Perhaps vibrato is a subject
more wisely left alone. As eminent a teacher and artist as Pierre
Pierlot recently said in an interview that he could say "nothing
sensible about it" a sobering caution for someone
about to say something about it.
Vibrato on the oboe is like a vocal vibrato: it is the natural
result of a mature and efficient tone production technique. Thus,
while it is rare to find a fourteen year old singer with a decent
vibrato, it is just as rare to find a thirty year old singer
without one. As technique and physique develop, so does vibrato.
Thus, the placement of the vibrato the long-standing rivalry
between "throat" and "diaphragm" vibratos
is largely imaginary. The actual vibrato is created around
the larynx, felt high in the chest. The player may perceive the
origin differently, but that's where it ends up.
I prefer to teach tone production and let the vibrato come naturally,
which it usually does. For those rare occasions when it doesn't,
a regimen of controlled abdominal thrusts usually gets it started.
The exercise is likely familiar to anyone who has ever studied
the oboe gradually increase the speed of abdominal bumps
until they reach five or so per second. At that point, a sympathetic
vibrato in the upper chest will become apparent and should be
encouraged. Once reliable, refinement can begin.
Exercise (to develop
a natural, singing vibrato)
Use a metronome setting of
60 as your pulse. Begin by sustaining a tone (use an easy, free,
note in the middle of the staff) and "bumping" it very
hard from the abdomen once each pulse. In other words, make a
very fast crescendo/diminuendo once each second. It needs to
be quick and firm rather like driving over a speed bump
too fast. When this is consistent, increase the speed to twice
per second, then three times, then four, up to five. As the speed
increases, the bumps will gradually become less violent.
At around four pulses per second, a sympathic vibrato will begin
to be felt around the larynx the student will perceive
it at the very bottom of the neck where it meets the chest. It
is this vibrato that we want to encourage. The whole point of
the pulsing exercise is to cause this sympathetic vibrato to
occur. Once it does, the abdominal pulses can cease and the support
held steady, while the vibrato takes place in the upper chest.
It will take the student some time to learn to control and refine
this, but they will eventually gain a beautiful singing vibrato.
Vibrato produced in this way is completely natural, but rather
air-speed dependent. If the air intensity drops too low (which
it will when playing very softly, for instance), the vibrato
will cease to occur by itself. However, after enough experience
with producing it naturally, the student will also learn to create
the same mechanism "artificially" to apply vibrato
in any situation.
A few notes on the use of vibrato: Vibrato is decoration. It
is not an essential part of oboe sound; it is an expressive device
used to help explain the music. Vibrato used continuously is
no more interesting than no vibrato at all. Be sure to use it
with discretion. Be sure to use it only after the basic tone
and phrase are beautiful think of it as painting a piece
of furniture. If the piece is ugly or damaged, or even merely
scratched, paint won't help it look better. Be very attentive
that you are not using vibrato to hide an underlying lack of
integrity or intensity in your tone production.
Exercise (very
difficult)
Play any slow Ferling etude
with no vibrato at all. Make all of your dynamic and color changes;
play all the nuances and inflections you want, but don't use
any vibrato. Only after you can play in tune without vibrato,
and play with true propulsion and intensity in your phrasing
with no vibrato, should you allow it back in. Then it will fulfill
its true purpose of making your playing more beautiful.
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