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I was jamming along on the D Dorian scale following along with the Jazz improve video. Thanks FM. Starting to get some cool sounds.
When I realized I was clamping down on the chin rest so hard , my jaw was out of wack. anyone ever have that happen? No idea how long I had been that way.
Also as you can see in the HMK post I sent I have large fat hands , and when I use vabrato two things happen.
The whole violin shakes and,
I have a hard time slowing it down to somewhere below machine gun level.
Anyone have some thoughts? 
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Try slow breathing techniques and breath from your stomach not your chest. I'm sure if you search Youtube you can find ways to practice that and it will help you learn how to relax while you play and that's a big key that may help you. I have a natural guitar style vibrato from playing guitar so long and I'm really having a hard time with violin vibrato myself. I even bought a couple books to help me with vibrato for violin. And if you are watching the football game right now, what is up with Dallas! So many teams this year that have talent are playing really bad.
At times I have had to use a lot of pressure to hold the violin as tightly as I wanted.
I almost always decided that something was wrong with my hold and/or accessories and I eventually made changes.
There are a lot of reasons that a violin hold is simply not working and I don't know how to tell someone what to do about their personal problem. It will probably take some experimentation and money.
The main thing is that the violin hold should be comfortable which also lends to technical performance. Neck pain or back pain, etc. is not a badge of courage.
Just incidentally, you may know that some violinists DO grasp a violin very tightly and get something called a violin "hickey" but I don't know how that works and I'm not advanced enough to get one 
or suggest it.
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Clamping down is a hard habit to break. You literally have to concentrate on relaxing every time you think about it. Maybe putting something uncomfortable like sandpaper on the chinrest so that you get reminded if you clamp down. Use your left hand to hold a little more and try to find a balance so that you don't feel the need to clamp down. Also, you may not have the best chin-rest. A great chin-rest is so supportive and comfortable that you are not afraid to drop or loose grip of your fiddle.
As far as vibrato goes, start with basics. Use the tips of your fingers to start the note and pull back slowly so that the fingertip rolls to a much flatter part of the finger. Use mostly pressure on the left side of the finger and don't be in a hurry to play faster vibrato. Your machine gun vibrato is probably not the same kind as what I am describing and probably very narrow as well.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Been thinking about trying a new chin rest. What are some of the considerations I should think about when selectiing one? And do you recommend one? I noticed FM that yours is rather high.
Is that to compensate for not using a shoulder rest? Or is that typical of a quailty chin rest?
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Great questions LB,
It's to compensate for not having a shoulder rest. I had it built up. A quality chin-rest is one that is made to last out of good materials. A good chin-rest is one that fits your jaw/chin comfortably. My only suggestions is that you try to find a place that has many to choose from and try as many as you can before making the purchase.
Good luck. 
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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FM I have a full beard, I find that it tends to be a problem, any suggestions?
Shalom Shalom
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I had one for about a year. I do remember that my neck and jaw were more irritated when I had it. I have some collegues that have beards and can ask them. What is your exact problem with it BC? Maybe a better chinrest that kind of evenly spreads the contact. Also have you heard of the STRAD PAD?
Also check out the chinrest covers. Chin-rest cover
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Yeah I saw those on the Internet today. I was going to order one but it said that it was for children, I was worried about the size and of course I have my pride. LOL I do think that this could be a possible solution for my problem. I was going to ask you what you thought about it, too. So what the heck. Next time I need to get stings or something I may just add that. Thanks again.
Shalom Shalom
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They have different sizes GCShalom,
The one that you saw was probably a smaller one. Just make sure that you get a bigger one for your chinrest if you decide to get one.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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