Could anyone explain to me how to do vibrato on the violin? Please help!
Thanks x

lou, i got a reasonably good method book called 'viva vibrato' that broke vibrato down a bit. I'm finding it quite useful. I believe there is a violin version of it.

Yep there is a Viva Vibrato for violin, and for viola.

Hmmmm, this sounds interesting! Do you get a lot of book for your money? And how much is it roughly if anyone knows?

I think it was 8 pounds. It's goes from basics through to artistic vibrato, and has bits of music to practice on.

I was mildly disappointed in it, but then I think I had hoped it would miraculously show me how to immediately do vibrato, when of course, it helps you to develop it over a longer period of time. There was a great exercise that had you imagine you had a blob of superglue that you were trying to loosen, sticking your finger to the fingerboard - I found that really helpful! I think probably there'll be individual exercises that help more than others for different people. I'm still working with it though (got it about 10 days ago) so not sure how I'll feel about it when I'm done with it.

This is a reprise of an earlier posting. It is how I teach vibrato in a few easy steps. Give it a try.

Have the student do the following steps.

1. With no instrument or bow, make a fist with left hand.
2. Teacher makes a target with palm of hand for student to punch (students love this part)
3. Now have student punch with BACK of hand. Punch repeatedly--2-3 times per second. Motion will come from whole arm; wrist does NOT bend.
4. Put violin in playing position. Pull left thumb a little under the neck so that the side of the index finger is NOT TOUCHING the neck by a distance of the thickness of a business card. You will need to check this CLEARANCE as the process goes forward. The index cannot grab the neck. This step is very important.
5. Put 2nd finger on F# on the D string. No other fingers. 2nd finger works best.
6. Now recreate the PUNCHING motion. If the student forgets, go back to steps 1 through 3.
7. Teacher can draw the bow while student vibrates. Student can hold the lower bout of the violin with the right hand to steady everything.
8. There are only three controls to vibrato: ON/OFF, SPEED, and DEPTH. If it stops, start it again. Ideal speed for early vibrato is 3 times per second. Depth refers to the pitch variation; you want enough range to be noticed but not enough to cause nausea.
9. When the student begins to bow him/herself, other problems will occur--mostly about separating the oscillating motion of the left arm from the smooth motion of the right arm. It is good to get the vibrato motion right with teacher bowing before having the student try to do both.
10. Leaning the scroll of the violin against the wall helps steady everything when then student goes solo.
11. Most common mistakes: the CLEARANCE (step 4) and trying to bend the left wrist. Recreate the punching motion with the back of the hand (step 3)

This is ARM VIBRATO. Every good player can do both ARM and WRIST vibrato. You need ARM for big and bravura passages. Use WRIST for soft tender moments. BTW arm vibrato is impossible in very high positions. I have had good luck starting from the ARM approach. This method avoids the icky little fast, nervous result and also the totally unwanted Finger Vibrato.

I have used this approach in a class situation and in the studio. If you do the steps, I can guarantee you'll have a vibrato in under 5 minutes.

Gabe Villasurda
Michigan USA

can I just add its a lot better for a teacher to show you how to do this because thre are soo many bad habits you can get into!
I think there is a website called violin master classes or something which shows it; but they always annoyed me because the kids picked it up so quick haha

Yes, I have to agree. It's always best to demonstrate it, even if you slow every motion down to something which is not realistically playable. Slowing everything down does however let the student see the individual motions and how each one fits together.
It's more than likely the children were already competent in vibrato before the filming took place. Most of these videos are staged specifically for the camera.

There is an excellent book called Basics by Simon Fischer which has a chapter on Vibrato. The exercises are really helpful and my vibrato is really coming along now.

That sounds interesting too! Is it worth the money?

Haha yeah I knew that, and thinking about it they couldn't have filmed a total novice.. but it's still annoying hehe

Definitely!! I've got both his 'Basics' and 'Practice'. Both publications offer excellent exercises and sound advice. Some pros hate sitting in orchestras with him because he can spot bad technique from 100 paces. He's always willing to offer advice to them - some of whom do have pretty awful technique actually - but you can imagine it doesn't always go down too well with those who've been in the profession 30 years or more

You're probaby talking about www.violinmasterclass.com . The kids there belong to the Starling Chamber Orchestra. All of them are young but play the violin at a very high level. So yes, it was staged. Does anyone have tips on how to get a wrist vibrato? I can do a very very slight arm vibrato unknowingly. I just realised it was an arm vibrato after one of the earlier posts.

"How do you do it?"

Simple answer: I don't!! I should really try using it more often though, i can kinda do it.

I have no idea how to do wrist vibrato, hm, I wondering if it's harder to switch to wrist after you've done arm for so long? Arm vibrato came very naturally to me

Wrist vibrato is a movement from the wrist up. If you wear a watch on your left wrist, the watch will be steady while the hand moves.

To get the wrist vibrato going

1. Go to approximately 4th position so that the base of the palm rests against the bottom edge of the bout (the rim of the BACK of the violin, not the top). This contact point will be the fulcrum of the motion.

2. Put 2nd finger on the A string (and no other fingers).

3. Vibrate along the length of the string--toward and away from the bridge--never left and right.

4. Work for a steady wobble--3 to 4 times a second.

5. If it stops, start it again. You have to teach your brain to keep this reflex going.

6. Keep the bow slow and strong all the while. To start with, the teacher can do the bow while the student concentrates on the vibrato.

7. Once you can do it in 4th position (leaning on the edge), move it back to 1st position. Change fingers and try to maintain the motion-don't let it stop.

8. Double check to see if the wrist watch is staying pretty much steady while the hand above the watchband moves.

9. Avoid a "finger vibrato" which involves only the knuckes. this is so small it will never be noticed by the listener.

Wrist vibrato is ALL that works in very high positions since the palm of the hand contacts the instrument. Players need to be able to do both kinds of vibratos sooner or later. The arm vibrato is best for big forte passages and the wrist for quieter, intimate moments. In the end you have to be able to switch between the two as needed.

Give it a try and let me know if it works or doesn't for you or if my instructions are incomprehensible.

Gabe Villasurda
Michigan USA

Hi Gabe!

Your methods are excellent! My arm vibrato came quite naturally but my wrist vibrato kinda came on abit after I read your post. However, I do not think I am doing it correctly because when I do vibrato on the low first finger position, my palm tends to grip the violin a little. It isn't correct is it? Then again, I'm abit impatient because I've still got to go through one more Suzuki book before vibrato can be learnt!

Andromeda_Aiken wrote


>>>I do not think I am doing it correctly because when I do vibrato on the low first finger position, my palm tends to grip the violin a little. It isn't correct is it? Then again, I'm abit impatient because I've still got to go through one more Suzuki book before vibrato can be learnt!

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I find the first finger hardest in low first position, mainly because I keep hitting the E string peg with the back of my hand. Getting every finger to vibrate in a way matched to the others is a problem for everyone. Work at it. Remember you have to match speed and depth (pitch range--flat to sharp) to consider.

Good luck.

Gabe Villasurda
www.stringskills.com