String Clinic

my experience this stage is a turningpoint for many students. As theylearn to shift positions easily and pro-duce a beautiful sound with good in-tonation, they are motivated to con-tinue studying. lf frustrarion over-whelms all efforts to make the instru-ment sing, they are more likely toabandon lessons.

\fhile teaching correct violin andbow positions, many teachers over-look the physical tension that leads torigid muscles and locked joints. Thisproblem hinders progress and leads totendonitis. Teachers should watchthat students do not develop faultyhabits.

Teachers should introduce vibratowhen a student has the hand strength,coordination, and motivation to learnthis skill. Most teachers wait until a

child has a well-shaped left-hand posi-tion, good intonation in the first posi-tion, and can play in third position.String methods usually introduce

37 THETNSTRUMENTALTsT/ MAY 1994

ln the first half of the 18th centurythe great Baroque performers en-

hanced the expressive qualities ofcompositions by using vibrato as anornament. In the early part of thiscentury, Jascha Heifetz used a steady'rapid vibrato. More recently lsaacStern and ltzhak Perlman vary thespeed and width of the vibrato for a

wider palette of tone colors. Too oftenstudents use vibrato to mask intona-tion problems instead of for artisticpurposes. Some students develop aneven vibrato and use it without everexploring the different tones and tim'bres that can range from lusciouswarmth to shimmering lustre.

\Vhen asked to describe how vibra-to should affect a pitch, the majorityof young violinists incorrectly replythat it ought to move above and be-

low the pitch. The ear will invariablypick the highest pitch in a vibratocycle, so if tone goes both above andbelow the pitch, listeners will perceive

the note as sharp. A correct vibratoshould go from the pitch to below andback up. With lower strings and lowerpitches, a wider vibrato is appropri-ate; higher pitches should have a nar-rower and faster motion because

pitches are closer together in thehigher registers. Many students havenot discovered these nuances andtend to sound sharp.

Vibrato entails coordination ofhand, arm, and finger. Studentsshould master and combine all threeto produce different moods, usingslower technique {or dolce passages'

and increasing speed and width tobuild excitement.

Players should learn hand vibratofirst because it is the most relaxed,with an impulse from the back of thehand. Students can begin by settingthe hand in third position with theheel placed against the ribs of the in-strument so the wrist cannot moveback and forth. Then they shouldwave the left hand toward the face

without touching the strings. Thethumb should remain stationary withthe fingers loose and relaxed. Makesure that the base of the first fingermoves freely along the neck ratherthan clamping to it in opposition tothumb pressure. Clutching the instru'ment between the thumb and base ofthe first finger commonly prevents thedevelopment of a beautiful vibrato.

A reflexive, cyclical motion pro'duces good vibrato. Students canbegin by simply waving the handslowly; when fingers are placed on thestring, slow-motion practice will trainmuscles correctly. The fingertipshould roll evenly and consistentlyalong the length of the string without

Devoloping Violin Vibrato

ll intermediate string stu-dents should develop a beau-tiful vibrato. Through teach-

er demonstrations and listening toperformances by great artists, young-sters will develop a concept of goodsound. Violists and violinists oftenstruggle to learn vibrato although in

Efl

by Jerrie Lucktenberg

third position by the third book. Allthings considered, it is better to beginvibrato training too soon than too1ate. The left hand should remain flex-ible, particularly in the joints nearestthe nails. Flexibility combined withstrength at the knuckles is the basis

for a well-controlled vibrato.

turning or rotating the hand. Becausegood vibrato begins and ends on thedesired pitch, the striking fingershould land on the note in a curvedposition and ro11 backward, flatteningthe joint nearest the nail and return-ing to the curved position.

Long fingernails make good vibratotechnique nearly impossible. Give stu-dents the choice of clipping the nailsimmediately or returning for a lessonwhen the left hand nails are as shortas possible.

To strengthen muscles and build vibrato speed, students should beginwith the index finger in third positionon D with the finger curved ar bothjoints, indicated by a[, and Cf withthe finger rolled back into a flattened-joint p-sition, indicated by u N. . Th"other fingers should be in a relaxedplaying position. I use rhythms to de-velop control and to provide repeti-tion with variety.

times before stopping naturally. Ppai-tice with the bow after a few initial ex-periments. Coordinate the vibratowith the start of the bow stroke, anddo not force a continuing vibrato. En-courage players to feel a quick andeasy vibrato impulse. A sustained vi-brato will develop as a series of theseimpulses. Some students begin or endvibrato with a spastic, jerky motionbut can conquer this problem by us-

ing a simple etude played with a mea-sured vibrato on alternating notes.

Wohl fahrt , Op. 43 No. 3l

D1

t\33

DN

A faster vibrato can be based on a

triplet rhythm.

n\33

After establishing the correct mo-tion of the index finger, studentsshould practice this rhythmic routineon each finger, even the pinky, begin-ning with the more comfortablestrings. ln crossing to the lowerstrings, the left elbow should movefurther to the left and under the in-strument; the opposite occurs on thehigher srrings. This elbow motion is

important in maintaining a balancedhand and can only happen if there is

mobility in the left shoulder, ratherthan a tight grip between shoulderand jaw. The motion of the left elbowwhen changing strings parallels thelifting and lowering of the rightelbow, which should keep the rightupper arm on a plane with the bow.The right arm should move higher forthe lower strings and relax nearer tothe body when approaching the Estring. \Vhen students are proficienton this exercise, they should increasethe vibrato speed.

As the vibrato gets faster, it will covera smaller range, perhaps only a quar-ter tone below D before returning tothe pitch.

\uhen students master these mo-tions with all fingers and strings, theyare ready for another approach to thereflexive vibrato. Starting with thefingertip touching the string withoutpressure, they should depress thestring to initiate vibrato. Allow thefinger to rock back and forth a few

11

33Students should learn to change

bow direction without stopping thevibrato and maintain a continuousflowing vibrato while switching fin-gers. A helpful exercise is to repeateach note of a scale, slurring to thenext note, and listening carefully forcontinuity in the vibrato. Keeping thenext finger close to the string helpssolve difficulties when moving to thenext pitch.

\I

::AJ E g

- DN

!N !\ !\ trN

trN

34 THE INSTRUMENTALTsT / MAY 1994

ought to be well-balanced in"reiatiorito th" thumb so that the hand and

arm can swing smoothlY. Even minoradjustments in left elbow position can

significantly alter hand balance. Place

the elbow where the relationship be-

tween the finger and thumb allows forthe most relaxed movement of the fin-gertips. It may be necessary for some

,trrd".ttt to abandon vibrato entirelyto practice some corrective exercises'

Ultimately, achieving a beautiful vi-

brato is a challenge for violinists and

violists, particularly because these in-

struments demand an unnatural play-

ing position. However, the laborious

"uily ,t"pt will produce great strides

tolvards advanced PlaYing and maY

give students the motivation to con'iinue their studies. n

Students should learn to transfer

these skills to first position and then

to al1 positions. 'When moving the

hand to the first Position, PlaYers

relinquish contact with the body ofthe instrument and use the thumb as

a pivot point from which the hand

swings like a pendulum.

At this point students should add

arm movement to the hand vibrato'This technique involves a slight push

of the forearm from the eibow to coin-

cide with the forward roll of the fin-gertip to add intensity to the sound'

tnir is essential for high-positionplaying, where the thumb and finger-

iip ut" often the only contact points'

Another less common factor in vi-

brato is pressing the stiing to the fin-gerboard and releasing the pressure

without losing contact with the string.

The base of the finger should not

Jerrie Lucktenberg, professor of uiolin at

thelJniuersity of Southern Mississrppi, is

a graduate of The Curtis Institute of Mu-

sil and tlrc L/niuersities of lllinois and

South Carolina. In 1992 slrc receit'ed a

citation for exceptional Leadersl'tip and

merit from the American StringTeachers

Association. Her manual and companion

videotaPe, The Joy of Shifting and

Double Stops, are publish'edby tlrclJni-u er sitl of 'W isconsin-Madison.

touch the neck of the instrument dur-ing this practice. The downward pres-

sure should coincide with the forwardro11 of the finger, and the slight release

should coincide with the backwardmotion and flattening of the joint.When combined with hand-and-armvibrato, this motion enhances thesound without applying great pres-

sure. The alternating pressure and re-

lease should not squeeze the string un-necessarily, and the slight release ofpressure coincides with the backwardrolling motion and the flattening ofthe joint.

The part of the fingertip that landson the string also affects timbre. Atthe fingertips skin tends to be thin,with little flesh between it and thebone. Calluses are likely to form therein direct relation to the time spentpracticing. A vibrato produced at thatpoint may have a brilliant but thinsound; vibrato on the fleshY Part ofthe finger tends to have a warmer'richer quality.

Some students deveiop a good vi-brato simply by imitating the teacher'yet others fall into bad habits because

they do not observe the techniquesinvolved. A student once had some

vibrato problems that were explainedby the way he iearned to play with vi-brato. His high school orchestra di-rector had simply told him to Put a

finger on the string and shake it.Many vibrato problems stem from

excessive tension. ln addressing these

difficulties teachers should identifythe sources of tension. The finger

Sight,Reading BookArdsley House Publishers released

Learning to Sight'Read Jazz, Rock,

Latin, and Classical Sryles by \7i11ie L'Hill and Bob MontgomerY. The bookaddresses concepts of subdivision,awareness of time in measures, antici-pation of correct stylistic articulation,u.rd a..rl.ut" placement of notes and

rhythm.

New ViolinMeisel Stringed lnstruments added

a new student violin, model 6107, to

its line. This violin features a flamedmaple back, closely grained spruce

top, and ebony hardware. The stu-

dent outfit, available in 1/B to fullsize, includes a Glasser bow and ther-moplastic case with valance.

Violin CompetitionThe Foundation of Lower SaxonY is

presenting the Second Hannover ln-iernational Competition, October 30

to November 12' 1994. The comPeti-

tion is dedicated to Joseph Joachim,concertmaster and concert director inHannover from 1853 to 1866. FortY

artists, ages 16 to 30, will compete forcash awards totaling 140,00 German

marks. The first prize winner will re-

ceive 50,000 marks, a C.D. Produc-tion, and concert appearances in Ger'many and abroad. The first three

rounds of competition will be held at

the Hannover AcademY of Music and

Theater Arts with the final round at

the Lower Saxony Broadcasting Cen-

ter of the North German Broadcast-

ing Corporation in Hannover' A 30-

member international honors com-

mittee, including Claudio Abbado,Daniel Barenboim' Yehudi Menuhin,and Pinchas Zukerman, advises the

competition.