vibrato

[GeorgeB]

In the 50s and 60s I always used the hand/wrist method. Since my comeback last year I have also tried the lips/jaw method but can't seem to smooth it out. I am impressed with aTrumpetdude's playing and especially his smooth vibrato. Any tips on how to accomplish this properly ?
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GeorgeB
1960s King Super 20 Silversonic
2016 Manchester Brass Custom
1938-39 Olds Recording
1942 Buescher 400 Bb trumpet
1952 Selmer Paris 21 B
1999 Conn Vintage One B flat trumpet
2020 Getzen 490 Bb
1962 Conn Victor 5A cornet

[trickg]

Yes - keep doing it and working on it, and record yourself if you can to check your progress and where you are with it.

Most of the time with playing an instrument, there really is no trick or shortcut - it's spending time in the practice room working on whatever it is that needs to be worked on, and dialing it in slowly through focused practice.
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Patrick Gleason
- Jupiter 1600i, ACB 3C, Warburton 4SVW/Titmus RT2
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"95% of the average 'weekend warrior's' problems will be solved by an additional 30 minutes of insightful practice." - PLP

[GeorgeB]

[Don Herman rev2]

May be worth keeping in mind that some schools of thought (playing) discourage the jaw method as causing unnecessary movement. May or may not be an issue for you, just throwing it out there. Unless there is some problem with your past and current scheme, why not stick with it and try to smooth it out if that is your goal, instead of changing the way you've always done it?

Disclaimer: I use the jaw method myself, do not claim to be a great player, just to note that I am not terribly biased against it.
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"After silence, that which best expresses the inexpressible, is music" - Aldous Huxley

[dstdenis]

Here's a video with guidance on learning vibrato from Roger Webster and Richard Marshall, two very fine cornet players from the UK. Now, you might not want to replicate their exact vibrato style in your playing, but their instruction on how to develop vibrato skills is good, no matter how you might use it.

I use lip/jaw vibrato, and they both work together. When I first started to learn how to do it, I found it frustrating, because it felt like I was moving things around a lot, yet getting hardly noticeable results in the sound. If that's your experience, I recommend you just stick with it, and after awhile you'll find that you'll be able to produce a noticeable vibrato with subtle motion in the jaw and lips. From that point, you might have the opposite problem and find you need to be more subtle with the movement so the vibrato isn't too deep or wide. Ultimately, you will want to develop absolute control so you can turn it on or off and control the speed and depth at will.

If you're interested in learning hand vibrato, here's an interesting video from Barbara Hull with a lesson on that.
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Bb Yamaha Xeno 8335IIS
Cornet Getzen Custom 3850S
Flugelhorn Courtois 155R
Piccolo Stomvi

[GeorgeB]

Good advice, fellas. Thanks.

I use the hand method without any problems. It was good enough for Satchmo, Harry James, Doc Severinsen and others, so it is good enough for me. I just want to learn the jaw/lips method, too.

I'll just keep with it an try to smooth it out.
_________________
GeorgeB
1960s King Super 20 Silversonic
2016 Manchester Brass Custom
1938-39 Olds Recording
1942 Buescher 400 Bb trumpet
1952 Selmer Paris 21 B
1999 Conn Vintage One B flat trumpet
2020 Getzen 490 Bb
1962 Conn Victor 5A cornet

[trickg]

[Turkle]

When I was in high school and college, I was a hand vibrato user.

I took a few years off, and when I returned to the instrument I was a jaw vibrato user.

I have no idea why I changed, because it sure wasn't a conscious decision! Just sort of happened.

I think you should just use whatever comes naturally and gives you the sound you want without killing your chops. I think those Louis Armstrong style big shakes at the end of notes require a hand vibrato, although maybe some players can do it with jaw vibrato. I sure can't!
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Yamaha 8310Z trumpet
Yamaha 8310Z flugel
Curry 3.

[Don Herman rev2]

[trickg]

[Rod Haney]

Don't kno if this will help and I haven't seen anyone else mention it but it always felt like a tongue, lip and slight breath thing to me. When I played as a younger person, I never had a brass teacher and formed a natural embouchere by the way things felt and nothing more (good and bad). I never saw a technique demonstrated but thats how it worked for me.. I dont move my jaw or my horn at all at any time, but I dont have great hi range either. I cannot pinpoint exactly where it comes from but jaw or hand movement have no part in my vibrato. Doing Harry James type vibrato causes a feeling of movement in my throat but I assume it is a greater use of breath, and HJ vibrato is extreme these days. So like I said I dont know if this helps but my vibrato is very even and doesn't come from hand or jaw movement. I do think the lip also has a bit of involvement as exaggerating vibrato was how I learned to do short interval lip trills.
Rod

[kehaulani]

[aTrumpetdude]

Hey GeorgeB - Dunno how I missed this thread until now but I'll try to explain the way I do vibrato for most things. I use a gentle up and down lower jaw motion.

Sadly it is like anything else on the horn though, I had to work it out over time with a lot of practice. Basically I started just doing one cycle per slow beat, then when that was very smooth and controlled I went to quarter note triplets, then eventually eighth notes, then triplets, then faster to slower, etc.

Also I typically do vibrato faster as I go higher and conversely slower as I go lower This is pretty much standard and sounds natural but a lot of people don't realize it.
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Scodwell Boston
90's Bach Strad MLV 65GH
1950 Bach Strad 38
1969 Conn 8b Artist
1980 238 CL
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm1qCev_sfof-Bfj5MAMLrQ

[Brad361]

[GeorgeB]

[GeorgeB]