Vibrato on the electric violin?

February 3, 2015 at 03:49 PM · An electric violin of the weight you describe seems to my mind dangerously heavy and could well cause serious physical problems in the not too distant future. My advice, fwiw, is to change it for a lighter one. I'm not into electric violins so I'm not going to suggest a specific model, but I'd make the general observation that anything played at the shoulder in the violin position should never be heavier than an acoustic viola.

As to vibrato, I cannot imagine doing vibrato on an electric violin is going to be any different than on an acoustic. However, if the instrument is so heavy that it can only be played for a couple of songs - I assume there's a shoulder rest involved - then the upper body tensions induced are going to wreck any attempts at a vibrato other than a tiring "judder".

A face-to-face teacher is essential for all posture-related problems (which yours is related to), as well as technical issues such as vibrato.

February 4, 2015 at 02:45 AM · Hi there Jaimie,

It is a fact that many electric violins are heavier. But I find that sometimes a little experimenting is all that is needed to find solutions. Here are some ways you might get comfortable with it:

1. Just getting used to the weight can be a part of that process. Try relaxing your whole body as much as possible when playing, and keep a nice violin posture, while you get used to the weight.

2. You may find that you need to adjust how you hold the electric violin, possibly a little differently than a normal acoustic violin:

- adjusting your shoulder rest higher or lower?

- attaching the shoulder rest in a slightly different position?

- put the shoulder rest on at a slightly different angle?

As much as possible, get as comfortable as you can and do everything the same way as you would on your regular violin. You may find that with a a heavier instrument, that your left hand needs to support the violin a little more than you are used to with your regular violin. That can take a little time to get used to. But by keeping the left hand as relaxed as possible, vibrato can usually be done the same way you usually do it on your regular violin. Check with your teacher - maybe they can help you find some answers.

Keeping a good posture without strain is so important - as Trevor wisely pointed out - so if you have experimented and still the violin is too heavy and you don't feel comfortable, then of course don't continue to use it, and finding a lighter weight model may be a solution. The more expensive electric violins tend to be lighter and better balanced than the cheap ones, and if you can afford one, that may be a simpler solution.

I wish you success - electric violin with a good amplifier and some nice effects pedals can be lots of fun, and opens up new avenues of sound and creative musical imagination.

February 12, 2015 at 05:23 AM · Thank you so much!!