Vibrato is one of the most recognizable sounds of the violin. It’s the difference between a plain, straight tone and a singing, expressive voice. But for students, vibrato can also feel like the most mysterious technique: When do I start? How do I move? Why does it sound tight? I'd like to talk about vibrato from the very first motions to advanced artistic control. 1. What Vibrato Actually Is At its core, vibrato is a controlled oscillation of pitch —a gentle rocking motion o