Vibrato for viola?

how do i do vibrato it on a viola? any good tips? THANX!

Vibrato for viola?
1. Make sure that your thumb is not pointed up toward the peg box. If your thumb is running straight up and down the fingerboard, it is impossible for your wrist to creep up to where it is helping to support the neck. The only thing your hand should be doing is facilitating the fingering.





2. Make sure your fingers are as straight across as you can possibly get them. I have my students lay their fingers straight across the fingerboard and then pull them up to the string. This creates a "tunnel" effect where your fingers have the most room possible to move. This is crucial to good vibrato.





3. Start with your first finger and work all the way down to your fourth. Make sure you always spend a little extra time with that fourth finger as well, since it has largely been neglected in most aspects of life. Now that it has a crucial role to play, give it a little extra attention.





4. Place your finger on the string in first position. Play the note, then literally lay your finger down behind on the fretboard. You should get a good quarter to half a step change in pitch. Hold the finger back there for a count of four, then return it to the upright position. Do about four repetitions, then hold it for a count of two for a few, then hold it for a count of one, then faster and faster until you are moving it back and forth freely. This process will take several months to completely master and some people take more than a year depending on your flexibility and hand to eye coordination.





You can also practice the movement on a pencil, or any round cylindrical object. If you can't quite do it on the viola, move the viola down to a guitar position and try it there. When it becomes completely comfortable, move slowly back to the chin position and attempt it again.





Hope this helps.