I can do the exercise where you slide your finger along the fingerboard using your forearm and wrist together (but relaxed) but I just can't get my finger to stop in one place and keep the vibrato moving!! My finger just keeps slipping on the string and I end up with a glissando-type thing!!!

It's the exercise in all the books/internet lessons etc.. but my finger must be too 'shiny' to stop? Or if I press hard enough the violin scroll falls down towards the floor and slips out from under my chin!

I can do a sort of wrist wiggle where my forearm doesn't move - it's better because it sounds like a vibrato but it's not terribly expressive.. yet?

The funny thing is my bow-shake when I'm nervous sounds like quite a good vibrato!!


Help - from all the teachers out there

It's the exercise in all the books/internet lessons etc.. but my finger must be too 'shiny' to stop? Or if I press hard enough the violin scroll falls down towards the floor and slips out from under my chin!

OK, keep telling your arm to be loose, tell your finger it has magic glue on, put your scroll against a wall with a duster in between while you try so that you get some support from that so that you don't feel you have to GRAB anything and.....hey presto!

PLEASE don't do that wrist wobble though

Don't worry about it - don't expect it to come instantly, either. Keep doing the finger-glissando-effect thing, and it will gradually improve. You're doing the right exercises - now don't rush it.

I wouldn't worry about it too much, just keep trying like the others have said. It took me ages to get it, but it did "just come" eventually, annoying as I know it sounds, it will.

What kind of exercises are you doing? My teacher gave me this packet thing full of little exercises that gradually grew to the actual vibrato... plus she made me do vibrato really slowly (so it just goes wee-woo-wee-woo) with a metronome and gradually sped it up.
Also that putting the scroll against the wall (of course, with a towel or something to cushion it with) idea is a good one, I used that too before.

good luck!

The book Viva Vibrato is FULL of good exercises and really clear illustrations as well as lots of great tunes to play with your emerging vibrato.......and it WILL emerge!

Thanks for all the tips. I'll try putting the (cushioned) scroll agains the wall. As usual I think I'm expecting too much, too soon.... it's in my nature to want everything yesterday

But I will take my time and learn this properly because I'm sure my 'wrist wriggle' is entirely wrong and I won't do it again.... promise..

Anyone got any suggestions where I can buy this book please? Amazon doesn't have it.

am I allowed to say on here??? I'll 'pm it' to you

If it's any consolation, I reached diploma level and STILL hate vibrato. I find it totally unnatural.

Liz

The vibrato can be a hard concept to grasp, and i found it terribly dificult when I was first introduced to it.

For a tip, try getting a comfortable position with the violin under your chin, and out your fingers on the finger board and play a note. Then take your wrist away from the violin, so our chin is the only surce of balance with the violin. Try vibrating your fingers, you might find it easier, I certainly did.

I've now got a 'feel' of just how the vibrato should work - I can feel my fore-arm working instead of just the wrist-wiggle thing.

The main problem now is that my finger slides on the string I can't get it to stay in one place to start the bending of the note - it's like my finger is too shiny??

How can I make it stick to the string? If I press the string hard enough my arm stops moving

From what you're saying, it sounds like your hands become quite sweaty when u play, or am i wrong?

Try practise the vibrato with a dry fingers, and dont try go for extremely expressive vibratos at first, just try and aim for a small one, then build on it

You dont need to press so hard, If the violin keeps falling off, try using a more stedier shoulder rest, it might do the trick

Hope this helps

I know this problem! It has nothing to do with it being sweaty - if anything, quite the opposite. I am having exactly the same experience so, if anyone has any suggestions...

W

Yes my hands are actually quite dry. It's almost like my finger doesn't cause any friction with the string. Great for glissando I suppose

The main problem now is that my finger slides on the string I can't get it to stay in one place to start the bending of the note - it's like my finger is too shiny??

OK...is your left hand in a good place? Fingers high enough that the tips are coming vertically down onto the fingerboard? You have a gap between the base of your index finder and the neck of the violin?

This is HARD to write! Do you have a teacher to help diagnose??

Can you PM me please to tell me where I can obtain a copy of this book. I haven't started learning vibrato yet but would like exercises of how to work up to it.