I have discovered a new kick in playing airs. Is using vibrato necessary on airs? Desirable? Detestable? I am having trouble making vibrato sound right, but then I can’t sing using vibrato either. so I think I’m a poor judge.
Are you using breath or finger vibrato? It sounds like breath. Try trilling your finger on the hole two notes below the one you’re on. That is usually much easier than breath vibrato.
Vibrato… I would say is not “necessary”…But I do like the technique…not only in airs, but also in quicker pieces.
Is breath vibrato as good as finger vibrato? Breath vibrato comes naturally, while finger vibrato will definitely take a lot of practice.
I always felt that breath virbrato was more difficult than finger virbrato (at least to accomplish at will). The breath verbrato, without a doubt (IMHO), offers a far more interesting, even though more subtle, effect than finger vibrato.
I use both. As Ann mentioned, breath vibrato comes naturally to me. (I do use it sometimes when singing.) However, finger vibrato can produce effects that I can’t easily get from breath vibrato.
With all fingers down, finger vibrato is impossible, but you can also get a vibrato by shaking the whole whistle. Of course shaking works on other notes, too. In fact, I tend to use it when only one or two holes are open. (In other words, when my right hand index finger is not available.) Shaking may look funny, though.
I play mostly slow airs, and I generally prefer not to use vibrato all the way through a piece, but use it mostly for emphasis or to get a bit more “emotion” into a note. I also like to break up a really long note by adding vibrato just to some latter portion of the note–especially on the last note of a slur. I like finger vibrato for this.
All this analysis is after the fact. I don’t really think about it when I’m playing.
Actually, most people’s vibrato on voice is produced through the building of a good voice. Basically (if I remember right from my music theory class) it is the vocal chords naturally quivering, indicating that they are strong and well built. “Breath” vibrato on voice is actually much harder to produce than natural vibrato.
I use mostly finger vibrato. Well, actually I basically use breath vibrato on everything, as it just comes naturally to me now. But for concious addition of vibrato, I use fingers, because it is more obvious.
I use both.
I use breath vibrato a lot of the time without even realizing it.
I do use finger vibrato a lot more than breath vibrato though. Your fingers can do the work much faster. It also gives it a completely different sound, especially on those faster tunes that you want to add a little flavor to. I prefer the sound of the finger vibrato when possible.
There are, however, certain notes (like the low D on a D whistle) that just aren’t possible to finger vibrato so I guess it’s good to be able to do both.
Thanks for all your replies.
Though it is a bit harder, I am going for throat vibrato as my daughter the flutist taught me. I am not super coordinated, and my fingers have enough to do. Also, I like the more subtile throat vibrato. My daughter says vibrato should never stray into another note, but stay with the note being played. That puts limits that I think finger vibrato can cross (that is, unless, of course, I’m WRONG)!
Also–I have noticed on airs that people cut longer notes. Should that ever be used WITH vibrato?
I can’t see (or hear) a problem with using a finger ornament (a cut) and vibrato on long notes.
Vibrato is definitely not part of the tradition. But if you can make it sound good, who cares.
To me it seems worth mentioning that a good vibrato with the lungs should be preceded by good breathing technic with the diaphram. This works for me but I do not use a lot of vibrato. My fingers are not fast enough to do it with them yet. The most even spaced vibrato I have made comes when I play under the celling fan. 
[quote=Plug your ears when you play or you’ll end up with hearing loss or tinnitus.[/quote]
EH WHAT’S THAT YA SAY! SPEAK UP AND STOP RINGING THAT BELL AND BUZZER!
In flute playing the chief vibrato method is finger vibrato.
As whistling often leads to fluting, there is something to
be said for mastering finger vibrato, especially as
general breath vibrato in flute playing is both verboten
and hard for some of us to eliminate.
Finger vibrato is indeed hard to master, IMO.
Part of the ‘trick’, I think, is to learn to partially
cover holes when doing it. One straightens the
finger so that it creases the side of the hole
closest to the hand. This enables one to
play about with the degree of vibrato by covering
more or less of the hole, so that one can shape
the vibrato while the note sounds.
Grey Larsen’s book is very helpful on this.
This passage sounds strange to me. It sounds like you might be confusing vibrato with trills. You never get finger vibrato by wiggling over the hole directly below the bottom closed hole; that would be a trill. You need to move one hole further down. So, to get vibrato on G, wiggle over the E note, not the F# note. You will be in no danger whatsover of altering the pitch by anything remotely like a semi-tone.
Man, the stuff I learn from this site!
I didn’t know vibrato wasn’t part of the tradition. I’m frankly not thrilled about vibrato, even in singing. This gives me an excuse to try cutting long notes instead.
Also, I will try half holing the second note down from the note being played, and see how that works.
Irish fiddlers don’t use vibrato, pipers, whistle and flute players do.
Well, I guess I better start learnin’ it then! Blast it! Can’t anything just come EASY?? Ok…I’m okay now…
I use mostly diaphram vibrato. It’s a ‘flutey’ kind of sound, but the important thing is to keep your throat OPEN, and try to keep the vibrato out of your throat. If you start closing your throat, you really tighten up the tone, I think, and find yourself getting sharp and shrill. My personal preference with vibrato is that it be slow and subtle and not over-used. Finger vibrato is ok too, but it’s usually a stronger vibrato, and should sound like you are in control of it and it’s deliberate, rather than as if you had an extreme case of stage fight.