Vibrato
With
Mike Lovatt
What's in the course
20 lessons (0h 44m) · 1 free
Lesson transcript
Understanding Vibrato
You may have heard that on that long note, I'm playing it with a little bit of a shimmer on it. This is called vibrato.
Listening Practice
Maybe you can try listening to me do that again. Perhaps you can hear it when I play it this time.
What is Vibrato?
How do we do that? Vibrato? Well, there are different ways we can obtain a vibrato:
- Finger Technique: One method is to use the finger on the valves.
- Air Control: What I do when I'm playing vibrato is I tend to use the air.
Using Air to Create Vibrato
How do we use the air to make vibrato?
- We can change the speed of the air.
- We can change the speed of the air by moving the tongue.
Playing Without Vibrato
Let's play it without vibrato. First, you try playing it like that.
Now, Let's Add Vibrato
Now I'm going to play with vibrato. So, how do we do it?
- We use the air stream.
- You try having a go, making that kind of whistling sound.
Technique Explanation
What I was doing there was actually moving my tongue up and down in my mouth whilst the airstream was going across the top of it. That actually changes the speed of the air, which helps to change the pitch.
The Effect of Vibrato
Vibrato does have an effect where it slightly changes the pitch of the note, like this.
- So we're doing two things:
- We're changing the pitch slightly.
- We're also changing the sonority of the note.
Vibrato helps notes to be alive. It helps notes project.
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Meet your guru
Meet your guru
Mike Lovatt studied at Trinity College of Music, where he was awarded the Jon Kelly Jazz Scholarship. He has performed and recorded across a huge range of styles with artists including Quincy Jones, Robbie Williams, Eric Clapton, the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Michael Buble, Oasis, Michel Legrand, Tony Bennett, Shirley Bassey and Danny Elfman, among many others.
As Principal Trumpet in London's West End, Mike has performed in Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, The Producers, Billy Elliot, Guys and Dolls, Saturday Night Fever, My Fair Lady and Spamalot, amongst others. He has played on movie soundtracks including the James Bond films, Harry Potter with the London Symphony Orchestra, the award-winning Chicago, Kevin Spacey's Beyond the Sea, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Madagascar and The Corpse Bride. He is featured on trumpet and cornet in George Fenton's Mrs Henderson Presents, and on trumpet in Looking for Eric.
Mike is principal trumpet with the Grammy-nominated John Wilson Orchestra and has been featured in their celebrated BBC Promenade concerts and recordings.
Mike is sought after as a teacher and clinician, and is a professor of trumpet at the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal College of Music. In April 2013 he was proud to be awarded the prestigious Derek Watkins' Chair of Trumpet at the Royal Academy of Music, London.
In his MusicGurus courses, Mike shares the secrets behind his versatility, showing you how to nail authentic swing, rock and Latin trumpet styles so you can play any of them with confidence and the right feel.
