Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:27 pm
With strings, though, the reason for vibrato is not to cover poor intonation. It has to do with the vibrancy of the sound. Back in grad school, I dated an exceptionally cute violist, who demonstraded this - she plucked a note, with no vibrato and it kind of fell off the instrument and died before it hit the floor. then she did the same, but with vibrato, and the note carried and seemed much more alive. She repeated the same demo with bowed notes as well.
Additionally, strings with no vibrato creates a very distinctive sound that may not be particularly acceptable in many situations. To that effect, I would reference everyone to the recording of Barber's Adagio by the Kronos quartet. That recording has the most striking use of vibrato I have ever heard by string players.
So, back to brass & Euph...
Vibrato is generally used by brass players for color as opposed to technical reaons (like aforementionedcute violist). With trombone, players are taught to blow right down the center of the instrument and adjust pitch with thte slide. Euphs must necesarrily accomodate variations in pitch because of the nature of valves, therefore, a euph will have a substantially different blow and approach from a trombone. Euph players learn to accomodate intonation, not by covering it up with vibrato, but by learning the intracaies of their horn, and practice.
At which point, vibrato is a tool, not the whole project, and the only real issue is the player.
Additionally, strings with no vibrato creates a very distinctive sound that may not be particularly acceptable in many situations. To that effect, I would reference everyone to the recording of Barber's Adagio by the Kronos quartet. That recording has the most striking use of vibrato I have ever heard by string players.
So, back to brass & Euph...
Vibrato is generally used by brass players for color as opposed to technical reaons (like aforementionedcute violist). With trombone, players are taught to blow right down the center of the instrument and adjust pitch with thte slide. Euphs must necesarrily accomodate variations in pitch because of the nature of valves, therefore, a euph will have a substantially different blow and approach from a trombone. Euph players learn to accomodate intonation, not by covering it up with vibrato, but by learning the intracaies of their horn, and practice.
At which point, vibrato is a tool, not the whole project, and the only real issue is the player.