Klarinet Archive - Posting 000185.txt from 1994/02

From: Cary Karp <nrm-karp@-----.SE>
Subj: Re: Vibrato
Date: Tue, 15 Feb 1994 15:46:26 -0500

On Tue, 15 Feb 1994, Dan Leeson wrote:

> You made reference to several sources for clarinet vibrato: lip,
> jaw, diaphraghm). I don't think that there is sufficient
> evidence to allow any firm conclusion as to the source of
> clarinet vibrato. While it may be in these places (and, conceivably
> the elbow as well), I think that talk about the source of
> clarinet vibrato is another one of those old wive's tales about
> which there is little firm data.
>
> And furthermore, if the source of the vibrato vibrates at the
> rates you indicated, I don't believe that a diaphraghm is capable
> of moving at that speed.

Let's talk for a moment about oboe vibrato -- it's musically and socially
acceptable, and the techniques of its generation are well documented both
in the pedagogical literature and through quantitative investigations.

A distinction is made between diaphragm vibrato, throat vibrato and lip
vibrato. The first really does involve the diaphragm, although some
oboists may use some other lower abdominal muscles to the same effect.
Throat vibrato involves a number of different types of muscular actions,
and lip vibrato is essentially what jazz guys use, perhaps explaining why
it is usually regarded as a faker's technique. Both throat and diaphragm
techniques are equally acceptable.

There isn't a reason in the world why these techniques can't be
transferred to the clarinet and am quite sure both that they regularly
are and that hard data could be produced to demonstrate this.

Everyone on this list seems to postulate that wind vibrato involves pitch
variation. Although lip vibrato does, the diaphragm and throat techniques
applied to reed instruments cause pressure variations which in turn
modulation the loudness, not the pitch, of the resultant sound. (Similar
techniques on flutes and the voice do modulate pitch.)

Yet another one in our series of "I challenge you to spot the difference
blindfolded" contests could easily be in hearing the difference between
pitch and loudness modulation techniques. With vibrato it's the to be or
not be that is the question -- including how it is applied musically. How
the thing is produced, although hardly an unsubstantiated old wives tale,
is less important than people seem to think.