Author: sömeone
Date: 2004-01-23 10:50
Hehehe........
Vibrato is this very common subject where everyone tries to persuade some other people to agree with their ideas or ways on doing it.
Haha, not talking about you GMac.....
Lip vibrato is actually acceptable in some countries, in fact lip vibrato was used quite sparingly in the old days. Of course when you are talking about the wider subject and idea, lip vibrato doesn't work really well on some instruments, especially the oboe. BUT still, they are accepted in some places. The idea of vibrato is not to alter the pitch to give it the wavy feel, but rather bring up a pulse in the playing (there is a pattern to it which you can understand more clearly from listening to good recordings of leon goosens, mack etc.), that is why lip vibrato is very rarely used. When using lip vibrato intonation is effected seriously, therefore the wavy feel.
When you use your diaphragm for vibrato, you don't actually need to see or feel it from the outside to know that you are doing it.....try this, when you try to cough or sneeze, you will feel a strong pulse in the stomach, kinda like a small push. Vibrato is made in the same matter, only in a more controlled matter. The throat gives the pulse, and the strong use of the diaphragm muscles will aid in giving a good vibrato. A syllable is often use for practise, say Hoo-hoo, ho-ho etc.
Like GMac said, vibrato is must learn technic, but one that must be used only when suited. No vibrato at times are better than a bad one or to little, or well......to much. (This is getting too subjective...) The real good vibrato that we would commonly refer to as diaphragm vibrato actually uses both the throat and the stomach(diaphragm), but when the density of air overlaps the throat action a strong pulse will be felt somewhere between the throat and the stomach.
Thus without good air support and correct use of diaphragm to play its virtually impossible to play a good tone not to say vibrato.
Leon Goosens book on oboe playing from the Yehudi Menuhin Library is a must read for all aspects of oboe playing, which of course also discuse the possibilities of the vibrato technique, which should be added for warmth without jerpodizing tone quality and intonation, naturally. Try to get that from the conservatory, or just buy it somewhere.
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