Over the years I heard about 4-5 people tell me my vibrato needs to be slowed down. Some people very tactfully, but others said things like "You sound like a billy goat." Wow, meanies. :-)

Anyway, I would like to attempt to slow it down and get more depth to it. However when I listen to professional flutists I don't think mine is much faster... perhaps I'm just used to hearing myself.

Is there a book out there to help with this?

Listen to others on this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0yCw9

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ms9tsWmhyU

http://www.jennifercluff.com/vibrato.htm

Some pretty good playing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ms9tsWmhyU&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiHGxrUrAdk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWIb_BzOwGA

My teacher directed me to this page and it really helped my mostly non-existant vibrato.
http://homepage.mac.com/johnwion/vibrato.html

Most likely it's a natural thing you develop along with the other aspects of playing the flute.
Although if you're quite not happy (note: YOU are not happy, not the others...) with it, there is no other way than working hard to acquire what you want, or what you believe it's possible to reach.
First and most important is to get tools to work with (some have already been pointed here). I mean techniques that could not only change some aspect of your playing but mainly let you know how things are working now so you can change them and arrive some other place on the road.
First of all, try getting conscious of how it happens now. What muscles work in favor or against your vibrato. Is it your throat or your abdominal muscles? Is it emotional or not? Does your jaw move when the vibrato is on?
Yes there are simple exercises to help control vibrato. Remember those long notes exercises? Just adapt them to include very slow vibrato and gradually enhance velocity each time. Also, change the amplitude of vibrato (instead of velocity) in the same way. At first may seem something mechanical. But that's the whole meaning of an exercise. Make things more technical first and then, later, when it's automatic you'll have the liberty of being more concerned about expression and so on.

You know, listen to many flute recordings from the 1960s and older. Most of those flutists have that "billy goat" vibrato I've noticed. Many of the BIG name flutists. If you're happy, I wouldn't change it one bit.

Is vibrato generally done in 3's or 4's? I asked my new teacher this and he kind of looked at me strange and said it was getting a little too technical. But I just need to know. Sorry if it sounds like a dumb question, but I'm trying to start from the beginning. I never really "learned" vibrato, I just imitated others doing it. I doubt I could even describe what I do to produce it. I notice in some of my university solo pieces that my teacher marked things like "Vibrato in 3's." How did she decide this?

This is an interesting topic. I also thought that vibrato should be almost part of an emotion when playing the flute and not thought about or over analyzed. I have trouble understanding some of the concept behind people having to "learn" vibrato. I see it like this, vibrato should be the icing on the cake, a shimmer on the top of a note. When I hear the type of nanny goat vibrato that we are referring to, it sound like to me a vibrato that is forced, constant, too fast many times and it to tight in the throat. Vibrato should not be constant or over done. It should merely be a shimmer on top of a note like I said earlier. Starting a long note instantly with vibrato with the exact same speed and not working into it would sound all the same. Try this, take a long note, start it off with absolutely no vibrato then add a small amount staring it off slow at first, then little by little add a little more to it. Again, constant slow or fast vibrato without any type of variation is one of the things that will give you a nanny goat vibrato. I aloligize if I repeated anything else that has been already mentioned.

I just re read Zevang's post and I basically said what he did but he said it in better words. Sorry. I should have read thoroughly through everything.

Kaflute, I wonder if we are related somewhere done the line? Long lost sisters? We agree on so much! lol!

Now that's a compliment! :-)
Kara, your posts add to the comprehention of everybody here.
No matter if words are repeated or some write differently from others, there are always many ways of saying things and what I like most is the way you go directly to the point.
I feel really flattered and honored by being quoted by you, my friend.

cheers and btw happy new year! :-)

Awh.. you made my night. Thank you and happy new year to you too! I am very flattered that I would think along the same lines as you being a top knot professional! I still have a bad habit of skimming through post and she read them fully before posting. I get in a rush a lot of times.

<Added>

she = should. Sorry, trying to multi task!

Thanks a lot for that Kara. Your kindness and friendship is what really elevates me.
We and all here hope that you continue exactly the way you are :-) That's what makes you one of the most contributing persons here.
(Sorry all for the off-topic)

Oh gosh.. I don't know what to say. That is really nice and super sweet of you! Thank you!

I think there are two schools of thought on this. First is the fake, created vibrato. This is quite common.

Then there is the real thing, which is your chest and diaphragm vibrating and causing its own resonance. Like an opera singer typically does. Suddenly the sound is worlds louder and has a full tone. It's quite possible to do this as well with your air stream on a flute, but it takes quite some practice and good diaphragm control.

I find that if I'm not in shape to do the latter(some days it's good, some days, not so much - it is a bit tiring to play that way), I just don't try to fake it and concentrate on a stable tone.

Great example Plekto! Exactly what I was trying to get at but couldn't come up with the words.