Now is a good time to take stock of the vibrato. If the previous tasks have been accomplished, the vibrato has probably made progress without direct intervention. This can happen because the body is now in good balance, the large muscles are relaxed, and the hands have found their own most natural position. Now attention can be focused on fully releasing the vibrato impulse.
A beautiful vibrato enhances the innate musical expression of each individual player. The flexibility of the vibrato motion gives the vibrato great versatility. It can be varied to help create a palette of musical colors. Beautifully in-tune notes simply shimmer with an effective vibrato.
A “not so nice” vibrato might:
To fix the “not so nice” vibrato it is important to start with the pre-vibrato exercises. These are designed to activate the vibrato impulse. If the underlying impulse is not addressed, the vibrato will not change. Aim for an even relaxed impulse at first. Do not worry about speed; if it is relaxed it will have the potential to vary the speed of the impulse and eventually go faster. It can take many weeks, months, or years to develop a beautiful flowing vibrato with an even impulse. The key lies in having relaxed hands, and a well-aligned head, neck and back. Even more important in this challenging change, a non-judgmental attitude towards listening to the quality of tone will produce the necessary patience for both student and teacher.
For a general outline of vibrato studies see the Vibrato Link page.
Remember, nothing will change in the music or in the sound without a physical change in the player.