Maintaining Vibrato

This video can be particularly valuable to older players. Bernard Greenhouse discusses the concept of a beautiful sound evolves with age. As a musician ages, their physical limitations must adapt and one should not try to maintain the same vibrato of one’s youth . Greenhouse explains that to retain a beautiful vibrato, transition from larger arm movements to using smaller muscles in the wrist and fingers. He shares that vibrato should originate from the forearm and emphasizes the importance of flexibility and awareness of fingertip movement.

The interplay between both hands is crucial for achieving a nuanced and colorful musical expression. He notes that many musicians produce a consistently beautiful sound, but it can become monotonous without expressive variation. He advocates for musicians to learn how to blend different vibrato widths and speeds in order to enhance the emotional depth of their playing.