Vibrato

[winston]

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[windshieldbug]

When I first started tuba, my teacher introduced me to jaw vibrato (my now preferred method) by having me do exercises on long tones on scales (up and down)

waaaaaaah
1234 1234
waah waah
1234 1234
wahwah wahwah
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
wahwahwahwah wahwahwahwah
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
wahwahwahwahwahwahwahwah wahwahwahwahwahwahwahwah
1+2+3+4+ 1+2+3+4+
(next tone)

[tubatooter1940]

Nobody mentioned the old "horn shake" vibrato that some trumpeters use.
Lots of control and sounds really pretty until the teeth go away forever.
You can do this with a tuba but it looks really odd.

[Gorilla Tuba]

Like most other posters so far, I generally use a jaw vibrato. In learning how to do vibrato I used hand vibrato (shaking the horn). It may have looked silly, but I was able to get the music effect I was looking for that way. As I improved, I was able to gradually transition to a jaw vibrato. I don't know how pedagogically correct this is, but I think introducing hand vibrato to a tubist isn't a bad idea at all. The reason I transitioned away from it (hand vibrato) was because I need both hands to play my horn (and don't think any other appendages shaking the horn would be appropriate...) That, and I probably looked more than a lttle "loco" flailing my hand around to shake the horn.

I know it works for many, but I would be cautious about using a breath vibrato like flutes do.... the last thing I will intentially teach a student is to restrict air flow.

[Joe Baker]

Doug,
I'd say I'm equally comfortable and equally good (or equally bad) at breath and jaw vibrato. I'm curious about your comment regarding "restricting" the airflow when doing a breath vibrato. I don't think I restrict anything at all when I use breath vibrato; in fact, to a very slight degree it occurs to me that JAW vibrato restricts my airflow more than breath vibrato.

When I use breath to affect a vibrato, I leave my air passages open and pulse the abdominal muscles to alternately increase and decrease the airflow -- but never restrict it. With a jaw vibrato, as the jaw closes several things happen to alter the timbre of the sound, but one of those things, it seems to me, is a narrower airway between the tongue and pallate.

I'm interested in your comments.

To add another dimension to the original question: how many breath-vibrato players also consider themselves singers? How many jaw-vibrato players do NOT consider themselves singers? I predict a statistically greater likelihood that singers, rather than non-singers, will use breath vibrato. For my part, over the last several years I'd have to say I've become more singer than brass player, and I'm more inclined to use breath vibrato unless I'm playing uncomfortably high.
___________________________________
Joe Baker, who isn't so much thinking Doug is wrong as he is wondering what he himself is missing!

[Arkietuba]

I started using vibrato back in th 9th grade. I had no idea that I was even doing it (same thing with double tounging, it just came naturally). I've been told by several teachers (including trumpet players) that I have a great vibrato. Now, in college, I'm trying to learn the fundamentals of vibrato and how to make it better...but, it just feels bad and doesn't sound as good as when I do it naturally. I still don't really know "how" I'm doing the vibrato.

[Gorilla Tuba]

Joe - my assertion that "breath" vibrato could constrict air flow comes from my belief that tubists should try to avoid any tension in the body when playing. The breath vibrato requires abdominal muscles to contract and relax to produce the vibrating effect. I do think that many players can control their air well enough to have success with the breath vibrato, but in my experience, it is best to teach students to blow through the horn with a relaxed, tension free stream of warm air.

Your singer analogy is likely to be accurate. I have not studied voice in any depth. However, in most of my vocal methods classes and choirs in which I sang, the directors used terms like "breath support" and "raising your diaphram" and other similar terms. In fact, these were things I always heard in my middle and high school bands. These terms refer to a style of breathing that I do not advocate for tubists. "Diaphram" breathing (if that really is possible) would lend well to breath vibrato. I know many do this, and many do it well, but it contradicts the relaxed breathing I try to teach.

I will fully admit that movement of the jaw also effects air flow, too. But I think it confuses my students a lot less. It is important to keep in mind that my students are predominantly college music ed majors who have never had private lessons before college. Most of their HS band directors told them that tubas never use vibrato. My biggest challenge is almost always getting them to breath more efficiently and warm up their sound.

_______________________________

BTW, I appreciate being challenged on a statement! It is good to think about why you teach a certain way. I doubt I will hurt any of my students by finding out new information. For now, I am not compelled to teach a breath vibrato, but if a good rationale for it arises, I will be the first to consider changing.