15 Ultimate Violin Vibrato Tips (PART 1)

[@DanielKurganov]

Hello friends -- I'm excited to start my Ultimate Vibrato Tips videos! I hope it's helpful and I look forward to your comments/questions! 00:00 Intro 01:04 Tip #1 - Distal Interphalangeal Joint! 02:48 Tip #2 - Flatten; use the pads 05:28 Tip #3 - Play in 5ths 09:00 Tip #4 - Vertical Vibrato Impulse 10:57 Tip #5 - Recommended videos

[@daniel3231995]

So Handsome 😍 sometimes I don't know why you're so generous with this. Somehow feel you've become an amalgam of every great player on your channel! Wondrously technical anaylses maestro!

[@robysarno]

Dear Daniel, thank you for another nice treasure of violin pedagogy (I am the guy with the tips for the bow hold ;-) ). I love the first tip, it is something I do with my students. The second and the third are also depending on a couple of things. If vibrato is the small variation of the string's length, which results in the variation of the pitch of the note playing, one could say that they are the expression of the first tip. The only thing is that by doing that you might miss the overtones and the resonance from other strings, due to the finger touching other strings. The fourth is absolutely fantastic as it gives the finger a sense of relaxation and at the same time a consciousness on how little we need to press on the string. Good job! Keep up the good work!

[@DanielKurganov]

@@robysarno Thanks so much!

[@DanielKurganov]

@@daniel3231995 You are too kind :)

[@johnmoumouris7342]

For me tip 3 is the most important as it has an overall effect not just for vibrato but overall placement and articulation of the left hand fingers...though I know - and from my own experience - that, even on 3rd position, it can be quite frustrating because of average/small finger and pad size....

[@KioKio98765]

Tip N°2 has already change my life ! Thank you very much !

[@DanielKurganov]

Great to hear!

[@KioKio98765]

After one week of practice my teacher told me : "Oh nice your vibrato has improve!" 😊🙏

[@SchnuppenSchnappe]

As a beginner I recognized that with the pad it is easier and quite like it has to sound, but that I was afraid to learn something wrong (because I started to learn this new "position" ) and I stopped it...today the question about this tip and pad thing comes to my mind again and thankfully I have found the right video. Thank you very much, I was right with my intuition and for now on I can just let go without the feeling it could be "destroy" something.

[@brianmerk8953]

Really good information.

[@joshclapton1606]

I just wanna say, THANK YOU!! My vibrato get much better.

[@DanielKurganov]

I'm so glad!

[@ratheeshbabu9163]

Very helpful...... Thank you..... From India ...

[@mattsimcox4649]

Finger pads! Wow my vibrato has gone from terrible to average in one quick step. Fantastic!

[@DanielKurganov]

Awesome!

[@leif1075]

@@DanielKurganov Hello can you PLEASE share tips to make learning vibrato faster? Instesd of having to do monotonous infuriating exercises like any simple songs you can use to practice vibrato instead of exercises? Hope you can respond when you can.

[@ariella2658]

@@leif1075 yahh

[@brandonkohler6677]

I know, same story here!

[@Kristina-yb4dt]

I'm just getting back into playing my violin after being away from it for the last 15 years. Growing up, my orchestra teachers always made me feel like I was playing incorrectly because I played on the pads of my fingers, but it felt more natural to me that way. Thank you for sharing this!!

[@DanielKurganov]

Welcome back! It's nice here!

[@tay_hay]

Dang, I have always been taught to play on the tips of my fingers and then I wondered why my vibrato never really sounded good. I've been so frustrated for years and just figured there was something wrong with me. I can't wait to get into the practice room and work on this.

[@johnbosco8209]

Very nice method bro.

[@Observer-w6k]

I do enjoy all your performances, thank you so much.

[@skhemborlangnongbsap2673]

Very helpful! Thank you Daniel

[@ivanpena4900]

Gracias maestro Daniel por su clara y creativa pedagogia,aunque soy contrabajista disfruto y aprendo con sus videos,mil gracias!

[@celticviolaandfiddle]

Thanks so much Daniel. Very inspiring and instructive, as always.

[@DanielKurganov]

Thanks!

[@aaron.piedra]

Great video maestro! Thank you for the great tips! 🎉

[@christopherherrmann921]

GREAT Tips!!!!!

[@DanielKurganov]

Thanks Christopher!

[@dianal.1279]

This channel has such good content! Thank you for sharing! I'm an adult student and I'm slowly improving. I can hear a difference in my playing if I compare a new recording with one done, say, 3 or 4 months before at any given time. But there is a wall I just can't find a way through. No improvement even after, say, 2 years back: speed. So, should you be looking for ideas for a new lesson, would you please consider the subject of fast passages? For instance, I'm trying to speed up a descending scale and/or arpeggios passage and I can't get it past a certain point. By the time I cross strings, my sound is so piano and mushy. Please... help! Thank you!🌻

[@DanielKurganov]

This is the topic of one of my upcoming videos! I will be combining all of the best advice I know of for speeding up passages successfully. Stay tuned...

[@scotthaupert2295]

You have chops! Would love to hear you play the Britten.

[@DanielKurganov]

Scott Haupert love that piece!

[@agnesmaria3309]

damn now i get the idea

[@Thomas-wx7jz]

What are you playing at 4:04 ? It's beautiful

[@DanielKurganov]

Thank you! That's a theme from Paganini's Violin Concerto No.1

[@Thomas-wx7jz]

@@DanielKurganov thanks :)

[@phileaevangelista8019]

Hi! Thank you so much for this insightful video. But I have a question on the 2nd tip, if we're playing on the pad does that mean we disregard the "our fingers must be curved and form a 90° angle" rule? Once again, thank you in advanced! :)

[@DanielKurganov]

If by 90 degrees you mean the point of contract being perpendicular to the fingerboard, that is not a rule I’ve ever heard of our would recommend. The angle of the fingers must always be malleable. When playing fast technical passages, of course the name of the game is efficiency, so you might opt to keep everything closer to the string, more near, less “sprawled out”. For any lyrical music, the hand position should be free to allow the finger to vibrate. Flat fingers are useful on both cases, however in lyrical music it’s especially important for the optimal contact with the string. Long story short the fingers hit the string at a some sort of diagonal 95% of the time in violin playing.

[@ellen9268]

Thank you, this is extremely helpful! Do you have any suggestions on how to train third and fourth fingers for independence and strength? For example I can‘t hold the pencil with my pinky raised as in 2:46 .

[@DanielKurganov]

Look at my Double Stops video, practice Schradieck, Dounis Daily Dozen, Ondricek. Those are a great resource!

[@christopherhermosillasanch9032]

About the fifths, there are some masterclasses on YT by Rodney Friend. If you've seen them, by chance.... What's your opinion about them?

[@DanielKurganov]

We all teach from our bias to varying degrees. I suspect Rodney battled and developed his theories surrounding 5ths. When we fight a problem and build a complex solution, it makes us feel that maybe everyone else has this problem and maybe it’s the primary problem. Now, it could be, and I think everyone should practice 5ths, only with 15% of Rodney’s enthusiasm. in my analysis and practice, it seems like the tips I laid out are the main thing to be gained from playing 5ths, and it doesn’t require spending hours on it and practicing everything you can with 5ths. e.g. G string passages in Sibelius concerto 1st mini cadenza: total overkill to practice that in 5ths, IMO.

[@ivyssauro123]

@@DanielKurganov exactly! Dude you are a precious human being, so inteligent and generous!

[@PabloFayadViolin]

Do you support the idea o vibrato going around the fundamental note or from the fundamental note below? Thank you !

[@DanielKurganov]

It goes around the note but more below than above.

[@PabloFayadViolin]

@@DanielKurganov thank you and a happy new year !

[@DanielKurganov]

@@PabloFayadViolin happy New Year to you!!

[@xinfang8776]

may I know the name of the piece played under tip #2?

[@reese9585]

Although I have a question how could I develop pinky vibrato?

[@DanielKurganov]

The final part of this series will address pinky vibrato!

[@petra3926]

What do I do if the first knuckle does not move freely? Any tricks or exercises?

[@DanielKurganov]

Petra Cyganski Check out vibrato videos of ProfessorV and Mimi Zweig. There are many good exercises which are hard to describe verbally.

[@remy_the_puppy]

Hi

[@RobFlaxMusic]

Those fifths remind me of Polish jazz violin legend Zbigniew Seifert! In case you haven't heard him in action (he died tragically young): kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZmOvn6eHl750irs (this is his album in tribute to McCoy Tyner).

[@sdeng888]

There are so many violinists or teachers who try to make you understand how the vibrato works but none of them mentioned the pad vibrato which really makes the difference on the sound production. Put this way, the pad vibrato gets close to a human voice kind of sound. Daniel, you share a real valuable experience with the audience. Thank you so much!

[@paridapurba2464]

I tried to do the vibrato for almost a year and i quit playing violin because i cant do the vibrato..but after see your video..i got my first vibrato only in 10 minutee..amazing

[@DanielKurganov]

That's great!

[@susiliuswidiyono5573]

You are the best violin teacher Ever.....

[@JustFiddler]

setuju 🤗

[@DanielKurganov]

I will try to live up to that! Thanks :)

[@ajsdfkajsdf3219]

You are the first violin teacher I have listened to online who refers to other teachers on line -- BRAVO. Julia Bushkova's vibrato tutorial was the first one I found, some time ago, and I thought it was brilliant. Still do. Yours are also wonderful, and I am deeply grateful to you and others for making your expertise available to us on the web. I'm an adult returning to the instrument that I abandoned 40 years ago, and vibrato is a huge challenge. But I have faith that it will come, with patience, and following guidance from brilliant teachers like you. Вялікі табе дзякуй or Большое спасибо

[@Nerest322]

Ну и как успехи?

[@bahman1186]

Not only you are an excellent violinist, you are also a superb teacher. A rare quality! Thank you very much!

[@DanielKurganov]

Thank you!

[@RAFITAESTRADITA]

Your example of generosity is a present bigger than your teachings. Thanks from the bottom of my heart.

[@DanielKurganov]

Thank you for such a warm comment. I have been developing various ideas and methods over the years and have been taking this first step in sharing them.

[@0099005500660077]

What are you playing at 00:10 ? It’s beautiful!

[@agiehcorpuz2392]

This maybe the best vibrato tutorial in KZbin 😍. New subscriber.

[@DanielKurganov]

Thanks for the sub!

[@johnalexander301]

Amazing video. Your technical understanding of violin playing and ability to communicate ideas are the best I’ve seen. Keep up the great work. Thank you!

[@DanielKurganov]

Thanks John!

[@MatthewInstrumentalMusic]

playing on the pad sounds way better and softer, thanks for the tips

[@iaf4454]

Great videos!! Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us... i am playing brahms sonatas and the vibrato is the problem... i will try what you say

[@colinhesketh4710]

A1 lovely informative video, however I can't hold the pencil!!

[@TeddyOn]

Please, make a video about playing arpeggio in tune, how to hit the right notes, etc. For example: G minor arpeggio from Sibelius's cadenza, how to play it constantly in tune

[@acside5313]

Thanks a lot! Such kind of straightforward and "on a spot" tips are very hard to get from teachers, it helped me to improve my vibrato greatly, and using these tips I helped several people to improve their vibrato too. Nice that you have Patreon, I really wanted to give back

[@DanielKurganov]

Thanks so much!

[@Violinna]

This is amazing! And very different approach from how I've ever been taught! Thank you and looking forward for more

[@DanielKurganov]

Glad you liked it!

[@retrops4261]

Crazy, your 5ths tip I just independently started practicing with this method this morning. And yeah, playing double stops really helps make single finger passages some much easier by contrast.!!

[@DanielKurganov]

great!

[@yacoubgirgis6400]

Thank you very much, kind regards

[@ubecheesepandesal]

This masterclass about vibrato r one of the best vids about vibrato in youtube! Thank you so much!!!

[@estook]

Ive said it before, but your tone is just so weepingly good.and your organic ability to play and then explain your thinking is such fantastic tutelage.

[@DanielKurganov]

Thanks so much!

[@Dn_119-w7w]

so true

[@ClaraCampese]

Grazie per i preziosi consigli!

[@DanielKurganov]

Grazie mille !

[@pianoladyforreal1026]

Thank you soo much Daniel Kurganov. Right after watching your video, I applied your exercise, and this is the first time seeing myself attempting to vibrato. I believe i will see huge improvements in some few months. You're the best teacher

[@waili9702]

This was very insightful! I had been playing for almost a decade but I still don't have a strong pinky vibrato. I tried to apply the tips in this video, but still have a lot of trouble keeping my pinky loose and achieving the same fullness of vibrato that can be achieved from my other 3 fingers. Do you have any tips on that? Or maybe you can add a segment on that for the next part as I find many of my peers having a similar issue with the pinky vibrato :)

[@DanielKurganov]

Thank you! I will definitely be addressing pinky vibrato in part 3, part 4.

[@ivyssauro123]

Yeah same, the flat and vertical vibrato tip are golden, they'll literally give a professional vibrato to a begginer, but still doesnt solve the pinky conundrum I feel my second finger and pinky vibrate the same "way" while first and third vibrate the same between them So I try to apply what I do in the second to the fourth but it's not much progress haha

[@herbertkronzucker8367]

Hi Daniel - another great episode! My first teacher, the great Yoshiko Nakura (Tokyo String Quartet) also strongly recommended the pencil exercises. All my high school peers looked at me strangely when constantly doing this in math and English class (also for the right hand!), but it is very effective in loosening the finger joints while maintaining a firm-enough (never too firm!) hold. I would also underscore the importance of Szeryng's "vibrato is vertical" insight, in particular as one moves further up the fingerboard and needs to produce more focused vibrato to maintain intonational integrity at very small spatial increments - it can help produce a very well-centred and well-articulated "finger vibrato", and it is useful practice to mix this in with broader "wrist vibrato" (or blended version, like Hadelich does so well) further down the fingerboard. Looking forward to your other instalments - this is excellent violin teaching, from a superb player :).

[@DanielKurganov]

Thanks a lot! I agree with your observations.

[@leoschifrin2359]

Great tips. Because my mom studied at music school, she has told me the tip about flat finger and how it helps with intonation, sound and vibrato. I don't know if you have used this tip, but another tip I was told to help with intonation was to keep all of your fingers over the string you are playing on and place them down. What I mean by that is to not angle your hand so that you could place your finger where you think it should be. Just place it down in the position your hand should be.

[@reichhen]

This is not a question about vibrato, but about violin playing in general - do you care/worry about protecting your hearing? If so, how? I notice you have a pad on your chin rest, is that for comfort or reducing vibrations through your jaw? Thanks! (ps the Ysaÿe exercises improved my fluidity very quickly!)

[@DanielKurganov]

What?

[@DanielKurganov]

Joking ;) I honestly don’t do much in that regard. I probably have some mild hearing loss from those long nights with my E string. Sometimes I practice with a mute and/or ear plugs, but it’s primarily a practice method with the added benefit of temporary ear-relief... The pad is to enhance friction and stability of the instrument.

[@santiagomaldonado1153]

OMG thanks, you are amazing man

[@reese9585]

This youtube channel should be more popular after watching this video I improved my vibrato thank you very much!

[@DanielKurganov]

Thanks! I hope to reach as many people as possible. Please feel free to share the videos!

[@philiptruitt]

Thanks Daniel!

[@enpsyclopedia5040]

Im so glad that I am not the only one on the planet that plays on the pad. Everyone scrutinized me for it, but as 23 year classical guitarist, I don't think I could get used to playing violin on the tips anyways hahaha. Great video!

[@lumilumi9395]

This is literally the best violin channel. All the tips are brilliant.

[@DanielKurganov]

Thank you!

[@SunilKumar-ef1el]

🙏👍👍👍👍

[@NefalinDem]

Tip#2 is indeed a life saver❤ Anw, thank you for this amazing video!

[@SegaNibiruBro]

👍

[@perlaursen1885]

Sad that someone next door is playing the violin so loud, and disturbing my concentration of the informative speech. Its impossible to think that this is happening, in the first 2:45 time, as its number one “Never” rule in videomaking. Wonder if there are professional teachers who leaves all that junk out, when teaching violin? Putting in misplaced chainsaw, road traffic noise or not relevant orchestral sounds all over the lesson, suddenly reduces the value to a cheap commercial.

[@sm9846]

Thank you so much for precious videos about vibrato ! Would you please make a video about trills , because I think that is very difficult specially high speed trills ! Greetings from Iran

[@SonnyCambiado-o5w]

Vibrato learning makes me irretated,,im just being true to you,why? Beacasue very hard to do,im deligent in practice but still hard me to do it?

[@EudoraPrice]

Thank you soo much!!Mr.Daniel fircyour great Videos 🎻🎵🌺💖 Especially in rhis terrible Covid Times

[@calistaj2284]

Thanks for the video. I'll try to understand it. I think I know vibrato it just doesn't sound like what the professional violinists play.

[@this.is.a.username]

I still find it weird that violins are played the way they are, with the non-dominant hand performing the most intricate of physical acts that actually produce the music. I threw it on my right shoulder and found I could perform basic vibrato immediately... makes me wonder if the whoever invented the first ancestor of all those stringed instruments wasn't left handed

[@Joseph_TD]

Does anyone else find it impossible to hold a pencil like in the first example? Mine keeps falling out. And forget about wiggling that joint

[@lolamas3042]

Muchas gracias por sus vídeos y por los subtítulos en español!👏👏👏👏👏👏💜🎶💜🎻

[@DanielKurganov]

Gracias! Algún día, no necesitaremos lenguaje. Sólo la música...

[@lolamas3042]

@@DanielKurganov Sería un mundo maravilloso...un auténtico paraíso! Mil gracias! 💜🎶💜🎻

[@adityaprakash3518]

Thank you for your detailed videos. A lot of people give information that is too vague or general to be any useful as a solution to specific problems.

[@DanielKurganov]

Aditya Prakash thank you Aditya. It’s always a challenge for me to decide how detailed a video should be. They can each easily go for an hour if I’m not careful :)

[@arunadityaviolin]

Thank you, sir. What an explanation.

[@DanielKurganov]

Glad it was helpful!

[@THEVIRTUALVIOLINTUTOR]

Por muchos años tuve un vibrato que se veia perfecto pero no sonaba y luego descubri que los dedos deben abrazar la cuerda de ambos lados por igual y funciono! Practicar quintas ayuda mucho si la melodía esta en cuerda derecha. Gracias Daniel!

[@DanielKurganov]

Gracias, amigo!

[@essentiallyjoy3912]

I'm grateful I find your channel. Joy

[@johnalexander301]

Maestro Kuganov, would you have any recommended exercises for improving flexibility in the distal inter phalanges? Can the pencil test also be used as a method to work on flexibility? TIA

[@Axolotl42101]

Thank you so much for this video! I've always struggled with my vibrato, but after following some of the tips that you mentioned, my vibrato already sounds much better than it did before

[@essentiallyjoy3912]

I have never heard vibrato explained like this. You are brilliant. Thank you so much

[@jesusduenas6200]

Excelente video, enseñas muy claro, me está ayudando bastante en mi práctica, saludos desde México

[@JustFiddler]

thank you sir, it's helpful🤗

[@DanielKurganov]

All the best!

[@EudoraPrice]

Thank you very much!!😍🌹🌹🌹using the pads helped me

[@cherwave]

i dont understand whats the type of movement im supposed to make. i try to imitate it but i just cant understand what part of my hand to move and in what way

[@Angela-ev3jn]

Bellissimo vibrato, congratulations👏👏🎻😘

[@DanielKurganov]

Thank you!

[@leopardtiger1022]

Thank you very much very good tips to practice vibrato.... I like your lessons and have subscribed....

[@DanielKurganov]

leopard tiger thanks!

[@healthylyfestyles]

Hi I like the tone of your violin. Can you suggest a violin for beginners. thanks

[@navaneethswaminathan6731]

Very very useful tips and unheard of practice methods to strengthen vibrato!!!❤️ Thanks a lot for the effort and beautiful teaching method!!

[@DanielKurganov]

Glad you liked it!

[@SonnyCambiado-o5w]

Which part of hand helping finger vibrato to move,

[@tpgmemerr1304]

whats the name of the pice that you played at the begining of the video?

[@yrtang3538]

Your video is amazing and so practical. I follow your method to practice, the result is so incredible. But the pinky vibrato is still stiff. Can you give so advice about pinky vibrato? Thx

[@DanielKurganov]

Check out my video dedicated to pinky vibrato!

[@odilecouet6752]

Very good violon teacher

[@DanielKurganov]

Thanks!

[@kiana___h.i8674]

Thank you! This is really helpful because I'm working on my vibrato currently.

[@DanielKurganov]

Wonderful!

[@arfanhanba6161]

Bravo!

[@petrnehyba1894]

The whole series is awesome. Thanks very much for this!

[@DanielKurganov]

Thanks Petr!

[@SonnyCambiado-o5w]

Wether tip or pad,the same,no difference ,,,very hard to do!

[@kathleenrobinson4447]

Playing in 5ths…Rodney Friend!

[@chellechelle9991]

I believe you just helped me tremendously!

[@isaacazad8055]

vibrato on the pad of the finger is what Pinchas Zukerman does and if my memory serves me right, I haven't seen this done by other violinists. I don't think it's a good idea to make it a rule.

[@enamariaaldecoa3860]

Wonderful tips Daniel. As you can see from the "Like-Ratio" 1k:7 your video is almost impossiböe to beat. Congratulations!

[@DanielKurganov]

thank you so much!

[@omegasatu]

Thank you. Excellent tips. I have a question, do we must keep our finger flat all the time when pressing the string?

[@janewoodside8044]

I am having difficulty reconciling your description of the what is happening with the distil joint in tip#1 with Julia Bushkova’s comment at 12:00 in her wrist vibrato video that there is no need to work on distil joint flexibility and that the shape of the finger doesn’t change in vibrato. I cannot hold a pencil (using blackwing as well) in any of my second knuckles without tightening the distil joint into inflexibility but if I just hold that joint at a 90 degree angle and relax it the distil joint is perfectly loose--I am thinking it is a function of smaller fingers or differently proportioned ones. My teacher (whose vibrato is pro level of course and has similar hands) cannot do the pencil trick either-have you seen this before or do you think it is still important to be able to do this?

[@DanielKurganov]

I’m not sure exactly the point she was trying to make, but I think looking at 95% of great violinists will show that obviously the DIP joint is loose and is allowed to move freely. Sometimes, some fingers will roll side to side instead of the DIP joint bending. For example, my third finger vibrato is more of a rolling (I see this actually as a flaw in my technique that I have worked around, rather than something I would suggest) but my first second and usually fourth are very much reliant on the free bending of the DIP joint. Regarding the pencil trick, yes, it’s important to have a stable and strong finger yet not press hard into the fingerboard such that the DIP joint is stiff. The pencil trick sort of works at that, and I think it’s definitely worth doing.

[@retrops4261]

That sort of vertical vibrato really sounds a lot like the early 20th century masters like Kreisler especially!

[@DanielKurganov]

Thank you! Kreisler is one of my musical heroes for sure!