When to start violin vibrato?
Vibrato is an important skill to master on the violin; however, it is not the most important skill. I like to think of vibrato as the icing on the cake. Would you eat a big ball of icing by itself?! I know I wouldn’t! Icing tastes best when it is on top of an already delicious cake, just as vibrato works and sounds best when it is added to already beautiful technique. If you begin vibrato before you have refined the following skills, it will be much harder to learn and likely take a lot longer, too.
Here are the skills to master before beginning violin vibrato.
Posture. I think it goes without saying that posture has an effect on everything when playing the violin. Ideal posture includes a proper and relaxed bow hold, a comfortable playing position, and a good left-hand setup.
Tone. Producing a solid, pleasing tone encompasses a few different skills. You must be able to keep the bow straight and in the same contact point throughout the bow stroke so that the sound is even; you must also be able to use the natural weight of your arm to produce sound instead of pressing the bow into the string.
Intonation. Intonation refers to the pitch of your notes. I believe intonation is a lifelong journey and that it will never truly be perfect, however, before starting vibrato, you must have a decent intonation and the ability to tell when the pitch is off. When using vibrato, the hand shape changes, and can therefore easily throw the pitch out of whack.
Shifting. There are a few reasons why I teach shifting before vibrato. First, shifting and arm vibrato are the same motion, so by practicing shifting, students are already inadvertently working a bit on vibrato as well. Second, shifting increases the number of notes one can play and therefore drastically increases repertoire choices. While vibrato makes pieces sound more beautiful, it does not increase the number of pieces you can play.
Typically, I introduce vibrato at the end of book 2, when students have been playing anywhere from 1.5-3 years on average. If these skills have not been properly developed, spend time on them first before moving on to vibrato. It will be worth it, I promise ;)
