Vibrato

Janos Starker elaborates on the technique and philosophy of vibrato. His preference is for arm vibrato over finger (or rolling) vibrato, as arm vibrato is a parallel motion to the string and originates from the forearm, allowing for a more consistent and controlled vibrato across all fingers. He also discusses the tension-release dynamic in vibrato and emphasizes that without this tension-release function, playing fast passages sound “dead.” He explains that even when not actively vibrating every note, a similar tension-release process occurs, preventing the sound from becoming stiff or lifeless.