Finally found the secret recipe to consistent Vibrato!
Trying out this new combo practicing to improve my vibrato and it works!
I finally found it!
After trying numerous different methods of being able to play the vibrato, understanding the motion. Being able to keep it consistent, and also having a relaxed hand at the same time was the toughest. It’s been quite the journey. And now I’m starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel! This is so exciting and that’s why I’m sharing this with you!
It’s like Grandma’s secret Recipe for Vibrato
So what’s the secret and this new discovery I have? Well, I came upon this YouTube video and it clicked with me instantly. The funny thing is that the whole video is in Korean, which I can’t understand, but I can understand enough of what the cellist is doing in order to practice. (If you know Korean, you are a lucky person! Please share any new cello tips that I missed out on.) Also really cute thumbnail pic!
So what’s the combo practice I’m doing?
After learning this new method of practicing, I combined it with the other discovery of keeping my hand relaxed and not putting too much pressure on the string while playing the vibrato. Relaxed hand with rotating on one finger following the beat of the metronome. It worked like magic for me.
I noticed that I follow a lot better with the metronome since there is a click for each rotation. So here’s what I did while I was practicing my swan piece:
Put the Metronome at speed 60 + 2 rotates per click. (Kind of like what you see in the video above at 01:36 )
Once I’m comfortable with that then I set my metronome to Speed 60 + 3 rotates per click. So triplets.
Next is Speed 60 + 4 rotates per click.
I tried something faster than this Speed 90 + 3 rotates per click. but it was too hard for me at the moment. I had to break it down into smaller parts of rotation and pause after the first few rotations to keep it consistent and controlled. I did not build enough strength in my muscles to keep up. I'm getting tired too quickly, but I’ll train my muscles to keep up with that stamina and keep in mind to have a relaxed hand too.
While I was practicing this new method, I also kept in mind to relax my arm and not to press down too hard on the strings and just naturally let my arm and hand rotate with freedom and ease but also not to add any excess movement because you’ll end up all over the place.
Mini exercise
So this week, have fun practicing this new method of improving your vibrato. The key idea is to break it down into easy steps so you can do it little by little. And eventually, you’ll be taking off and have mastered vibrato! Looking forward to practicing this together with you!
See you all next week with discoveries, tips, and advice!
So there are my discoveries, Tips and Advice on how to improve your cello playing. I hope you enjoy this fun new way of practicing!
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