Re: Vibrato


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Posted by Tom McComb on August 19, 2003 at 11:20:39:

In Reply to: Vibrato posted by Simon McCauley on August 18, 2003 at 02:58:15:

Halfway through college, I switched from Euphonium to Tuba. I learned jaw vibrato from a cornet player (David Buetzow) while in High School in Bethel Park, PA. Slow (with a metronome on long tones at first) then quicker. After awhile it becomes second nature. Thanks, Dave

When I started taking Tuba lessons with Fritz Kaenzig, he urged me to try (as a growth exercise) to play as expressively as I could without using vibrato. His take on it was that vibrato was only one tool in the musician's "Expressiveness Toolkit" (my term). This was about the best advice I ever received in terms of playing expressively. Thanks, Fritz!

Now I don't even think about it - it just happens. I only use it for a solo or an exposed lyrical section - just to warm and "romanticize" the sound.

I understand that one of the uses of vibrato, however spurious, is to hide intonation problems.

My feelings have changed through the years, but I think that a sparing use of vibrato is a good thing - but it can get old and too sugary sweet to a listener very quickly if used too much.

Does this help at all?


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