Double Bass Vibrato Technique

[pickerpete]

Well, my vibrato just isn't very good. I hate to admit how long I've been playing but better vibrato would really round things out and improve my overall sound.
What would be a good daily practice routine?
Any good videos out there to get a look at good technique?
My teacher is strictly jazz so that's not a likely option.

 

[Andrew Grandahl]

I always explain vibrato to my students by slowing it down as much as possible. I have them play, say a D on the G string with their second finger (my best vibrating finger) and, very slowly, roll their finger back and forth. You should hear a difference in pitch between rolling up and down on that note. It's very important to do this very slowly at first; I have them put on a metronome at a very slow tempo, say quarter note = 54. Then, roll your finger back and forth, coming to the highest pitch of the note on one beat, then to the lowest pitch of the vibrato on the next click. The motion should involve your lower arm rotating, but your elbow and upper arm should pretty much be stationary.

Try doing this exercise every day for a few minutes, and slowly increase the speed. I like to have my students start very slowly because it not only gives them a better idea of what vibrato is and how it works, but it also reminds them that vibrato, especially on a bass, should be wide and not frantic. Hope this helps, good luck!

 

[bejoyous]

First get a classical teacher to show you.

Try D or Eb on the G string with the middle finger, first finger is on the string but not pressing down too hard.

Imagine a string attached from the contact point of your finger going through the neck to your elbow. This will be the axis of rotation.

Slowly rotate the bottom of your wrist out so the pitch drops a bit and return to neutral. Then twice then three times, etc. in a row.

Try it with finger 1 then finger 4 next.

With practice, this will speed up and sound like a nice vibrato. Going above the pitch makes the note sound strident and sharp, going below the pitch warms the sound of the note.

I took some voice lessons as well regarding vibrato and they were very informative.

 

[Square Bear]

in addition to what has already been said, there are a couple other things you may benefit from trying. one way to get the correct feel is to practice on your right forearm. bring your right hand up to your left shoulder and put your relaxed left hand on your forearm as if you were playing on your bass. looseness and relaxation are key. be sure that your wrist is not bent or contorted.

go to a sink and get your hands wet. shake the water off. the looseness you feel in your hands and arm is what you need for vibrato. fill up a glass with some water and splash it in your face (or don't... just imagine it instead). your arm will naturally do exactly the motion you want.

there are different approaches to vibrato, but here are some things you may want to experiment with:

in lower positions, try keeping your thumb directly across from the finger you are vibrating

lift the other fingers off the board rather than holding them in position

practice connecting your vibrato between notes - play from 1 to 2 with a continuous vibrato then 1 to 4, etc. use all combinations, then practice all finger combinations through a shift, but always connected

in thumb position, practice vibrato with the thumb off the string. try putting the thumb so that it touches the finger you are vibrating at the first knuckle (nearest the finger tip) for stability and to keep a compact hand shape and curved fingers

in thumb position, try vibrating with the thumb in position on the string. it will achieve a completely different sound and color

these are all valid approaches, and there are even more than this. if you can really master several ways of using vibrato you will be able to determine what works best for a particular passage and greatly expand your color palate. as you get comfortable with the concept and the feel you should start experimenting with depth and speed - wide to tight and slow to fast. use combinations of different depth and speed in different registers on the instrument.