 The Fingering Forum
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Author: me:)
Date: 2004-12-23 22:20
i have been playing flute for 6 months without taking private lessons.. however, i have played various other instruments, so i have progressed quite quickly. obviously, though, i have no was of knowing where i am in terms of technical skills (although i can play most of senior band music - my school should be pretty good..)
anyways, what i'm wondering is when and how should i start practicing vibrato on flute? (i have no theory background in any of the instruments i play, either) it would be really helpful if anyone can help me with learning vibrato...
thanks!!
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Author: hautbois
Date: 2004-12-24 09:32
first and formost there must be sufficient understanding that your current control of tone quality, projection and intonation has reached a certain level of achievement, otherwise, it is not recommended that you learn vibrato because it requires a not only a strong support of air but also a very clear mind when done.
the aim of vibrato is to basically add warmth to sound.
sometimes intensity. so the use is quite subjective, but at last it must be natural. the first step is to experiment on vowels. using the movement of the throat, as in play the simplest long tone on the flute, say a middle B. then add vowels in between, without separating anything, as in HAH or HOH. Then, try to accomplish this in a rhythmic sort of way. Consult your band director and see if it sounds natural.
Next the difficult part comes in. Try and play the B again.
This time, without using the vowels, try and alter the pitch (lower the B) by levelling the amount of supprot in the diaphragm. In a very slow pace play a normal B, a flatter B, a normal B, a flatter B vice versa in a slow minim pattern, then slowly increase the velocity. This should be the kind of vibrato that we are looking for.
this is as an exercise. so REMEMBER, VIBRATO WILL NOT BE TOLERATED IF IT DISGUISES BAD INTONATION, CHANGES PITCH TOO DRASTICALLY, OR SOUNDS INTENDED OR PULSATED.
of course for full reference of true vibrato application i suggest you try Trevor Wye's flute practise books in 6 editions. Incredible book for flute. Must try!
one more thing about vibrato on flute....
kinda forgot....
make sure u r not rolling in the headjoint too much or pulling out the head joint too much.....
a little bit of advice from my flute playing friend
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Author: Marielle
Date: 2005-01-03 20:47
Also try recording yourself to see what you sound like... sometimes it can sound completely different. Remember you want a nice, pleasing sound. Vibrato is ONLY meant for tone purposes, and as hautbois said, if you find yourself using it to disguise mistakes, that's completely wrong. Listen to recordings of advanced flutists playing slow pieces and aim to get the sort of vibrato they are getting. Of course, you're not going to sound like them at first.
If you think you're doing it wrong, you should probably stop and try something else (another vibrato technique, etc) before you create a habit.
I find it's easier to vibrato on low notes such as D and Db. If you're to the point where you can create a full tone on low notes (this is not something that comes right away) then I would try working your vibrato down there as well.
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