I've been playing bass for about 2 and a half years now and I am playing Elegy-Bottesini which requires sick vibrato control. I can do vibrato a little bit but I have no real control. This especially is apparant when in thumb position. I'm wondering if you guys have any help with practicing it/developing control over the speed and general vibratoness. My bass teacher says it's not something you can teach so he doesn't really talk about it. All that is said is he chose this peice so I can develop good vibrato since that's the one thing I lack in my playing. I'm sort of at a loss that he does not give me any tips or anything. Hopefully you guys/girls can give me some things to try and work on to develop good control of vibrato(especially in thumb position)
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Double Bass Vibrato EFF WORD!
- Thread starter Elemetal
- Start date
I've just finished the Wooten book "the music lesson", and he would answer something inthe direction of "Don't ask, you know already." That can of course mean a wide variety of things.
But let's see. Do you hear in your head what you want it to sound like? That would be first, in my opinion. No, second- first erase the F-word because like everything in music, vibrato is not your enemy. So, what is it you want to say, how's it supposed to sound? If you know that, ask yourself what you have to do for it to happen. Then you do, and there you have your vibrato. Or whatever it is you're looking for.
If this sounds like spaced out hippy-popmusic-BS to you, here's what Ludwig Streicher answered when a student in a masterclass asked about vibrato:
"Na, wackeln!" - for you anglophonics, it would freely translate to someone answering "Well, shake it!".
Can't say it better.
Best
Sidecar
But let's see. Do you hear in your head what you want it to sound like? That would be first, in my opinion. No, second- first erase the F-word because like everything in music, vibrato is not your enemy. So, what is it you want to say, how's it supposed to sound? If you know that, ask yourself what you have to do for it to happen. Then you do, and there you have your vibrato. Or whatever it is you're looking for.
If this sounds like spaced out hippy-popmusic-BS to you, here's what Ludwig Streicher answered when a student in a masterclass asked about vibrato:
"Na, wackeln!" - for you anglophonics, it would freely translate to someone answering "Well, shake it!".
Can't say it better.
Best
Sidecar
i posted my approach to vibrato (specifically in TP) in a recent thread. you can read it here...
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showpost.php?p=8394442&postcount=3
just slow it down and work on it in a way that you can control it, just like you would with a difficult shift or fast passage work. i suggest you isolate the vibrato for a while and do the exercises i described in the above post. i bet you can have a really nice vibrato start to become become part of your technique in only a week or two if you just spend some time every day focusing on it.
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showpost.php?p=8394442&postcount=3
just slow it down and work on it in a way that you can control it, just like you would with a difficult shift or fast passage work. i suggest you isolate the vibrato for a while and do the exercises i described in the above post. i bet you can have a really nice vibrato start to become become part of your technique in only a week or two if you just spend some time every day focusing on it.
An off-topic question to the poster: Can you flex your left arm (bicep) without lifting anything?
Translation - He/she doesn't know how to teach it.
Like any new skill, you start out doing it slowly. When you have complete control over your vibrato at that speed (which could take weeks or months) only then do you go a little faster. Repeat this process until you have a useful vibrato.
Thanks guys. Square bear that is sort of the approach I've been taking with vibrato doing the vomit exersizes. With your post, you mention the thumbs placement behind the index finger, does this mean when trying to do it with your other fingers you want to keep a fairly close finger relationship?
Yes I can flex my bicep without lifting anything.
Yes I can flex my bicep without lifting anything.
Mrsidecar- I totally know what I wan't to sound like but I've been trying for an hour or two everyday just trying to get it to sound like how I hear it. Doesn't work. It may work for some people and that approach usually works for me, but for this it does not. I think I need a more fundamental approach. I've even been watching guys who can do it the way I like and I just can't re-create it.
Have you tried simple exercises like doing one movement each beat, going to 6 each beat? or polishing the fretboard? that would be the first thing to learn I guess.
Playing vibrato with each finger and in every position and on every string would be the next step. And then playing vibrato with shifting. Then vibrato in TP, the hardest.
Playing vibrato with each finger and in every position and on every string would be the next step. And then playing vibrato with shifting. Then vibrato in TP, the hardest.
it depends on the passage and the kind of vibrato i am trying to play, but on a long note (long enough to vibrate on) in thumb position, i will keep things a little closer. the thumb is the main thing though. it's like an ice skater trying to spin - if a limb is extended the spin will be wobbly and uncontrolled. to get control of the motion, the hand should be somewhat compact and completely relaxed IMO. this is just one approach of many, and others may disagree, but it works for me. good luck!
Here is an excersize I use to teach vibrato.
Extend your left arm forward, thumb up, palm facing right.
Relax the left hand, fingers should curve slightly to the right.
Bend the left arm, touch the tip of your index finger to your breast bone.
The left elbow should be away from the body, about 45 degrees.
Your left arm should form an arch from your elbow to the tip of your index finger. Don't bend the finger so much that the first knuckle leans over the finger tip.Maintain the arch shape and press your arm weight firmly into your breastbone.
Swing the weight of your left arm down and back up maintaining contact between the finger tip and your breast bone. Vibrato is a pendulum motion. It is not a twisting or turning a doorknob type of motion.
The left wrist needs to bend out a little to maintain the arch
shape. A straight line from the elbow to the wrist will kill the vibrato motion.
This excersize should be practised on all fingers. Then tranferred to the string. Standard vibrato oscilates about 7 times per second, more or less, for all instruments.
If you have not established good balance of the instrument with a free left arm and the ability to shift freely, vibrato difficulties will be compounded.
I hope this helps
Extend your left arm forward, thumb up, palm facing right.
Relax the left hand, fingers should curve slightly to the right.
Bend the left arm, touch the tip of your index finger to your breast bone.
The left elbow should be away from the body, about 45 degrees.
Your left arm should form an arch from your elbow to the tip of your index finger. Don't bend the finger so much that the first knuckle leans over the finger tip.Maintain the arch shape and press your arm weight firmly into your breastbone.
Swing the weight of your left arm down and back up maintaining contact between the finger tip and your breast bone. Vibrato is a pendulum motion. It is not a twisting or turning a doorknob type of motion.
The left wrist needs to bend out a little to maintain the arch
shape. A straight line from the elbow to the wrist will kill the vibrato motion.
This excersize should be practised on all fingers. Then tranferred to the string. Standard vibrato oscilates about 7 times per second, more or less, for all instruments.
If you have not established good balance of the instrument with a free left arm and the ability to shift freely, vibrato difficulties will be compounded.
I hope this helps
