So I have been playing viola for something like 7 years, and I do love it and plan to stay with it. However, in my school orchestra, the viola section is often forgotten about by the conductor and we don't really learn a ton unless we get a private lesson teacher, which my mum can't really afford right now. Anyway, I'll get to my point. See, when I got into something like my fourth year of playing, I noticed that the violins, cellos, and basses were learning vibrato, and we weren't. Well I rationalized it to myself that there must be some reason for it that the violas were not being taught it and that we would in the near future. Now I am a Sophomore in High School and we are only just learning it, but my school lesson teacher always forgets that we want to learn how. So does anyone have any tips that might help me learn it for myself?

I'm in 9th grade and also play the viola, and in our school orchestra violins and violas are taught how to vibrato at the same time because it's basically the same thing. She gives us all a little box called the "vibrato box" which is just a match box filled with rice. Then we have to hold it and vibrate our wrists for practice. Then we do another thing where we put our fingers up against the finger board near the f holes and then vibrate from scroll to bridge. Never practice from side to side. Well I really hope that helps. I'm still learning, too.

I have been doing vibrato for a little over a year, and I have found that it was easiest for me to learn vibrato by first learning to shift, and then doing the vibrato motion in third position. The bout gives support so that you know you are going back and forth with your hand too much. Private lesson teachers really do help with vibrato, mainly because everyone learns it differently. I started before middle school, so the group I was in had a good amount of time for individual work due to its lack of numbers. I would suggest looking at as many valid vibrato techniques as you can find, then see which one works best for you. Try and use it in all your playing, and talk to your conductor. He/she shouldn't be leaving the Viola out, and he/she might stop if you bring it to their attention.