Vibrato on a C String

November 9, 2008 at 2:09 AM

Taking my "homework" assignment to heart, I spent the day trying to figure out what was going on (or should I say not going on) with my first finger vibrato in 1st position. The very first thing I noticed was the difference in contact points on the neck with my first finger vs. the others. With my 2nd - 4th fingers, I have a space between the hand and the fingerboard. It is even there with my first finger up in 3rd position. However down in 2nd and 1st position, my first finger makes contact with the fingerboard between the base and middle joints.

So, I pulled my hand away from the fingerboard a bit, and viola! Vibrato on my 1st finger on the A and D strings. However once I moved onto the G string, I could not create that seemingly necessary space between my left hand and the fingerboard. With that in mind, I went back into "guitar" position keeping the same contact on the fingerboard. When I achieved a good vibrato in that position, I took note of what was happening: a sort of massaging feeling of my finger against the fingerboard between the base and middle joints. However, up in playing position my finger was rigidly in place and NOT moving. After a few hours off and on, I started to develop some movement, but not at all relaxed.

This tension brought to mind the Yost exercises that my teacher had me start on when shifting. A free flowing up and down the fingerboard, with the shifts on each finger fluid and relaxed. So I started those on the lower strings with my first finger. The shifts on the G string were fluid, and I managed some vibrato down in first position on that string. However, when I repeated that exercise on the C string, something curious happened. I could shift up fluidly enough, but when I shifted down, it was jerky and strained. That same contact point between my left hand and the fingerboard was hindering the free-flowing movement needed, not just for shifting, but also for vibrato.

After another hour or so on the Yost shifting exercises on the C string, the tension started becoming greater. This was so much like the tension I developed when first learning how to shift up past 4th position on the A string. So, I tried the same exercises I did when developing that shift. I held my hand with all fingers down on the C string for a few minutes and started some breathing exercises to relax, then shift and hold, relaxing again, then shift down ever so slowly trying to maintain the relaxed feeling.

By the end of the day, I was a little more relaxed than before, but still a long way from where I need to be. It had taken me several weeks to be able sustain that relaxed state before when shifting in higher positions. I expect the same will be true for lower shifts, and eventually vibrato on the lower strings in lower positions. However, I think things will be easier this time around. My muscles weren't sore after several hours of practice this time. In fact, I'm surpisingly relaxed at the moment.

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Vibrato on a C String

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