need the wrist to rest on the edge of the violin, creating a mid-position of the hand towards the lower arm.

The goal is to develop a quality movement of the hand alone - either from the mid-position backward and back to the middle or from the mid-position forwards and back to the middle.

Any movement of the fingers should be avoided as much as possible to isolate the functioning of the hand alone. The movement should be slow and "elastic" and can be practiced as explained above regarding the disposition of the fingers.

Although the fingers do not change their shape during the movement, their position on the string changes due to the motion initiated by the hand, it is recommended to start at a very slow tempo, with the metronome at 60', one beat per note, and progressively add one movement per beat, going from 1 to 8. It is important to think "legato" rather than "staccato" when switching sides.

 4. Continuous vibrato

The transmission capability of the vibrato from one finger to another is crucial for the musical phrase as we should aim to vibrate the melody - not the notes.

One of the reasons for involuntarily ceasing the vibrato between the notes is the use of force rather than the natural weight of the finger, hand, or arm when pressing (more than needed) the next finger on the string. Therefore, performing the scale repeating each note several times without stopping the vibrato while using "gravity" rather than force when dropping the fingers to the string should be very helpful.

Another possibility is to play the scale with no pressure at all on the strings and, in this context, develop the quality of the transmission of the vibrato between the notes. The next step is to gradually increase the weight on the strings for comfortably establishing the transmission and finally increasing/reducing the amount of vibrato over several notes when phrasing the scale with live dynamics in different ways.

5. Wakeup cure for a blocked vibrato

Using the same amount of energy, the faster the vibrato gets, the narrower it becomes. Thus, in the case you feel your vibrato is "stuck," I highly recommend this exercise: on a comfortable scale, slow tempo, one note per bow, play each note with an immense crescendo while increasing both the speed AND the width of the vibrato, defying nature in the sense described above. The more you exaggerate the confrontation of those contradictory elements the more effective the exercise becomes, and more rapidly your vibrato should get bigger and freer.

6. Triggering the vibrato

In addition to developing the movements described in the previous exercises, it is necessary to sharpen the impulses responsible for triggering the various movements.

For this matter, use quick, loud, full Martelé bow-strokes for each note for maximum sound projection. Play your quickest vibrato on each note of the scale, initiating energy towards the string from both hands in perfect synchrony. You can remove the bow from the string, creating a circle upwards with your right elbow after each note and releasing both shoulders before "attacking" the next note. This exercise should be executed with different pressure levels of the fingers on the strings to dissociate the sharpness and energy of the impulses from the amount of pressure they provide on the string.

7. 4th finger vibrato:

It is crucial to develop the capabilities of the 4th finger to match the other fingers' expression range.

a. An efficient way is to play a scale using only the 3rd and 4th fingers (for example, a C minor/major 3 octaves scale starting 1st position with 3rd finger) while maintaining a large and continuous vibrato.

b. Special attention should be given to the 4th finger's vibrato played over the highest positions where the angle of the finger on the string is usually flatter, and the pressure on the string is higher. Therefore, playing a chromatic scale with the 4th finger alone is useful, starting at around the 3rd position and climbing progressively towards the end of the fingerboard with a large (possibly increasing) vibrato. Remember immediately to stop and relax your hand if any pain/stiffness occurs.

c. The finger's extension capacity conditions the width and freedom of the vibrato. The larger it gets, the better since the vibrato is less limited by the other fingers positioned on the strings. Therefore, it is beneficial to practice tenths, octaves 1-3, and 2-4, as well as other relevant exercises (e.g., D. C. Dounis) in parallel with the vibrato exercises.