Florida Music Education Associations



Achieving an Artistic Vibrato in the String Class

Dr. Rebecca B. MacLeod

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

rbmacleo@uncg.edu

There are a number of pedagogical approaches and beliefs regarding vibrato

Galamian Rolland Applebaum Suzuki Mantel

Characteristics of professional string performers’ vibrato

o Pitch Tendency

▪ Video examples of a professional cellist performing vibrato in real and slow time

▪ Video examples of former concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic performing vibrato in real time and slow time

o Vibrato Rate

▪ Vibrato rates for string players range from 4 Hz to 7.5 Hz.

▪ Artist level vibrato appears to be faster (6-7 Hz) than student vibrato (5-6 Hz). However, this data are unclear.

▪ It is more likely that there is a difference between acceptable rates during solo performance (faster vibrato) than during ensemble performance (slower vibrato).

o Vibrato Width

▪ Most pedagogues agree that an appropriate vibrato width is around that of one quarter tone (50 cents).

▪ Width varies more than any other characteristic of vibrato to create expressivity

▪ More experienced players use a wider vibrato

▪ Vibrato is wider during forte passages and narrower during piano passages

▪ Vibrato is wider in higher positions (seventh position compared to first position) than in lower positions

o Differences between professional level vibrato and student level vibrato

▪ Continuity of vibrato

▪ Width of vibrato

Practical applications to teaching vibrato based on the characteristics of professional players’ vibrato

• Violin/viola

o Proper set-up – Shoulder position, correct left hand shape, correct finger placement

o Flexible knuckles – the student should be able to easily flex the first knuckle joint of each finger

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o Transferring flexible first joint knuckle to the instrument

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boxed finger joint extended finger joint

o Manual assistance for finger flexibility (arm vibrato)

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o Pull away – the base joint of the index finger must release so that the hand has the mobility to vibrate (this motion is very subtle and should be barely visible)

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Base knuckle joint touching the neck of the violin Base knuckle joint released from the neck of the violin

o Waving motion – place the hand into playing position and wave toward your face

o Polishing the string – in third or fourth position, lightly touch the string and slide back and fourth (the distance of a minor third), decrease the distance of the sliding motion and increase the speed

o Forward taps – place the thumb at the base of the neck where it connects with the instrument. Tap rhythm patterns on the middle strings of the violin or viola using a swinging motion from the wrist

o Backward motion – practice the flattening motion recommended by Galamian

o Controlled rhythmic practice – using a metronome practice vibrating above and below the pitch in eighth notes, triplets, and sixteenth notes

• Cello/Bass (Essential Techniques for Strings 2000 p. 42)

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Existing Research in String Vibrato

Pitch Center

Researcher Year Pitch Center Reference Pitch

Fletcher, Blackham, Geertsen 1965 above equal temperament

Papich & Rainbow 1974 above equal temperament/pythagorean

Papich & Rainbow 1975 above individuals non-vibrated pitch

Fletcher & Sanders 1967 below equal temperament

Seashore 1932 around listener perception

Small 1936 around equal temperament

Shackford 1960 around reference tone

Seashore 1967 around summary

Brown & Vaughn 1996 around listener perception

Geringer & Allen 2004 around individual non-vibrated pitch

Geringer, Allen, MacLeod 2005 around individual non-vibrated pitch

Geringer, MacLeod, Allen 2010 around listener perception

Vibrato Rate

Researcher Year Instrument Rate Grade Level

Cheslock 1931 Violin 6.4 Hz Adult

Cheslock 1931 Violin 6.5 Hz Professional Soloists

Hollinshead 1932 Violin 7 Hz Professional Soloists

Reger 1932 Violin 6.92 Hz Professional Soloists

Small 1936 Violin 6.3 Hz Professional Soloists

Seashore 1967 Violin 6 Hz Professional Soloists

Fletcher & Sanders 1967 Violin 6 Hz College Concertmaster

Mellody & Wakefield 2000 Violin 5.9 Hz Amateur

Geringer & Allen 2004 Violin/Cello 5.5 Hz High School/College

MacLeod 2008 Violin 6.63 Hz Professional Soloists

MacLeod 2008 Violin 5.68 High School/College

MacLeod 2008 Viola 5.43 High School/College

Vibrato Width

Researcher Year Instrument Rate Grade Level

Hollinshead 1932 Violin 52 cents Professional

Mellody & Wakefield 2000 Violin 15.2 cents Amateur

Geringer & Allen 2004 Violin/Cello 30 cents High School/College

MacLeod 2008 Violin 46.5 High School/College

MacLeod 2008 Viola 37.5 High School/College

MacLeod 2008 Violinists 63 cents Professional Soloists

Reger 1932 Violin 48 cents Professional Soloists

Reger 1932 Violin 38 cents Students

Reger 1932 Violin 42 cents Teachers

Reger 1932 Violin 48 cents Professional Soloists

Small 1936 Violin 44 cents Professional Soloists

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