Fiddle vibrato techniques

Subject: Fiddle vibrato techniques
From: Tinwhistler
Date: 21 Aug 98 - 02:56 PM

Any fiddlers out there who want to share favorite/effective techniques for vibrato or other fiddle subjects? Try as I might, the only vibrato I can do is with my finger-I can't get my wrist going. I don't have any trouble on guitar, though. Just in that akward under-the chin position.

Thanks, Sue

Subject: RE: Fiddle vibrato techniques
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Jul 01 - 03:39 PM

This page might be useful, as might this

Subject: RE: Fiddle vibrato techniques
From: The Cat's Whiskers
Date: 09 Jul 01 - 07:30 AM

I finally managed to do vibrato after a 3 week trip to Spain, minus my fiddle.

Sometimes you can try so hard at something that you get lost in the technicalities - a short break away from it can result in success on return.

TCW

Subject: RE: Fiddle vibrato techniques
From: IanC
Date: 09 Jul 01 - 07:38 AM

Help

Here's me thinking that vibrato was something classical violin players did. Folk fiddlers round my way don't seem to do it. There must be some that do, then.

Can anybody tell me if they know of any traditional fiddlers who use vibrato (I'm seriously interested).

Cheers!
Ian

Subject: RE: Fiddle vibrato techniques
From: SueH
Date: 09 Jul 01 - 07:57 AM

yes they do Ian, you haven't been watching....

Sue

Subject: RE: Fiddle vibrato techniques
From: IanC
Date: 09 Jul 01 - 08:00 AM

Wot, Harry Cox?

Subject: RE: Fiddle vibrato techniques
From: IanC
Date: 09 Jul 01 - 08:10 AM

Sorry, Sue!!! ... just wanted an excuse to introduce this Really Brilliant Article by Chris Bartram - himself a fine folk fiddler.

Cheers!
Ian

Subject: RE: Fiddle vibrato techniques
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 09 Jul 01 - 08:42 AM

The question of vibrato in traditional fiddle playing (and Early Music, too) is one that comes up quite often on the  FIDDLE-L  discussion list; if you run a search of their archive, you'll find plenty of food for thought, some of it helpful.

Subject: RE: Fiddle vibrato techniques
From: Mark Clark
Date: 09 Jul 01 - 10:36 AM

Great information here, thanks. I can see I'll be referring to the referenced sites more than once.

I did wonder if Tinwhistler has been checking in faithfully for the last three years to see if his or her question had been favored with a response.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Fiddle vibrato techniques
From: SueH
Date: 09 Jul 01 - 01:13 PM

I should think so Ian! Mind you, those articles by Chris are really excellent aren't they, & I think they should be proscribed reading for those people who think some of the old fiddlers sounded scrapy because that was the intention. How good can your tone be when you're playing a biscuit tin?
Where were you at Folk In The Park on June 30th?????
any chance of seeing you on the 25th (Bird In Hand)? I'm afraid we were still decorating the shower room last Monday......
Sue

Subject: RE: Fiddle vibrato techniques
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Jul 01 - 07:28 PM

Hi,

Yes, I agree with Sue - good fiddlers can do vibrato but chose most of the time not to. Classical players turn on full vibrato to cover imperfect intonation which a fiddler who plays within their capababilities does not have too :)

Seriously, a fiddler only adds vib to "sweeten" a note while leaving open or un-vibbed notes to contrast with it.

I think it is much harder to play a tune like an air without vib than it is with - the version without vib can make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up where as the vibbed version will just sound pretty.

Ian S

Subject: RE: Fiddle vibrato techniques
From: Grab
Date: 10 Jul 01 - 03:11 PM

When I learnt violin as a kid, I found I just couldn't do vibrato. My hand and arm just didn't move that way, in spite of all my teacher could do. After 6 months of literally no progress, I quit violin altogether out of sheer frustration - basically, I'd stopped enjoying it, and the main reason was the vibrato.

Coming to folk fiddle 10 years later and experimenting, after learning guitar in the interim, I've found that I can move my finger to achieve a narrow vibrato. The movement is entirely in my finger though, not at all from the wrist or elbow.

Classical vibrato on the guitar moving from the elbow is not a problem for me, and in fact I found I could do that when I was learning violin the first time, but that's at 90 degrees to the movement required for the violin and I just can't do it in the other direction.

Sorry that my contribution is "if at first you don't succeed, then quit"! :-) But I actually don't think that's unreasonable - if after 6 months practice your technique is literally the same as when you started, I don't think you're ever going to get far with it. Imagine learning guitar for 6 months and still not being able to play 3 chords, and you'll get the idea.

Graham.

Subject: RE: Fiddle vibrato techniques
From: GUEST,petr
Date: 10 Jul 01 - 04:15 PM

vibrato seems to be used sparingly in folk fiddle tradition as opposed to classical. you want to use your wrist not just your fingers. In fact wrist flexibility applies to the bowhand as well most of the good players Ive observed have a very relaxed right wrist. It took me a couple of years before I could get a decent vibrato. So Id say dont give up, although I was learning when I was young and some things are a lot more difficult to pickup as an adult. petr.

Subject: RE: Fiddle vibrato techniques
From: wysiwyg
Date: 13 Jul 01 - 11:02 AM

refresh

Subject: RE: Fiddle vibrato techniques
From: GUEST,Frank
Date: 13 Jul 01 - 01:31 PM

I'm just learning violin. My teachers suggests that there is a relationship between the thumb of the left hand and the finger that's vibrating. Another person suggested that the hand is waving "bye bye" while the finger connects with the string. There are apparently wrist, arm and finger vibratos. If one doesn't work for you, the other might.

Frank

Subject: RE: Fiddle vibrato techniques
From: BRG
Date: 13 Jul 01 - 04:00 PM

I've struggled with vibrato for quite some time. I find that if I'm sloppy with chin support (which I often am), it's nearly impossible. A classical playing friend has been very helpful - nothing beats watching someone who knows what their doing.

I also find it fascinating that this thread was started with a question in August of '98 and answered almost three years later. Is that common on the Mudcat?

Bruce