JAVS Summer 1998

43

sound and should come naturally and effortlessly. Unfortunately, my vibrato needed a major overhaul and my being the kind of student who needed a routine to follow, she had me practice vibrato in the following rhythms. It really worked for me. A few years later I came back to these exercises to "cure" myself of lazy vibrato after Karen reprimanded me in a lesson. I found that by having a mental image of the oscillation in a steady rhythmic pattern, especially a triplet based rhythm, I could vibrate from note to note without a break or lapse in the vibrato action. Since then I have used this exercise for all of my students either learning vibrato for the first time or brushing up on it. I encourage viola students to try using a wrist vibrato, as opposed to an arm vibrato, as the wrist vibrato is generally less taxing on the arm and elbow. But some stu dents have a natural proclivity for arm vibrato and therefore there is no avoiding it, nor should they need to, as long as their vibrato action is loose, quick enough, and consistent. (A great ex ample ofwonderful arm vibrato is Pinchas Zuckerman's.) a. Set metronome to quarter note = 60 or slower (always practice with a metronome for this exercise). b. Begin in third position using the bout of the viola as a wrist "brace" (this helps prevent wrist "pumping" or the vibrato action being a result of the wrist flopping back and forth). c. Evaluate vibrato action and make sure that it is correct (that the fingertip is moving up and down the string and not sideways). d. Keep wrist, knuckles, and fingers loose, particularly the base row of knuckles connecting the fingers to the hand. e. Make sure that vibrato action begins on the principal pitch and oscillates below it (trying for about a half-step oscillation in this exercise). f. Use all four fingers on all four strings. g. NEVER GO FASTER THAN YOU ARE READY TO GO! Stop the exercise at the point where you feel you have mastered it. Progress further only when the vibrato action is healthy and secure. h. When ready, you can raise the metronome marking and repeat the exercise.

\

\

\

\

\

\

\

\

\

\ "'---~-----'L------"0

Figure 13.

J=60 mfW

v________

v

•7 ,. -----------

•7 y.

·7 2i

---

,.,

r---6~ r---6~ r---6~ r---6~ v liB J)} J J J J J j J J J J J j J J J J J j gj) I

* II ....____.....