Klarinet Archive - Posting 000116.txt from 1995/02

From: "William A. Helmers" <reedman@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: vibrato!
Date: Sun, 5 Feb 1995 02:14:02 -0500

At the risk of repeating what has been said before, I'd like to offer a
couple of comments on the use of vibrato:

As a doubler, I have found that the clarinet doesn't respond as easily as
saxophone or other woodwinds to slight pulsations in air volume, thus it
seems to require more effort to produce vibrato on the clarinet. I suspect
that this may have something to do with the "closed-tube" accoustic
properties of the clarinet. The other woodwinds all have a conical bore, or
in the case of flute, behave like an organ pipe which is open at both ends.
Whereas on saxophone, vibrato seems to sustain itself very easily once set
in motion, on clarinet there seems to be a dampening effect of some sort.

Although I find it takes a bit more coaxing to produce a clarinet vibrato, I
certainly feel that this is a valuable tool for the performer. Ideally, we
need to have the widest range of tonal possibilities at our disposal; we
can't afford to rule anything out.

Nichelle Crocker made the interesting observation that many professional
performers and teachers seem reluctant to be excessively analytical in
discussing vibrato. I can understand this reluctance due to the fact that
at its best, vibrato seems to happen in a very natural and unforced way;
usually when vibrato becomes objectionable it is because it sounds as if it
is being applied in a deliberate way, rather than sounding like an integral
part of the tone. At its worst, vibrato can sound almost as if it were
added electronically, wobbling along without regard for the progress of the
musical line.

Often, the use of vibrato might depend on the response of
a particular reed. Another factor, I have found is nerves. (OK, Flame me.)
Seriously, sometimes when the adrenalin is flowing, a decent vibrato
develops. Rather than fight it, I try to work with it.
Vibrato can also be used in an interactive way
with another instrument in a chamber music setting in order to achieve a
particular blend or tonal color. In short, the use of vibrato falls into
the realm of art, rather than of science.