vibrato exercises?

nickp · August 2013

so moving on from the fretboard collective task of widdling over a blues backing track it seems to me that my vibrato is a bit haphazard and crap.

has anyone taken a systematic approach to improving vibrato?

ta

nick

mike_l · August 2013

Start slow, in time (IE with a metronome) and bend/release a 1/4 tone at a time. So on a crotchet (1/4 note) you'll play 4 notes (It doesn't mater which one), and your fretting finger will in time push the string slightly (1/4 tone) sharp, and return to pitch 4 times per note.

then try with 8 sharpen/return to pitch per note.

Also increase tempo a little each day

Clarky · August 2013

I've found that playing vibrato [and bending] from the wrist rather than the fingers works better..

it's a twisting / rotational movement. This uses the muscles in the forearm, which are far more powerful than those in your hand.. so the result is more control

also... the 3rd to 6th strings are bent downwards [towards the floor] and the 1st and 2nd strings are bent upwards [because there's not enough space on the fingerboard to do it any other way

when bending upwards, I use the thumb on the back of the neck as a pivot. When bending downwards I use the edge of my hand [between the 1st finger and thumb] on the underside of the nech as a pivot.

Note that I talk about bending and vibrato technique in exactly the same way. This is because I treat them as the same technique - vibrato being a series of small bends one after the other.

Violin style vibrato is a whole different thing [and can be extremely beautiful too], but it does not work so well all over the neck, so you need to get used to where it's easiest to perform it strongly and on what strings. Personally I tend to use this on the plain strings when I'm north of the 8th / 9th fret.. and only in ballads / in situations where I'm playing long notes that can benefit from something a little more subtle than my regular vibrato choices..

nickp · August 2013

now that is really useful - @mike_l and @Clarky (Indeed, you both sage and wise and will receive the appropriate veneration of a wisdom!)

I hadn't viewed vibrato as an extension of a bend - and the evercise of vibing in time with a metronome is a clear route towards a steady vib - my attempts to become a better guitarist seem to involve a metrognome at every turn

Clarky · August 2013

a great exercise is to bend [let's say an A on the 3rd string - 14th fret] up to B.

when you've bent the note up, put vibrato on

this is about as difficult as vibrato gets [applying it to a bent note], and so this is where the rotational strength from the forearm really comes into play..

when it comes to 'timing' the vibrato, the rotation really works there too [because personally I find it easier to feel for the peaks of the bends in a rhythmic sense]

with your metro counting 1/4 notes, try vib with the following timings:

1/8 note, 1/8 triplets, 1/16th notes

mike_l · August 2013

Failing at finger vibrato is easily rectified with a Floyd (I jest obviously)

When you advance onto vibrato on a bent note, use the same technique. This is where @Clarky said to use your forearm will really help.

Clarky · August 2013

I use a few different vib techniques..

and of course using a Floyd is amongst them..

they all sound and feel very different.. and are all valuable..

so it's worth getting to know them all

viz · August 2013

Look up vai vibrato on youtube. He has a unique technique wich is really easy and effective.

octatonic · August 2013

I don't do any specific vibrato exercises other than transcribing guitarists with great vibrato.

Robben Ford is excellent for this.

mike_l · August 2013

@viz is that the circular one?

Clarky · August 2013

Vai's circular technique is a sort of hybrid of conventional vib and violin style vib

personally, I never found it particularly comfortable. that said, a couple of friends of mine swear by it..

nickp · August 2013

just so you know - that I don't just post these things for nothing - I did my first metrognome controlled five mins of vibrato practice last night - so gold star for me

Using the - its a bend kinda technique as recommended by Clarky - starting slooow and controlled

Clarky · August 2013

if you've not bent / vib'd from the wrist before, how did you find it?

most I've showed this to found it a little alien at first, but once they got used to it, they preferred it

viz · August 2013

mike_l said:

@viz is that the circular one?

yep, and it's a bit weird at first but becomes perfectly normal in time. it is a bit like a hybrid between up-and-down and classical, except it comes less from the wrist (like classical) and more from the whole arm and the fingers themselves. It's a strange one all right.

nickp · August 2013

@clarky was doing it very slowly and controlled and thinking about it - and just really thinking about it being an extension of my bending technique which kind of works for me and therefore logical.

But the whole thing feels/sounds a bit weird at the moment because it isn't instinctive.

I noticed that if I wasn't thinking I almost snatched/poked at the vibrato and then it kind of tailed off from that - if that makes sense - which is why they weren't even and (nice).

cheers

Nick

Catthan · August 2013

I'm more into the "transcribing licks" approach. There are players who are known for their vibrato more than others I guess.

BB, Kossoff, Bonamassa and Clapton come to mind. + you'll be learning some licks too.

I guess they all have a distinct technical approach regarding how they position their fingers, where they get their strength from etc but if you're starting now with this, you'd best follow Clarky's routine in addition to transcribing so you can build your strength.

Vibrato is a cool and important feature which almost offers everyone the possibility to make it personalized despite the fact that almost everybody does it.

Good luck!

Brgrds,

Clarky · August 2013

if we consider vib and bending as variations on the same theme, maybe it's worth exploring them all in depth

and maybe think about their individual strengths, weaknesses and how / when we can find the optimum opportunities to use them..

this could of course include whammy techniques too..

DulcetJones · August 2013

One major point a lot of players miss is to keep the actual note you are applying vibrato to in the "middle". This means hitting the string while holding the note with no bend, then bending up to a target note(a half step or whole step up usually), then bending down through the starting note and on to the lower target note(usually the same interval you used for the up bend). After repeating this process the desired number of times, make sure you end on the starting note. This all may sound overkill but when applied right it's magic, and is probably why BB, Kossoff, Bonamassa and Clapton sound so great. Just a few sessions with a metronome should get you into the habit.

Lexie1 · August 2013

Not wishing to kill the thread, or any of the excellent comments already posted, but recently I purchased the Lick Library DVD "String Bending and Vibrato" by Michael Casswell. It is absolutely brilliant and has made me really think about what I do and change my whole approach. The DVD is aimed at all levels of players, from newcomers to Pros, well worth checking out.

Clarky · August 2013

DulcetJones said:

One major point a lot of players miss is to keep the actual note you are applying vibrato to in the "middle". This means hitting the string while holding the note with no bend, then bending up to a target note(a half step or whole step up usually), then bending down through the starting note and on to the lower target note(usually the same interval you used for the up bend). After repeating this process the desired number of times, make sure you end on the starting note. This all may sound overkill but when applied right it's magic, and is probably why BB, Kossoff, Bonamassa and Clapton sound so great. Just a few sessions with a metronome should get you into the habit.

this is actually only possible with a whammie or with 'violin vib' technique [and possibly the "Vai circular vib" too]

the violin vib will almost never give you +/- a semi-tone.. I'd guess you could get close to a semi-tone if you're high up the neck.. but anywhere south of about the 8th or 9th fret and the change in pitch is very gentle..

regular vib will only ever sharpen the note

DulcetJones · August 2013

Clarky said:

this is actually only possible with a whammie or with 'violin vib' technique [and possibly the "Vai circular vib" too]

the violin vib will almost never give you +/- a semi-tone.. I'd guess you could get close to a semi-tone if you're high up the neck.. but anywhere south of about the 8th or 9th fret and the change in pitch is very gentle..

regular vib will only ever sharpen the note

I've always thought the process I described was vibrato, as performed using string bending only, which of course would only give you the sharpened note on the up and down bend. The idea is to keep the up and down bends as equal as possible so that the note you are applying this to is still prevalent.

hywelg · August 2013

The aforementioned blues backing track is a good place to start but instead of widdling play as few notes as possible and try to make them all interesting. So, all the tricks like hammering on/off followed by vibrato, bend up/lower off followed by vibrato, slide up to the note, rake across the strings etc etc, you get the idea. If you can make one note interesting then you're half way there to sounding good.

Clarky · August 2013

DulcetJones said:

Clarky said:

this is actually only possible with a whammie or with 'violin vib' technique [and possibly the "Vai circular vib" too]

the violin vib will almost never give you +/- a semi-tone.. I'd guess you could get close to a semi-tone if you're high up the neck.. but anywhere south of about the 8th or 9th fret and the change in pitch is very gentle..

regular vib will only ever sharpen the note

I've always thought the process I described was vibrato, as performed using string bending only, which of course would only give you the sharpened note on the up and down bend. The idea is to keep the up and down bends as equal as possible so that the note you are applying this to is still prevalent.

so you're not talking about flattening the note with vib then??

cos this:

" then bending down through the starting note and on to the lower target note"

is kinda confusing me I think..

DulcetJones · August 2013

"so you're not talking about flattening the note with vib then??

cos this:

" then bending down through the starting note and on to the lower target note"

is kinda confusing me I think.." You're right, I should have said that you bend to the same note on the up and down bend. It's the physical aspect that is up and down, not the note.

mike_l · August 2013

@Clarky ; I'm reading that as vibrato on a bent string, s he's going above and below the target pitch. I could be wrong though.

Clarky · August 2013

DulcetJones said:

"so you're not talking about flattening the note with vib then??
cos this:
" then bending down through the starting note and on to the lower target note"
is kinda confusing me I think.." You're right, I should have said that you bend to the same note on the up and down bend. It's the physical aspect that is up and down, not the note.

ahh gotchya... makes sense now..

so you're saying to be mindful of fully zeroing the bent note having executed the bend..

makes complete sense now..

Van_Hayden · August 2013

I actually think that moving the string equally above and below its natural position even on unbent notes gets people to good sounding vib faster. I teach this way and it avoids the note being made to sound sharp. What a lot of players actually do is start their vibrato motion that just goes up, and the motion is too great, sending the whole effect towards a 1/4 bend with vibrato.

Alternatively do what one of my customers swears by "give it some fanny finger"

Barney · August 2013

I think listening a lot and seeing how other people do it is important.. the vibrato side of it is just small part of the full picture...but for good vibrato the thumb needs to be right round the neck and used as a anchor on the side of the fretboard.....phrasing in genral makes a good solo regardless of note choice....I think its s good idea to take maybe 3 or 4 notes covering 2 strings of the blues scale and see how intresting you can make it with phrasing ...using pick attack ...r/hand fingers ..dynamics .bends ..hammer on ..pull off...ect....I think most notes should have some sort of colour ...a picked note that dosnt just sounds bland unless that's the effect that's wanted......there is so much to be said just for the phrasing side of things.....maybe try a really slow blues and see what you can do with not many notes....its great practice..and fun..

Van_Hayden · August 2013

Good point that - often there's actually too much vibrato to quickly from a lot of players. Phrase to amaze should be the order or the day.

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories

In this Discussion

Become a Subscriber!

vibrato exercises?

Comments