Every Finger For As Long As You Need
If you’ve made it this far then you should have a beautiful vibrato on 2nd finger but it probably comes and goes. If you vibrato on the note for more than a few seconds then don’t be surprised if your hand starts to tighten up. This is typical. This lesson is designed to help you develop a beautiful vibrato on every finger and for as long as you need. You would be well-served to walk through the previous 4 vibrato lessons to be sure that your 2nd finger motion is tension free before working too long on the other fingers.
Reset and repeat is the secret to vibrato longevity. The longer you shake your vibrato the more likely it is that your arm tenses up. Especially if you try to speed up the vibrato. By intentionally turning your vibrato on and off with every other bow stroke you reset the motion. Repeatedly starting the vibrato motion without allowing it time to tense up creates the muscle memory you need to eventually remove the reset. Each change in direction becomes an unintentional reset of the motion you are intentionally creating with the first exercise described in the video.
Thumb pressure and placement are the secret to a beautiful vibrato on every finger. A light thumb on the back of the neck allows for vibrato on every finger in quicker passages but when vibrato is sustained on any one finger, adjusting the placement of the thumb supports pitch stability and control. The thumb should naturally live under the second finger or between the first and second finger. This is why all our exercises up to this point have been with the second finger. Having the thumb and the finger sandwiching the same point on the neck creates a single, balanced point to rotate from.
Pro Tip
Most cellists avoid prolonged vibrato on a 4th finger when at all possible. As the smallest and weakest option on the hand, the 4th finger will wear out first so save it for the times when you need it most. Consider shifting to save your pinkie strength.
Each finger requires slightly different thumb pressure and placement for optimal, prolonged vibrato:
- First Finger – move the thumb slightly back to position it more or less below first finger
- Second Finger – keep thumb in its normal position
- Third Finger – keep thumb in its normal position but which much less pressure
- Fourth Finger – remove thumb from the back of the neck so that it floats just off the neck
HAPPY PRACTICING CELLISTS!