February 2008

vibrato practise is great, for everything but vibrato it seems.

February 4, 2008 01:41

One thing I will say about vibrato practise, is that it has helped me generally with intonation, posture, relaxation while playing, phrasing.
Since I knw I had to do it eventually, and my teacher was geting more forceful in suggesting it was time, I decided last August that I would focus on developing some sort of vibrato, and have it working by Christmas.
I didn't quite get there, but I have kept my focus and not been sacred off by the length of time treading water around it.
I have spent many weeks over the past 6 months not having a clue about the movement I am trying to achieve, just having to grab at something lthat looks or feels close enough, then back to my teacher to get it fixed.
How often did I think I was getting close, only to hve to acknowledge with her that it was a nervous shake, a finger wobble, too tense, so many things go wrong with it. Its one of those things that as soon as I start I lose all concept of what it is I was trying to achieve, I can't keep an image with me to work towards.
Nonetheless, after my last lesson, about 3 weeks ago now, she said it was getting close, and wanted me to stretch out the bars on the deBeriot etude I had been chosen as my vibrato practise study, so as to let the vibrato action have a chance to settle.

Here's where it is at as of today. I'm choosing to mark today, so that when I have a lesson next week or fortnight I can objectively look back to see where I was messing up.

Has any one else seen the vids of Kavakos on youtube, recently his Bach's were uploaded. What a player. I have willingly used up my entire month's quota of downloads on the guy.

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