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I started playing the violin when I was 21 ,played for 10 years,but never leaned the proper technics for a proper vibrato. Having watched do's and don'ts about vibrato ,it clear to get rid of that "death grip" with the left hand as some instructors call it. I'm 60 yo now ,and on my bucket list is to developer a nice vibrato, even if it takes several years. Here's the problem, no matter how hard I try,it's almost impossible in the first position to maintain ANY clearance between inside of first finger and fingerboard on the "d" string,without feeling a ton of stress or tension . I have 3 daughters ,so for a experiment I asked my 25 yo, if she could hold the violin and touch the e on the d string with her first finger. She easily did it with a lot of clearance and no stress, same with the 28yo,, her first finger easily could do the same. With the 30 yo, she was the same as me,there was no way she could hold the first finger on the d, without she said, " she felt her elbow was going to come apart". Do you think there are people like me whose wrist or elbow joints prevent them from vibrating on the lower d and g strings.? . I thought if I spent a1/2 hr a day just holding the violin with my first finger on the e on the d string ( even though it kills my arm and elbow) maybe eventually my joints might loosen up enough to get some clearance? I would hate to have a nice vibrato everywhere else, but scared to play any long notes on the lower g and d. Do you think I am wasting my time hoping my arm will configure itself?
Thanks; dean Wittick