I NEED to learn vibrato quick!?

Question:Hey! I play the violin and I'm going for level 6 violin NYSSMA this year. I can do arm vibrato, but my teacher's nagging me to learn wrist/hand vibrato because she says it's more accurate, and I totally agree with her, but the reason I turned to arm vibrato is because I've been trying for years and that's the only type of vibrato I could do. I need to learn it in less than a month and it HAS to be perfect. Please help me!

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Hey! I play the violin and I'm going for level 6 violin NYSSMA this year. I can do arm vibrato, but my teacher's nagging me to learn wrist/hand vibrato because she says it's more accurate, and I totally agree with her, but the reason I turned to arm vibrato is because I've been trying for years and that's the only type of vibrato I could do. I need to learn it in less than a month and it HAS to be perfect. Please help me!

Goodness me. most players learn wrist vibrato first because it is the most important. I am surprised that your teacher let you get this far without learning it.

Here is a website that helped me a lot : click on exercises and watch the videos :

http://violinmasterclass.com/vibrato.php

Start off in the third position to learn the correct movement because it is easier there. After that you can try it in the first position. Make sure you do not go above the note : flat then natural, flat then natural....never sharp ; let your hand fall backwards and then return. Do it slowly every day, gradually increasing the speed.
Leave a small gap between your first finger and the neck of the violin as indicated in the videos.

I don't know if you can learn it in a month but good luck. I have been practising it for six months and it is still a work in progress.

Here is another series of clips : professorV

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_SqnFb1q...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZhnj3HFY...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85h4XEv6W...

On a guitar, we put the front of the palm on the edge of the neck, and pull the string down and then relax it to normal with our finger, using the palm as a pivot point. I believe this is the technique she refers to. The only problem with this is on the bottom string, the vibrato is limited with this method, so most of us will do a push vibrato on any note except the first finger, which is arm vibrato.

Here is a little exercise......

Play middle C on the G string, and use the hand vibrato for about 50 alternations as you play that note for as long as possible on one bow stroke as much as possible. Then do another 50 alternations on the C above middle C on the same string. And then, another 50 alternations on the C 2 octaves above middle C on the same string.

Another tip...

When doing hand vibrato, imagine that you fractured your part of the arm that is near the shoulder and in a cast and you can only move your forearm. Basically..keep that part of the arm still, move your forearm but not in the back end of the arm. Do that and you will be leap years ahead in mastering hand vibrato.

Good luck on your NYSSMA test....