Vibrato Bends

[drfrankencopter]

There's lots of different ways to make vibrato...you don't even have to keep your thumb on the neck. I don't think Clapton does...

Like other have suggested, I think it's important to try out a variety of approaches to it. Eventually one or two (or maybe more) techniques will work for you for your style.

Lately, when I've been working on vibrato its been trying to focus on being able to build from a rapid/shallow vibrato to a wide/slow one, and back to rapid/shallow.

This thread has got me thinking that there are so many subtle aspects to guitar playing that end up encompassing one's style. Everything from sliding into notes, grace notes, rakes and reverse rakes, pick slides/gliss, etc...its all part of the magic of the guitar. There's so many ways to even approach a single note!

I remember playing guitar for a bunch of buddys (non players) recently and having them remark "what was that *cool thing* you did?". I thought maybe it was fast run, or some pinch harmonic stuff, but it turns out what they latched onto was that when I would finish some phrases I'd slide my left hand either up the fretboard, or down the fretboard (slides to nowhere). I don't even think about stuff like that, it just happens....it kinda made my day.

Cheers,

Kris

[retro]

Yes I agree Tomo and drfrankencopter. I don't mean to imply hooking the thumb over is the key always and in and of itself.

In teaching I look for simple directions that give a student a means to find the light switch on their own in a simple and hopefully direct way. I have found by experience giving this small direction has lead to fast insight in the importance of hand position on the neck where no connection was before. All of a sudden they see the potential in using the neck hand in different ways.

Since there have been many good suggestions I only thought to add one possibility. I should have been more concise. Thanks for your comments.

Cheers.

[gainiac]

One vibrato that I haven't seen mentioned hear is the "shake the neck variety" versus shake the note.

It's definitely not an "accurate" form of the technique but it has it's own flavor.............

[The Everlove]

go to you tube and search for hendrix at woodstock. I learned from him. Don't get discouraged, it takes practice and time. Just recently have I gotten to the point where I can control my vibrato bends.

[sethmeister]

Originally Posted by beePee

.Wait for the note to “bloom” then start vibrato. When it begins to quickly the note tends to sound out of tune (which technically it is) Letting the ear “catch the note establishes it stronger IMO.

Yes! Listen to great singers and you'll hear this.

Also, technique is different for everyone and I doubt there's one "right" way to do it but for me the best and most natural way has aways been to think of my index finger as a pivot point around which the rest of the hand swivels. Kind of like you're doing the "hang loose" hand gesture but with the index finger anchored to the board. I find my thumb isn't even necessarily in contact with the back of the neck.

Now if I could just figure out how to get a vibrato in my singing... I'm completely lost there

[ScottB]

I've been concentrating on vibrato since I started playing (30 - gulp - years ago!).

One of the keys for me is a set-up that lends itself to bend-up vibrato. I can't do it if the action is too low. I have to have some space to get "under" the string. This gives you some leverage to shake it around once you get it bent. Otherwise, it will just slip out of your grip and snap back.

I just tried to analyze my technique and there is a good 1/32"-1/16" of callous poking out under the string which serves as a cushion to keep it from slipping. For the shake I'm kind of "pushing" the string (around a center point that is at pitch), using my thumb (really the first joint of my thumb) at the top-back of the neck (just below the binding on a LP) as a pivot point. If you're not used to it, you kind of have to get ready and position yourself for the bend up. I find that I do this naturally now, and it doesn't cost me any time, but I can definitely note my positioning preparation when going in to a bend.

My bend up vibrato is a different technique than my "slack" vibrato. I only do bend-up with my third finger for the most part. This lends the ability to pivot. I'll do slack vibrato with any finger but usually first and third. I find a first finger slack vibrato to be a little tricky as well, especially on the high E. I mostly use a pivot technique for my slack vibrato but sometimes I'll use a finger wiggle as well, depending on what I'm after.

Vibrato is one of those things that you can't take for granted. if you ignore it, it will get sloppy.

[ChickenLover]

Lots of great posts. When I was just starting to play leads I had a 'drill' that I did at the end of any practice session to help build the muscles. Basically I would play unison bends and move up and down the neck (like that first little lead thing at the beginning of Nugent's Stranglehold). First the 2nd/3rd strings then 1st/2nd strings paying close attention to the tuning. I did it at the end of a session because it really tires your hand.

IMO, a slower and deeper vibrato usually sounds better than a faster and shallower vibrato. The lack-of-control and too fast (and even worse...slightly out-of-tune) vibrato doesn't sound good to me at all (Kirk Hammet of Metallica sometimes does this).

There are a lot of different ways to get left-hand vibrato (bent or not) and for me they all sound a little different so I like to be able to do several different types. Just watch a bunch of different players...try it their way...rinse and repeat.

[rgsss14]

I'm no professional player, but I love the subject of vibrato because I think it is the one aspect of playing that I think separates the good players from the great ones.

I don't think anyone as yet touched upon "natural" left hand vibrato in detail...

Grab a doorknob with your left hand and wiggle it back and forth. When you wiggle it counterclockwise you are "supinating" your hand, and when you wiggle it clockwise you are "pronating" your hand with respect to palm position.

Are you thinking about what your hand is doing when you did the above manuever? Look at B.B. King's left hand vibrato - do you think he actually THINKS about moving it back and forth like that? - no, he just does it subconsciously.

Now take your left hand and take it through that same motion, except do it in the air. Don't think about it, just let your hand go...let it do all the work. Let your hand have that little "seizure" of going back and forth like that, on it's own. When you feel like you can do this without thinking, then move it to the fretboard, using the first knuckle of your index finger (palm side, obviously), as the pivot point.

With slight variations, the "natural" vibrato technique is pretty much the same no matter what finger you use. Same thing with bending and then letting your hand go to acheive the vibrato - this just takes a little more practice and hand strength.

With your "natural" left hand vibrato the note will oscillate accurately as well...on its own.... let your hands and ears do the work, and leave your brain out of it.

Once you master the "natural" vibrato, the other more controlled types of vibrato (where there is no pivot) can be practiced.

Clapton's vibrato is really a variation of "classical guitar" vibrato, where the pitch of the string is changed by pulling the string back and forth from the bridge to the nut, rather than creating the oscillation by bending up and down. This is a different technique altogether.

Best of luck! And others please correct the above if you feel that it is warped!

[joey_r]

There's a lot of great advice here, but let me throw in one more idea: find some software to slow a tune down (Transcribe! or SlowGold or a free winamp plugin) and use it to isolate pieces of music where you can really hear the bend in relation to the beat. Slow it down to something like 10% of the normal speed and listen carefully. This will help you understand the fine points of a given player's vibrato. Then do your best to mimic it and try to understand what makes it sound good (covered in depth above).

[mtlin]

Originally Posted by harryjmic

Interesting thread. I chose Albert King and I finally realized after real careful listening that I like how Albert puts a little vibrato on his bends.

Harry, could you give me an example of where Albert does this? I was listening to "Crosscut Saw" last night, and I couldn't hear *any* vibrato on *any* of his bends. Point it out for me if you can, I'd really appreciate it.

Best,

Martin