Put your hand like showed below, your thumb pointing up and fingers pointing fordwar.hold thumb with the other hand and move it sideways as fast as you can with out moveing your other hand which is holding your thmb.Do that whenever you remember.




l ----thumb
l
---------
----------- -----fingers
----------
-------

my teacher tald me that u start on 3rd position on the 2nd finger and do it very slowly
1.set ur potion
2.slowly start to move bakwards and forwards slowly (with the finger only)
3.practise slowly first and when u get hold of it, do it faster each time.
Good luck on it

my lesson teacher told me to start by waving at yourself while holding the violin normally. then to shoot your hand up and down the fingerboard and graduadlly decrease the width. then choose a finger, preferably 2nd or 3rd, then move your hand about a half step above the note and back. repeat this slowly increasing the speed. do quarter notes, eightnotes, sixteenth notes. do this daily and soon you will have a nice, wide, steady vibrato.

my lesson teacher told me to start by waving at yourself while holding the violin normally. then to shoot your hand up and down the fingerboard and graduadlly decrease the width. then choose a finger, preferably 2nd or 3rd, then move your hand about a half step above the note and back. repeat this slowly increasing the speed. do quarter notes, eightnotes, sixteenth notes. do this daily and soon you will have a nice, wide, steady vibrato.

my lesson teacher told me to start by waving at yourself while holding the violin normally. then to shoot your hand up and down the fingerboard and graduadlly decrease the width. then choose a finger, preferably 2nd or 3rd, then move your hand about a half step above the note and back. repeat this slowly increasing the speed. do quarter notes, eightnotes, sixteenth notes. do this daily and soon you will have a nice, wide, steady vibrato.

Generally, violinists use a hand vibrato, whearas violists use an arm vibrato (bigger insturment).

in front of a mirror, check if you`re following the right positions in holding the violin. you don`t need a bow . Carefully try not to hold the violin, just place it between your left shoulder and neck. The force should be on the chin rest. try to make a finger position on the fingerboard and try to move your fingers back and forth. practice slowly at first and try to do it more faster. There should be more force coming from the chin rest area because fingers will be heavy when you move them at first. Try doing this everyday...

Well, I hope it works... that`s how i learned it..

Hey, I`m Lisa from California, and I`m a sophomore in high school who has been playing violin for about 7 years. I recently got a really good teacher, but he insists I stop using my arm vibrato. He says, not only it sounds really nervous, but it`s in the long run bad for you? Does anyone know anything of this?
Lisa

Lisa, that depends on what type of music your playing. Generally speaking, violinists use a hand vibrato becuase it pulls off a "sweeter" note. However, when your playing very aggresivly (maybe at the top of a sudden or very long crecendo) many people (including myself) use an arm vibrato to get a bigger "wave" in the note.

About it being bad for you - I`ve NEVER heard of this, and I know many violinists. I know some who use both, some who use only one. I`ve also met many professionals (eg. the real philharmonic orchestra), and they ususally use both. I think an arm vibrato is easier, but when you get better at the violin, a hand vibrato is very nice. Its good if you have many different "styles" of vibrato.

yes andrew I do understand that it`s weird to say that a technique being used by many professionals is dangerous. I didn`t say you WILL develop tendonitis, but it is true that should you use arm vibrato, there is a big change you may develop tendonitis in your later years. I know it`s weird to say, but I would go research it as I have. And not on the internet, go to professionals you know, and talk to them as I have. I myself have gone to a number of professional violinists from symphony orchestras in california and many say "eh, it`s possible but not probable" and otheres say "It`s possible yes, and I would go with wrist vibrato, because it has none of the dangers of arm vibrato." I would advise all of the violinists reading this to research more on arm vibrato even though I know many use it, that doesn`t make it risk free.
with much love,
Lisa



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Does the thumb support the violin at all when doing a vibrato? Is the violin held completely with the chin and shoulder? Is it true that a vibrato should be able to be played without the thumb touching the violin at all? Because if that is true, I need a lot of help!!

No... god I`m not sure where you heard these things, but the vibrato is not played without the thumb? jeez.. And also, yes, the violin should be pretty much completely supported by the chin and shoulder, this way your fingers can fly freely without having to grip the thing so tightly; it also makes it easier for shifting into upper positions.

Vibratro should be played with the thumb while you are playing, but if you have a strong hand/fingers, you should be able to vibrate WITHOUT the thumb. This is also a great excercise. You should put a sponge againtst your scrool, and put it against the wall. Then, try to vibrate without your thumb. Builds great finger muscles, and provides a great vibrato.

Thanks Andrew. That is probably what our teacher meant to say. I am going to try it against the wall......

Hello All - First time to this forum - I am returning to my violin after a 20 year absence - haven`t played much since high school. I was never happy with my vibroto and am now attempting to learn it right this time. I appreciate all the tips. One thing I think that got me going wrong from the get go was not using a shoulder rest - it`s impossible to vibroto if you don`t have a good shoulder rest that supports the violin -

anyway, I am taking all your tips into mind as I try and re learn! P.C.