The purpose of this study was to investigate possible influences of pitch register and dynamic level on vibrato rates and widths of university and high school violin and viola players. Analysis showed that pitch register significantly affected the vibrato rates and widths of the performers. Musicians vibrated 0.32 Hz faster and approximately 26 cents wider during high pitches than during low pitches. Dynamic level also significantly affected vibrato width. Performers increased vibrato width approximately 4 cents in the forte passages when compared to the piano passages. Furthermore, violinists demonstrated a tendency to vibrate slightly faster and wider than violists, and university performers varied their vibrato width to a greater extent between the piano and forte passages than did the high school performers. These results, along with further study, can contribute to the development of a systematic method for teaching vibrato.Vibrato is an essential musical element in string instrument performance that enhances and facilitates expressive performance. Pedagogues and performers agree that a beautiful vibrato is balanced, even, and free of tension (Applebaum

No abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceived pitch of string vibrato tones. The authors used recordings of acoustic instruments (cello and violin) to provide both vibrato stimulus tones and the nonvibrato tones that listeners adjusted to match the perceived pitch of the vibrato stimuli. We were interested especially in whether there were differences in pitch perception of vibrato tones between string performers ( n = 36) and music majors without string performance experience ( n = 36). Both groups of music major listeners perceived the pitch of vibrato tones very near the mean frequency of the vibrato for cello and violin tones. Although means were similar, string players exhibited significantly less deviation in tuning judgments than non-string players for both violin and cello tones. Results appear consistent with earlier perceptual research as well as performance research indicating that string performers vibrate both above and below the intended pitch.

The purpose of this study was to examine how teacher delivery and student progress influenced preservice teachers’ perceptions of overall teaching effectiveness. Experienced teachers ( n = 6) were videotaped teaching mini applied lessons under four conditions: (a) high teacher delivery and more student progress, (b) high teacher delivery and less student progress, (c) low teacher delivery and more student progress, and (d) low teacher delivery and less student progress. Preservice teachers ( n = 75) viewed these teaching excerpts and rated each for teacher delivery, student progress, student musicianship, teacher knowledge of subject matter, and overall teaching effectiveness. Participants rated teachers with high delivery as more effective than teachers with low delivery, irrespective of student progress. There was a moderate positive correlation ( r = .53) between perceptions of teacher delivery and student progress. Results of a multiple regression analysis revealed that teacher delivery was the best predictor of perceptions of overall teaching effectiveness, followed closely by student progress.

We compared perception of mistuned intervals in unaccompanied melodies performed by trumpet, violin, and voice, and examined whether there were differences between the three timbres in performances with and without vibrato. Participants were 144 university music students. Listeners heard the three unaccompanied solo performers in two vibrato conditions (with and without vibrato), and three intonation conditions (selected melodic intervals were in tune, sharp 25 cents, or flat 25 cents relative to equal temperament). All three stimuli were perceived as more out of tune when there was no vibrato compared to vibrato. In performances without vibrato, violin was judged as more out of tune than voice and trumpet across all three tuning conditions. Melodies performed with vibrato were judged differently: Violin was judged as least in tune for intervals mistuned in the flat direction, trumpet was heard as least in tune for intervals mistuned sharp, and voice was judged least in tune when intervals were in tune (relative to equal temperament). Differences in perception between timbres may be influenced by characteristics of the vibrato itself such as modulation width, rate, and type.