From: rhutchin@pilot.njin.net (Roland Hutchinson)
Newsgroups: rec.music.early
Subject: Re: Fretwork
Date: 18 Nov 92 20:14:49 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.

In <EARLYM-L%92111811055059@AEARN.EDVZ.UNIVIE.AC.AT> GONTER@AWIWUW11.BITNET writes:

>From: MVBURKE@ucs.indiana.edu
>----------------------------- resent message ----------------------------
>Subj:   Re: Fretwork
> 
[a lot of good stuff about viol technique deleted]
> 
>Vibrato is possible on a fretted instrument, you just have to work a little
>harder to get it.  Personally, I have a hell of a time producing it, as this
>is my only string instrument ever, and I don't have the basic knack of
>vibrating left over from playing violin or something; so far the best thing
>seems to be letting just a bit more of your finger lap over the fret.  One
>of these days I may get the hang of it....
> 
Of course the normal way of doing vibrato on the viol, at least from
mid-seventeenth century onward, is to use two fingers, lightly
pressing the higher finger against the finger that is stoping the
string, and beating it lightly against the string near the fret "so
nicely that there be no variation of tone" (or words to that effect: a
no doubt mangled quote from Chr. Simpson).  This is probably easier
to learn than the one-finger variety, and it has the great advantage
that you never tend to do it unconsiously, without having meant to do
it.  

But the one finger variety is described by French baroque writers for
use with the little finger (the instructions are to "rock" [balancer]
the finger on the string.  Marais and others mark both kinds, and the
rocking variety is used on the little finger, in double-stops, and
even from time to time in places where the two-finger vibrato would be
technically possible, but the one-finger vibrato (one supposes) gives
the sound the composer wanted.

Also, at least one 16th-century source (Agricola, I think) refers to
the sweet sound of viols when they are played so that the fingers
tremble [zittern] on the strings.  Most folks read this as implying a
one-finger vibrato, particularly when read together with various
16th-century references to "trembling" voices.  [But NB a vibratoless
voice singing throat-articulated passaggi also could be said to
tremble.] Furthermore, one suspects that Italian and German violists,
and particularly the Germans near the end of the 18th century,
imitated the style of playing on the violin and used the one-finger
vibrato quite a lot, though perhaps not quite so much as those of us
who come to the viol from modern strings are tempted to do by force of
long habit from time to time.  (I know that even after playing the
viol for nearly two decades, I still catch myself vibrating in places
I didn't mean to, or even giving a little wobble behind the fret here
and there that is so small and quick that it has no audible effect to
speak of--purely out of old habbit.  Anyone else want to join me in
public confession on this point??)

The bottom line is that you have eventually to learn both types of
vibrato.

Now--anyone want to talk about glissandi on the viol?  The frets don't
get in the way of those, as anone who has ever heard a coule' de doigt
can testify.  

-- 
Roland Hutchinson                       Visiting Specialist/Early Music
 Internet: rhutchin@pilot.njin.net      Department of Music
 Bitnet: rhutchin@NJIN                  Montclair State College
                                        Upper Montclair, NJ 07043
Newsgroups: rec.music.early