Have you ever wondered how to play vibrato on the violin? We’ve got you covered.
Important Information Regarding Vibrato
- Vibrato comes from the wrist and/or the arm
- Vibrato relies on the first knuckle of your 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th finger flattening out in order to “bend” the pitch downward and then back up to pitch.
- Starting vibrato on the very tip of your finger is going to make your pitches more accurate, allow for wider vibrato, and make the act of playing vibrato much, much easier.
- Terminology among professionals can vary, so be sure to watch and analyze exactly what I and other instructors are saying.
- Don’t stop with this guide, go check out other channels and sources. I may be able to help you and that would be fantastic! But perhaps someone else will deliver the same information in a way that better suits you.
Perhaps one of the most sought-after techniques in violin is what we call “vibrato”.
By definition, Vibrato is “a rapid, slight variation in pitch in singing or playing some musical instruments, producing a stronger or richer tone.”
In practice, vibrato on the violin starts on a specified pitch, and the finger used is “rocked” or “flattened” towards the scroll to achieve what becomes a pitch shift downward.
The shift is not gigantic, but one can realistically achieve a quarter step downward pitch shift when using this technique. It is not usually as wide as stepping a half step down to a lower pitch (though it can certainly be performed in this manner).
So, for example, Vibrato is not usually as wide as lowering the pitch from a “C” to a “B”. However, one can certainly achieve reasonably wide vibrato for greater dynamic and melodic effect.
What do I use Vibrato for?
Vibrato is excellent for smoothing out pitch inconsistencies when playing. However, the goal of a violinist is to play perfectly in tune (known as having good intonation) and then add vibrato.
Vibrato also lends itself well to making the pitch “carry” well. To be clear, vibrato does not necessarily increase the sustain or resonance of one’s instrument, but it can be argued that it activates sympathetic pitches and overtones of more notes while playing a given pitch.
But when playing, vibrato makes the note you are playing sound more “alive”, which in turn rounds out any potential hard edges and notes so that one’s playing sounds more like singing and less like an instrument droning.
Finally, vibrato adds flare to the note, even if the piece you are playing is slow, or sparse in melodic movement. We can make the pitch sound “classy” with a certain style of measured, controlled vibrato.
We can even play vibrato in a way that sounds soft, and tender.
Conversely, we can make it sound deep, fast and powerful.
When we boil it down, vibrato on the violin is a way to make our notes sound like they are ringing, singing, and interesting instead of uniform and monotone.
How Do I Play Vibrato on the Violin?
I describe vibrato on the violin as a “flattening of the first knuckle” on any given finger. I am specifically referring to the knuckle closest to the tip of the finger.
The finger starts on its tip, then it flattens out onto its pad. Following, the finger returns to the tip.
It should be critically noted: The finger never slides.
Since the finger never slides from its original position, the tip can also return to its original position, thus playing the same pitch on which, the vibrato began. This seems a little redundant to say, but I want to be thorough.
The movement of the tip of the finger is arguably the most important aspect of vibrato on the violin.
However, there are more movements to discuss. For example, the directional force that causes the knuckle to flatten DOES NOT begin with said knuckle.
The directional force actually begins with either the wrist/hand or the arm/forearm.
Wrist Vibrato vs. Arm Vibrato On The Violin
Also called hand vibrato and forearm vibrato, what I am conveying to you are two ways you can create motion in your extremity that will allow you to flatten your first knuckle and fingertip. Not only that, but these movements allow the vibrato to be comfortably sustainable and increased or decreased in intensity.
Wrist/Hand Vibrato
In order to produce this type of vibrato, your forearm, elbow, and upper arm will stay almost motionless. Instead, you will make a movement with your hand as if you were knocking on a door with your palm facing the shoulder of the same arm.
You’ll have a full view of your palm because it is facing the direction of your face.
Start with a straight forearm and straight wrist. Next, touch your thumb and your first finger.
Then, pretend like you are knocking on a door with the base knuckle of your middle finger on the back of your hand.
This will not be a super wide arch. In fact, you only want the hand to travel between 1 and 3 inches. This is achieved via the bending of the wrist. Then, you will return the hand/wrist to its original vertical position on top of the forearm.
I tend to use this type of vibrato for lighter and more nuanced approaches in songs where touch is important.
Arm Vibrato
Arm vibrato on the violin follows the same law of the fingertip and first knuckle. However, the wrist is not what produces the motion that allows the tip to lay down.
Instead, we find that the arm does the lion’s share. To be more specific, the forearm from the elbow up to the hand moves in the direction of the scroll, away from the body, and then back to its original position.
We will begin with the finger on its tip, as we did with wrist vibrato. Now, pull the forearm in the direction of the scroll. The wrist will bend slightly so as to keep the back of your hand vertical.
I sometimes tell my students to imagine that there is a string attached to the back of their hand and that that string is pulling them directly backwards.
Throughout this movement, the tip of the finger will flatten and the resume its position on the tip at the original pitch. Remember, no sliding of the finger or the fingertip at any moment when performing vibrato.
A final piece of advice is to keep your elbow directly underneath your violin. Never let it get behind your back and in some cases, you may even bring it slightly in front of your violin, where you can see it passing your side.
How do I know when to use arm vibrato and when to use wrist vibrato?
This is somewhat personal, but I do believe there is a good way to decide. Wrist vibrato, at least for me, allows for a much lighter, nuanced approach. When I play wrist vibrato, it is much easier to not play a wide vibrato.
This leads me to almost exclusively use wrist vibrato when playing piano and playing lightly on the violin. Conversely, I am able to play wider, more vibrant vibrato when I use arm vibrato. Therefore, I tend to use this type of vibrato when I am playing anything louder than mezzo-forte and especially when I wish to strongly convey a powerful emotion through my music.
A note about fingernails: Keep them short
Sincerely, this is important. If your fingernails extend past the end of the fleshy part of your fingernail, you are at risk of shortening the width of your vibrato. The longer your fingernail, the more it will stop your finger when you attempt to play vibrato.
The bottom line is that long fingernails stop your finger from being able to go back to the tip, which in turn means your vibrato hits a brick wall of travel distance. Forget about wide, emotional vibrato. With a few exceptions, that’s not happening.
I jokingly suggest to my students that they carry fingernail clippers with them in their cases. I’m only partially joking. Please, if you’re learning vibrato, don’t show up to your lesson with longer fingernails.
No, I won’t kick you out of the classroom, I care to much about your learning. But simultaneously, I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t tell you how much it slows us down.
Perseverance is the key to violin vibrato
Once you’ve decided to learn vibrato, you must commit to it 100%. There is no down time until you have muscle memory allowing you to perform smooth, usable vibrato. What does usable mean? Vibrato that you can execute without thinking.
You don’t have to have to mastered and it doesn’t need to sound like Perlman. But I would highly suggest mentally committing to 1 to 2 years of continual, intentional vibrato practicing. You must convert it into a motor skill. Once you’ve achieved this level, you can refine it.
It is very important that you learn it correctly though, so that you don’t have to break bad habits later. That will only delay your overall learning arc and we want to avoid that.
Final thoughts
I’m very excited for you! I love vibrato. It is almost a rite of passage and I am thrilled when it’s time for my students to learn. It means you’ve been playing for a while and you’re ready to make a serious commitment to your violin playing.
Allow me to encourage you: vibrato does NOT happen overnight, but with dedication, you WILL learn to play gorgeous vibrato.
I also suggest watching and listening to live performances of great violinists for inspiration. Nigel Kennedy, Hillary Hahn, Itzhak Perlman, and Sarah Chang to name a few. Watch and listen to them. Internalize the sounds they make so you can replicate them and then create your own unique sound. Keep at this and I have no doubt that you’ll be playing beautiful vibrato in no time!