JAVS Summer 2001

21

THE BAsics REviSITED: ARTISTIC DisTINCTIONS A TECHNIQUE CLASS "SELF-HELP MANUAL"

by Heidi Castleman

Editor's note: The following represents part two of a series originally developed for use in Ms. Castleman's program at Aspen Music Festival. "Watch for additional installments in future issues of JAYS. Vibrato exercises can make your finger, hand, and arm flexible and responsive, yet in playing music, the ear must be the primary guide. Hearing the subtle variety of the vibrato pattern is the single most important aspect in developing vibrato flexibility. Once your ear has been awakened to the range of vibrato color, the exercises can help you develop the physical flexibility and con trol to respond to what your ear hears. THE VIBRATO-BOW SOUND CONNECTION As the source of sound production, the bow provides the image for the left hand. Variety of color in the sound is produced first in the bow and then enhanced or ornamented by the vibrato. Tailor the vibrato to the bow sound. Listen for the specific pattern of pitch variation in the vibrato as it combines with specific colors in the bow. THE VIBRATO MOTION • The finger drops loosely onto the string, throwing the fingertip from very slightly below the pitch to the pitch in a rocking motion towards the bridge. In order to achieve a consistent and flexible vibrato, the essential motion involves "give" in the fingertip joint as it drops on the pitch. The key word here is "slightly''. If the fingertip drops squarely on the pitch, the vibrato will not connect completely. Another way to think of it is to consider on what part of the cycle the vibrato on a given note ends. On the relaxed part of the cycle, the next note comes out of the swinging motion from below the note into it. It is this first swing into the pitch that determines the depth and speed of the pattern. Remember, the actual pitch comes at the highest part of the oscillation. Exercise: Try dropping each left-hand finger on the body of the instrument, allowing the fingertip to feel like jello, resulting in a slight give in the fingertip as it rocks forward. • The hand, moving opposite the thumb, follows the motion of the finger. • The forearm follows the fingertip + hand combination. • The upper arm follows the fingertip + hand + forearm combination. Before moving into the exercises, here are some general physical characteristics that will aid in the development of flexibility in the vibrato. • In general, the motion needed is smaller than you think. • Feeling the character of the music in your body helps to elicit a natural vibrato response. [Be sensitive to the feel of the string under your fingertip.] Touch the string in the same manner that you would use in expressing a particular character, through touch, to another person.

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• Think of the pitch as a point on the pad of the finger; as a vibrato spot. • Touch the left sides of the pads of the fingers slightly to the left of the string.