Nan Kemberling, Atlanta Cellist
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Cellist, Teacher, and Coach

Vibrato, an annotated guide 

7/13/2016

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​After several years, I have finally finished the sequel to Always Room 4 Cello!  

I wanted to make use of a different genre for the next big video project, so when I found myself singing about vibrato to the tune of "Desperado," it just seemed right.  Besides, I have found that vibrato tends to be one of the most mysterious and frustrating topics for beginning cellists.  It needs attention.
A silly teaser trailer I made for it...

Here's the actual video. I hope you like it!
In an effort to help you "get experimental" with your cello vibrato, the following is a breakdown of the techniques suggested in the song. 

The Lyrics

The Explanation

Oh, vibrato, why can’t we get you to happen?
Been doin’ so much tappin’
for so long now.
You’re a hard one
but you’re supposed to be easy,
there’s tension that’s squeezin’ you
but I don’t know how.

I’ll have to try some mini-shifting
or just sliding on a table
or it might be good to move with the opposite hand

You can karate chop your cello
just be sure it’s really stable
or enlist the help of a pretty pushy friend

Oh, vibrato, make sure you start from the elbow
soon you’ll shout out HELL….O
to a nice warm sound
You just shake it, oh shake it
like a polaroid picture
There ain’t no set scripture
except to set your bow down

If you try all this and still use the bow
it’ll change the motion and you won’t know
plus it can cause your whole right arm to want to shake,
But if you tap your cello with your left
and practice the feel of a bow that is kept straight


Oh,vibrato, it could be so super simple
gotta get experimental to find your command
May seem crazy, but it will sneak up and get you
and you’ll never forget--
It’ll feel like shaking your hand.
  • tappin’:  This refers to exercises called "taps" and "sticky taps" explained by Gerald Fischbach in the Art of Vibrato DVD and the Viva Vibrato book series.
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  •  mini-shifting: Sometimes it helps to start out with a big shifting motion in the left arm and then slowly narrow the motion until your finger stays in place while your hand and arm still move
  • sliding on a table: Taking the cello out of the equation can have incredible results!
  • opposite hand: Sometimes the motion is easier in the right hand--and then you may be able to recreate it more easily in the left.
  • karate chop: Much like mini-shifts, a chopping motion onto the top cello ribs can be an easy way to get used to the proper arm movement 
  • set your bow down: Practice vibrato motions without the bow at first.  
  • tap your cello with your left
    and practice the feel of a bow that is kept straight: When you are ready to try to add the bow, just bow open strings while you move your left arm to tap the cello ribs. This way you can get used to the two arms acting independently and you will be able to eliminate "shaky bow" (when your right arm is inspired by the left's motion to move in conjunction with it). 

Get experimental!

What method has worked best for you?  Is there some technique you like that I completely left out?  

Lets' talk!   Leave a comment below--I would love to hear from you.

In the meantime, here are a few videos I really like that deal with cello vibrato in a helpful way.  If you don't have much time, watch the first one (top left).  The adult amateur cellist in the video speaks very candidly about her frustrations--and offers a logical and fresh approach!
Don't forget to leave a comment--and happy practicing (yes, karate chopping counts)!
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Smart, Music.

5/12/2016

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PictureGimme that diploma--I'm outta here!


It's that time of year again... Graduation. 

As I write this, Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance is on repeat in my mind, and it takes me back to the very end of my high school days.

There's a young, sweaty me, sitting on a folding chair on the football field, wearing a robe that feels as though it might melt onto my skin. The tassel on my mortarboard keeps hitting me in the eye, but at least it mops up a little perspiration as it swings across my face...


​
Who knew back then that I would be a cellist and teacher a mere *mumble mumble* years in the future?

Back to the Future!

PictureSpeechifying.

Uh, I meant to say, back to the present ...

During lessons this week, I discovered that both of my students who are high school seniors this year are valedictorians.  

And so was I all those years ago.

How crazy is that?  It's all a big coincidence, right?

I'm not so sure!

This got me thinking about the connection between music and the mind. 

Listen up

You have all probably heard about the Mozart Effect --the idea that simply listening to Mozart's music can help kids perform better on tests.  Mozart's music has also been shown to decrease the amount of epileptic activity in the brain of patients who have seizures (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9660010/). 

Even listening to non-classical music can have significant performance enhancing benefits (http://www.livescience.com/2953-amazing-power-music-revealed.html)!


So if listening to music is helpful, what about playing music on an instrument?  
​

InstruMental


​​
​Well, it turns out that kids who learn to play a musical instrument undergo physiological changes in their brain which can aid in their academic endeavors (http://time.com/3634995/study-kids-engaged-music-class-for-benefits-northwestern/).  

​In addition to that, learning a musical instrument can also help with developing mental toughness
(http://www.musicparentsguide.com/2016/03/07/why-teaching-grit-through-music-instruction-is-needed-in-every-school/)

​​...and curbing behavioral problems
​(https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2015/01/07/music-lessons-spur-emotional-and-behavioral-growth-in-children-new-study-says/).
PictureA poster I made for a friend's recital in college that seems to capture the music-mind connection
​

String theory

Okay. So playing an instrument can help your brain in a bunch of ways.  

What about playing a string instrument? 

Some scientific studies have shown that string players' brains are larger than the brains of other musicians
(http://stringvisions.ovationpress.com/2011/05/string-players-brains-are-special/).

But maybe that's just because we have big heads...?
​
This cute video sums it all up!

Not just for kids!


Those of us who are more mature can reap major benefits from playing a musical instrument as well.  Not only can it improve your health--staving off anxiety, depression, and general cognitive decline (http://www.livescience.com/40597-playing-musical-instrument-good-health.html)--but it can also help prevent dementia
(http://dementiaresearchfoundation.org.au/blog/playing-musical-instrument-later-life-protective-factor-against-dementia).

Learning an instrument could be just about the best thing an adult can do to improve his or her brain health
(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2996135/#S4title).  

​And it might also be a little bit fun! 
​

For further reading


If you're interested in seeing a few more articles on this topic, check out these:

  • http://portlandchamberorchestra.org/what-happens-when-the-brain-plays-a-musical-instrument/
​
  • http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2014/09/10/343681493/this-is-your-brain-this-is-your-brain-on-music


And this one, specifically about the defiant nature of cellists (who, us?):
  •  http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2016/05/why_cellists_like_sergei_roldugin_are_the_most_rebellious_musicians_in_the.html

Do you have personal experience to support or debunk these ideas? Let me know what you think about all this in the comments section below.  

And in the meantime, congrats to all the graduates!  For the rest of us, we'll just enjoy all that Elgar wafting through the spring air!
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Spooky Sounds for Celloween

10/31/2015

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It's no secret that I love Halloween.  Fall is such a beautiful time of year anyway, but in addition to the crisp air and brilliant foliage, I always look forward to making costumes, carving pumpkins, and dressing up.  

And screeching and howling on my cello!

For years now, I have been using Halloween as a reason to introduce extended techniques to my young beginners.  I like pushing the boundaries of sound production on the cello, and I revel in the fact that the beautiful cello can also sound gross and scary!  

For me, cello is a way to express every human emotion, not just the pretty ones.  

The kids really seem to dig Spooky Sounds, so I thought I would share them with you too! 

New tricks

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If you would like more information on what extended techniques are and how to do them, click HERE for a basic list with explanations (and each technique's actual name.  Sadly, "creaks" and "squeaks" are not the official names, but they should be!).

Still want more?  Check out these articles that delve more deeply into the dark realm of extended techniques:
  • Where Will It End? by Dylan Messina
  • Extended Techniques for Cello by Craig Hultgren (with whom I played a Mauricio Kagel's Match back in 2010)

And a treat...

Last week my cello quartet had an educational concert at Spivey Hall, and after explaining a few common extended techniques (such as bowing behind the bridge,  snap pizzicato,  harmonics,  ponticello, and body tapping) we played my Halloween mashup, Toil and Treble for the first time ever!   

We were not allowed to film any of our concert, but here's a video of the piece that we made this week to share with you:
Did you notice all the extended techniques we used?

HAPPY CELLOWEEN!
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