Complete Vibrato Mastery

Welcome to Complete Vibrato Mastery! You'll learn a bit about your instructor, what you can expect to learn from the course, and a brief history of vibrato.

Be sure to check out the additional links in the resources section discussing vibrato throughout history.

Music sample: Méditation from Thaïs by Jules Massenet, performed by Laurel Thomsen.

At the end of this lesson you'll be able to answer the question "what is vibrato?" and you'll understand and be able to avoid common confusions surrounding the technique. You'll also understand what vibrato can add to the music you play and what it shouldn't be used for.

Be sure to check out the Vibrato Wikipedia link in the resources section for more information.

Find out if you have the prerequisites needed to learn vibrato successfully or a couple aspects of your playing you should brush up on first. At the end we'll recap everything we've learned in Lessons 1a-c.

Finally, in the resources section of this lesson enjoy an MP3 of an episode from Laurel's Violin Geek Podcast where she discusses her own vibrato story in addition to some of the topics included here. The Violin Geek Podcast is available free via iTunes. With over 80 episodes and counting, consider subscribing to receive episodes every few weeks featuring artist interviews and tips and ideas for better technique and practicing. Visit https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/violin-geek-podcast/id374305295?mt=2   

Music sample: Light & Shadow by Laurel Thomsen, performed by Laurel Thomsen, Barry Phillips, and Mike Witcher. This is the title track available on Laurel's album "Light & Shadow."

Let's not perpetuate the confusion...What is vibrato and what can it do or not do for your music?

Learn the three distinct types of vibrato based on which part of the anatomy drives the movement as well as the characteristics and benefits of each type.

Be sure to check out the list of artists organized by type of vibrato in the resources section. All have videos on YouTube that will help you see the various vibrato styles in action.

In this lesson we'll explore some special vibrato applications, namely vibrato in high positions and double stop vibrato. At the end we'll recap what we've learned in Lessons 2a-b.

Music sample: Maple Leaf Rag by Scott Joplin, performed by Laurel Thomsen and Nancy Skei.

Experience the "shaker" and "polishing the strings" vibrato warm-ups and gather a bit more information about what vibrato style may be right for you. At the end we'll recap everything you've learned in this lesson.

Be sure to download the "6 Months to Vibrato Mastery Worksheet" in the resources section. It will help you stay on track with practice week to week as you move through the course.

Music sample: Asilomar (2nd movement) by Laurel Thomsen, performed by Laurel Thomsen,  Joe Craven, Scott Nygaard, John Reischman, and Dan Robbins. This track is available on Laurel's album "Light & Shadow."

Whether you're practicing wrist or arm vibrato, learn to use natural motion, velocity, and a bit of a "rebound" effect to produce a vibrato motion with little effort. This exercise is great for creating ease and fluidity in the hand/arm for both the beginner and the more seasoned vibrato student.

Be sure to download the "6 Months to Vibrato Mastery Worksheet" in the resources section of Lecture 6. It will help you stay on track with practice week to week as you move through the course.

It's not always obvious that we're playing with heavier left hand fingers then we need. Or perhaps we're even gripping the violin neck (especially when we really really want to make the vibrato happen!). When issues arise with our vibrato - tension, lack of motion, hand cramping, etc., we get a new chance to look at the common problem of too much finger pressure. Use the exercise shared here to double check for any excess tensions, and re-train your hand for a lighter touch in general. At the end of the exercise, it's not uncommon for students to remark that they've realized they need about 50% less pressure than they thought!

Be sure to download the "6 Months to Vibrato Mastery Worksheet" in the resources section  of Lecture 6. It will help you stay on track with practice week to week as you move through the course.

Taking our polishing exercise from Lecture 6 a bit further, Laurel shows how some students have been able to take this basic practice into a full blown vibrato with only a few additional elements. Warm-ups are not to be overlooked!

Be sure to download the "6 Months to Vibrato Mastery Worksheet" in the resources section  of Lecture 6. It will help you stay on track with practice week to week as you move through the course.

Learn the basics of set up for this exercise.

Be sure to download the PDFs in the  resources section, including the "6 Months to Vibrato Mastery Worksheet" and the "Basic Progressive Vibrato Outline." These will help you stay on track with practice week to week as you move through the course.

Music sample: Andante from the String Quartet in A Minor by Franz Schubert, performed by Laurel Thomsen and Nancy Skei.

Learn the first stages of the progressive vibrato workout and tips for avoiding common issues.

Music sample: Rough 9 6 (2nd movement) by Laurel Thomsen, performed by Laurel Thomsen, Dale Mills, Scott Nygaard, Dan Robbins, and Mike Witcher. This track is available on Laurel's album "Light & Shadow."

We lay out the entire practice and hear vibrato move from sounding like a siren (or dying cat), to a measured, but near vibrato sound.

Music sample: Mandolino Waltz by Dan Frechette, string arrangement by Laurel Thomsen, performed by Dan Frechette & Laurel Thomsen. This track is available on Dan Frechette & Laurel Thomsen's album "Driving By Candlelight."

Learn how listening for both the "peaks" and the "valleys" will help you tune your vibrato, as well as how to move between vibrato speeds when you've mastered one speed but aren't quite ready for the next one.

Music sample: The Mists of Down Below by Dan Frechette, string arrangement by Laurel Thomsen, performed  by Dan Frechette & Laurel Thomsen. This track is available on Dan Frechette & Laurel Thomsen's album "New Disguise."

Sometimes when we want to make our motions and sounds perfectly even, we need to practice making them uneven. Here we employ a dotted eighth-sixteenth rhythm, and the reverse, a sixteenth-dotted eighth, to help us harness our vibrato motions and learn to play with more control and consistency. The positive side effect of this practice might also be to help you increase your vibrato speed overall when you return to your steady patterns.

Learn how we can apply a metronome beat to ensure we are getting even vibrato speeds and progressing accurately to faster speeds.

Music sample: Music Bug by Laurel Thomsen, performed by Laurel Thomsen, Marty Atkinson, Joe Craven, Scott Nygaard, and Dan Robbins. This track is available on Laurel's album "Light & Shadow."

Whether you're discovering that you're just not a wrist vibrato person, you've learned wrist vibrato and want to see how to apply the exercises to learning arm vibrato, or already have developed an arm vibrato, in this lesson you'll learn the important modifications needed to apply the workout.

Music sample: Music Bug by Laurel Thomsen, performed by Laurel Thomsen,  Marty Atkinson, Joe Craven, Scott Nygaard, and Dan Robbins. This track is available on Laurel's album "Light & Shadow."

Tips for how to deal with inconsistencies in ability from finger to finger, particularly the 1st and 4th finger.

Music sample: Scheherazade Theme by Rimsky-Korsakov, performed by Laurel Thomsen and Nancy Skei.

Here we address further fourth finger issues, with exercises and ideas which can help solve a finger that is collapsing and locking out, as well as our fourth finger strength and control in general.

The index (or first finger) has unique needs for a nice vibrato - it has to be especially loose in one joint, while nice and strong in another. Unfortunately, in day to day life we're usually either relaxing or using both of these joints together. In this exercise we'll learn how to make the actions of these joints independent from one another. Towards the end I mention the issue of using excess finger pressure versus weight. This topic is addressed in more detail in Lectures #8 (finger pressure lightening using harmonics) and #23 (hook-hang).

Learn how to work with the vibrato patterns to even out finger inconsistencies.

Music sample: Sweet Beauty by Dan Frechette & Laurel Thomsen, performed by Dan Frechette & Laurel Thomsen. This track is available on Dan Frechette & Laurel Thomsen's album "Between the Rain."

Learn how to stop a shaking violin and use gravity to your advantage, and what tension points may be hindering your vibrato motion or the ability to make a good vibrato tone.

Music sample: Maple Leaf Rag by Scott Joplin, performed by Laurel Thomsen and Nancy Skei.

Learn how and when to take your 2-24 vibrato practice to first position while avoiding common pitfalls.

Music sample: The Beauty Doesn't Know by Laurel Thomsen, performed by Laurel Thomsen, Dan Frechette, Tracy Parker, and Jimmy Norris. This track is available on Dan Frechette & Laurel Thomsen's album "New Disguise."

Ideas to help address excess thumb pressure and left hand tension, in general, and with regards to your vibrato practice. This may be especially helpful for students struggling to move their vibrato practice away from the rib. Hope it helps!

In this lesson we'll practice changing the width of your vibrato, preparing you for a wide variety of interpretive applications.

Be sure to download the PDF in the resources section to help you stay on track as you move through the course.

Music sample: Bouree from Water Music Suite by G. F. Handel, performed by Laurel Thomsen and Nancy Skei.

Sometimes we want to "grow" our vibrato from a "dry" start into a rich and expressive dynamic. In this lesson you'll practice vibrato variations that will allow you to shape your vibrato to the phrasing and arc of your music.

Music sample: Horse and Bug Rag by Dan Frechette, performed by Dan Frechette and Laurel Thomsen. This track is available on Dan Frechette & Laurel Thomsen's album "Dan and Laurel."

In this lesson we'll learn an exercise to smooth out your vibrato and refine your ability to stay consistent in a variety of musical applications. Particularly if your vibrato sounds out of tune in moments, or sounds jerky and robotic in terms of width and speed, this is definitely one you'll want to try!

Music sample: The Sheep May Safely Graze by J.S. Bach, performed by Laurel Thomsen and Nancy Skei.

In this lesson we'll explore initial steps for adding vibrato to your music. With examples and tips, gain the courage to take the plunge.

Be sure to download the PDF in the  resources section to help you stay on track as you  move through the course.

Music sample: Saturday Night Will Be Rocking by Dan Frechette, performed by Dan Frechette and Laurel Thomsen. This track is available on Dan Frechette & Laurel Thomsen's album "New Disguise."

Once you've added vibrato to the longer notes of your pieces, learn how to add vibrato to faster note values.

Music Sample: Tales from the Labyrinth by Laurel Thomsen, performed by Laurel Thomsen and Dan Frechette. This track is available on Dan Frechette & Laurel Thomsen's album "New Disguise."

Overcome the common tendency stop your vibrato between notes. A challenging exercise at first, but well worth the effort when you experience the results of smooth, effortless vibrato throughout your music.

Music sample: Rough 9 6 by Laurel Thomsen, performed by Laurel Thomsen, Scott Nygaard, Dan Robbins, and Mike Witcher. This track is available on Laurel's album "Light & Shadow."

Learn the vibrato skills needed to meet the needs of music beyond about the fifth position.

Be sure to download the PDF in the  resources section to help you stay on track as you  move through the course.

Music sample: Rough 9 6 by Laurel Thomsen, performed by Laurel Thomsen, Scott Nygaard, Dan Robbins, and Mike Witcher. This track is available on Laurel's album "Light & Shadow."

Learn the vibrato skills needed for double, triple, and quadruple stops.

Music sample: Who Will Take My Place? by Dan Frechette, performed by Dan Frechette and Laurel Thomsen. This track is available on Dan Frechette & Laurel Thomsen's album "Dan and Laurel."

In this lesson we explore the types of vibrato appropriate for various tempos as well as Baroque and early music.

Be sure to download the PDF in the  resources section to help you stay on track as you  move through the course.

Music sample: Ghost Lover's Waltz by Laurel Thomsen, performed by Laurel Thomsen and Dan Frechette. This track is available on Dan Frechette & Laurel Thomsen's album "New Disguise."

In this lesson we explore how to shape vibrato to the phrasing and dynamics of your pieces.

Music sample: Bouree from Water Music Suite by G. F. Handel, performed by Laurel Thomsen and Nancy Skei.

Learn how to add types of vibrato to certain fiddle styles and tunes.

Music sample: Ashokan Farewell by Jay Ungar, performed by Laurel Thomsen.

Learn a vibrato variation suitable for choice moments in Blues or Rock music, or as a sound effect during an improvisation.

Music sample: Blues for Cindy by D. Reiner, performed by Laurel Thomsen.

We recap the elements of the basic practice and give guidelines for building up a successful vibrato.

If you haven't yet downloaded the "6 Months to Vibrato Mastery Worksheet" please find it in the resources section. It will help you stay on track week to week as you move through the course.

Music sample: Gigue from Sonata in D Minor by FM Veracini, performed by Laurel Thomsen and Nancy Skei.

We discuss how to start incorporating the more advanced practices, such as higher position and double stop vibrato.

Music sample: Puddles in the Rain by Dan Frechette, performed by Dan Frechette and Laurel Thomsen. This track is available on Dan Frechette & Laurel Thomsen's album "New Disguise."

Thank you for joining me and please feel free to let me know how it's going!

I'd like to thank and credit my teachers Rebecca Smith, Susan C Brown, and Margaret Baldridge for their additions to this course. Through helping me along the way I've been able to help others and I am eternally grateful for your time, insight, and acute awareness.

I'd also like to thank my students, past and present, for helping me develop and refine this curriculum over the past 20 years. I would not have much to share had it not been for all those "problems" you all presented me to figure out how to fix.

Finally, though they are no longer with us, I'd like to thank and credit teachers Ivan Galamian and Dorothy Delay for passing down elements of this instruction to others who in turn passed them on to me. Your pedagogy is a continual inspiration and lives on through generations of fine string players.

Understand the layout of the play-along tracks, tips for practice along with them, and ideas for further study.

Play along audio track for a first finger D in third position on the A string. May be used with supported wrist for wrist vibrato, as well as for arm vibrato. While you may continue to another finger, please do not move on to faster patterns until you have mastered these 2-6s. Take it easy and only do as many in a bow as you can do consistently.

Play along audio track for a first finger D in third position on the A string. May be used with supported wrist for wrist vibrato, as well as for arm vibrato. While you may continue to another finger, please do not move on to faster patterns until you have mastered these 6-12s. Take it easy and only do as many in a bow as you can do consistently.

Play along audio track for a first finger D in third position on the A string. May be used with supported wrist for wrist vibrato, as well as for arm vibrato. While you may continue to another finger, please do not move on to faster patterns until you have mastered earlier ones. Take it easy and only do as many in a bow as you can do consistently.

Play along audio track for a second finger E in third position on the A string. May be used with supported wrist for wrist vibrato, as well as for arm vibrato. While you may continue to another finger, please do not move on to faster patterns until you have mastered these 2-6s. Take it easy and only do as many in a bow as you can do consistently.

Play along audio track for a second finger E in third position on the A string. May be used with supported wrist for wrist vibrato, as well as for arm vibrato. While you may continue to another finger, please do not move on to faster patterns until you have mastered these 6-12s. Take it easy and only do as many in a bow as you can do consistently.

Play along audio track for a second finger E in third position on the A string. May be used with supported wrist for wrist vibrato, as well as for arm vibrato. While you may continue to another finger, please do not move on to faster patterns until you have mastered earlier ones. Take it easy and only do as many in a bow as you can do consistently.

Play along audio track for a third finger F# in third position on the A string. May be used with supported wrist for wrist vibrato, as well as for arm vibrato. While you may continue to another finger, please do not move on to faster patterns until you have mastered these 2-6s. Take it easy and only do as many in a bow as you can do consistently.

Play along audio track for a third finger F# in third position on the A string. May be used with supported wrist for wrist vibrato, as well as for arm vibrato. While you may continue to another finger, please do not move on to faster patterns until you have mastered these 6-12s. Take it easy and only do as many in a bow as you can do consistently.

Play along audio track for a third finger F# in third position on the A string. May be used with supported wrist for wrist vibrato, as well as for arm vibrato. While you may continue to another finger, please do not move on to faster patterns until you have mastered earlier ones. Take it easy and only do as many in a bow as you can do consistently.

Play along audio track for a fourth finger G in third position on the A string. May be used with supported wrist for wrist vibrato, as well as for arm vibrato. While you may continue to another finger, please do not move on to faster patterns until you have mastered these 2-6s. Take it easy and only do as many in a bow as you can do consistently.

Play along audio track for a fourth finger G in third position on the A string. May be used with supported wrist for wrist vibrato, as well as for arm vibrato. While you may continue to another finger, please do not move on to faster patterns until you have mastered these 6-12s. Take it easy and only do as many in a bow as you can do consistently.

Play along audio track for a fourth finger G in third position on the A string. May be used with supported wrist for wrist vibrato, as well as for arm vibrato. While you may continue to another finger, please do not move on to faster patterns until you have mastered earlier ones. Take it easy and only do as many in a bow as you can do consistently.

Play along audio track for a variety of more advanced vibrato practices using a first finger E in first position on the D string. Please listen to the "Play along track instructions" MP3 at the beginning of this section to ensure proper practicing.

Play along audio track for a variety of more advanced vibrato practices using a second finger F# in first position on the D string. Please listen to the "Play along track instructions" MP3 at the beginning of this section to ensure proper practicing.

Play along audio track for a variety of more advanced vibrato practices using a third finger G in first position on the D string. Please listen to the "Play along track instructions" MP3 at the beginning of this section to ensure proper practicing.

Play along audio track for a variety of more advanced vibrato practices using a fourth finger A in first position on the D string. Please listen to the "Play along track instructions" MP3 at the beginning of this section to ensure proper practicing.