vibrato in ensemble

[elimia]

I thought I'd ask this, as it has been on my mind and I'm not a pro.

There is a fellow in my section (euphonium) who, ever time a soft melodic sectionc comes up, starts doing vibrato like a mating warbler. It is badly controlled diaphramatic stuff vibrato and seems really inappropriate when playing in a section whose main goal is to play in tune. He also doesn't listen to his intonation most of the time, which exasperates the problem.

Just wanted to make sure I truly understood the goal of ensemble playing and could seek tactful advice from everyone.

[Chuck(G)]

It's also a regional thing--old-style Britsh Brass Bands would use nanny-goat vibrato all of the time, it seemed.
Fortunately, there's less of that kind of excess nowadays (though it does have the ability to cover up tuning problems ).

[Jonathan Fowler]

I'd have to disagree a bit. Vibrato, for the most part, should not be used in emsemble playing because of the reasons listed above. However, during solo passages (not soli) it is absolutely appropriate sometimes. While a large part of our job is to hold up the top of the group, as tuba players it is a huge responsability to provide color as well. If it wasn't important then why bother considering sound when buying a horn? Wouldn't you just check the intonation? If you say vibrato should never be used in an ensemble then I think that you're selling yourselves short.

Now if it's a crappy sound/vibrato then that's a whole new ballgame...

[Kevin Hendrick]

Vibrato, for the most part, should not be used in emsemble playing because of the reasons listed above. However, during solo passages (not soli) it is absolutely appropriate sometimes.

That's very well put. The principal euphonium player in our concert band will, in any given concert, usually have a solo, and sometimes there's a soli part for the euph section also. When it's just the principal playing, he lets it sing, and sounds fantastic -- his intonation is excellent, and his vibrato is well-controlled and subtle, sometimes to the point that you're not sure that he's doing it, but there's a warmth to his sound that wouldn't be there if he wasn't. On the soli sections, nobody uses vibrato, and they sound good.

elimia, I'm not sure which problem is worse (the badly-controlled vibrato or the poor intonation ) ... they both detract from the group's sound. Our conductor sometimes reminds us that we can have either of two effects on the group's sound -- we can enhance it, or we can detract from it. It seems to me that you have a good understanding of the situation, and I'm glad you're looking for a tactful way to handle it.

[elimia]

Oh yeah, during solo passages it's totally fine - it lends to more expressive phrasing. It's when we're just sitting there holding G or something in a really exposed section that's kind of icky. Our last concert there was this one section where it was just us and the clarinets, very soft. There it was - 'nanny goat' vibrato. I was pissed when the conductor is looking our way like 'tune up guys!'. On top of that (I'm stating fact, not opinion) he plays way too loud all the time, so in this delicate piano section the fellow is playing mf. With 'nanny goat' vibrato. I just love that phrase Chuck!

[Steve Marcus]

Vibrato, for the most part, should not be used in emsemble playing because of the reasons listed above. However, during solo passages (not soli) it is absolutely appropriate sometimes.

Chuck Daellenbach seems to use vibrato much more frequently than tubists in other brass quintets.