String Vibrato: Research Related to Performance and Perception

This article presents a summary of our presentation that was invited by the Research Committee of ASTA and given at the 2009 ASTA National Conference in Atlanta. In this article we describe and discuss previous and current research studies concerning string vibrato performance and listeners’ perception of vibrato. Topics addressing performance aspects of vibrato include rates and widths, pitch center, initial direction, and continuity during slurs. Investigations that have used various approaches to determine the perceived pitch center of string vibrato are also summarized. We present suggestions for further investigation of vibrato in both the study of listener perception and performance practice and discuss pedagogical applications of research findings.