TubeNet

Learn it away from the 'music'.
Vibrato is a tool to add to your tonal palette and is something all musicians ought to have control over IMO.
It's also something that is frequently under or over-used by a lot of brass players (a lot of guys either use it constantly or never).

Here's what I teach...
1). Listen to any-and-all musicians you respect and pay close attention to their vibrato. Listen to singers, string players etc plus the odd Brass player. Live or recorded, dead or alive. Jazz, Classical etc, etc. Get these vibratos (all types) internalised.

2). Play long notes in all registers and explore manipulating the tone using vibrato. Take it to daft non-musical extremes in all possible directions ie: massively wide & slow, massively wide & fast, narrow & fast, narrow & slow (you get the idea). The point here is not to make a beautiful vibrato but to teach the brain HOW to manipulate the sound IN ORDER to make that vibrato.

Once you have a variety of vibratos you like internalised, coupled with the skill to implement them you ought to find vibrato slipping into your playing quite naturally. Thinking too much about vibrato whilst performing will never achieve musical results.

Good luck...

I agree. IMO NEVER look at your music and say, Ok i have to practice this rhythm here. "but i have to make sure I place the correct vibrato at the end of this phrase"

Not to brag but I guess Ill consider myself lucky. I never ever had to concentrate on vibrato. I just naturally fit it into my tone about a year ago and got it to work at an extremely satisfying level, without even think about it. Dont think "move my lips, up and down" or whatever method you use ( that is the best), just use it to give the music and yourself character and style. Like Peach said, it is just another colour on your pallette. It is there to shape notes, not execute them.

Sorry If i Didnt Help you



Kevin

As far as using singers goes, I would use that in order to get a feel for when vibrato is appropriate. I am a vocalist as well as a euphoniumist and I use vibrato in the same manner as I do when I sing but I am often told that my vibrato is too quick (in reference to euphonium playing). Singers tend to use a very powerful vibrato, MUCH more so than is necessary on a brass instrument, for one reason or the other. I would say that style has something to do with it, but it's not musical style as much as the style between the two instruments (euphonium and voice). I constantly have to keep my vibrato in check when playing the euphonium as where it comes naturally when singing.

I definitely think that to learn the placement of vibrato in a piece that singing is a great asset though.

There is a preacher up the street that plays his alto sax with such an obnoxious vibrato that I would like to snach his horn away from him and slap him.

tubatooter1940 wrote:There is a preacher up the street that plays his alto sax with such an obnoxious vibrato that I would like to snach his horn away from him and slap him.

Preacher, heal thyself!?

Uh...the smiley appears to be moving its jaw sideways; I have always thought a jaw vibrato was up and down.


MA

There's a Steve Mead video on You Tube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-yCG4T0zHY

He is playing in an Italian church. About 30 seconds in there is a close up on his face, from below, as he plays. It's a perfect example of the use of jaw vibrato.

John

With vibrato in particular, and with style in general, I think it's best to listen to all types of musicians (not just tubists) to get a firm idea of what you want to sound like. I think this guy is a good place to start for vibrato...

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/10 ... &Go=Go[url]

MaryAnn wrote:...the smiley appears to be moving its jaw sideways; I have always thought a jaw vibrato was up and down

Wait 'til you see the smiley tuba!