Katherine Hagen with Kathleen Horvath (Music) and Gary Chottiner

Analysis of Violin and Viola Vibrato Waveforms

 Vibrato is a series of expressive pitch oscillations produced by left hand movements on the violin and viola. This project aims to investigate the variations in vibrato waveforms between college-level and professional violinists and violists. First, pedagogical and scientific definitions of an effective vibrato will be compared, and various waveforms will be electronically synthesized for aural evaluation. Then, many (n > 10) college-level players will be audio- and video-recorded. These audio tracks, as well as excerpts taken from available professional recordings, will be digitally analyzed; the video footage will then be used to motivate biomechanical explanations for aural differences among players. These investigations will hopefully result in a refined definition of an effective vibrato, ultimately streamlining teaching methods.