Learning to do Vibrato

[gnr2391]

Hey guys,

 

I have finally decided to address my vibrato issue. I can do it well sometimes, but it's not very smooth yet. In other words, I have not so much control over it. My ideal is that my vibrato gets so controllable one day I can use it to really embellish 2-3 note voicings when I play them. Do you guys have any advice in my quest to get kick ass vibrato? Thanks a ton!

[BydoEmpire]

Here's a tip I got from a Steve Vai clinic that was a bit of a revelation even though it's so obvious in hindsight: practice your vibrato. It's really that simple, and spending some time here and there over the last year just practicing vibrato has improved mine tremendously. For most people I think some vibrato comes naturally over time, but it doesn't always sound good and they don't know how to control or vary it. Take fifteen or thirty minutes, pick a random note on the fretboard and just work on vibrato.

 

1. Practice all types - slow, fast, agressive, smooth...

2. Practice different motions for vibrato - parallel to the frets as well as 'circular'

3. Practice adding vibrato to bent notes - this can be tricky for a lot of people

4. Practice using all four fret hand fingers, as well as all strings

5. Listen to players you like that have killer vibrato and try to emulate that

 

You need to sit down and spend some time to figure out what sounds good to you, as well as learn to apply the exact type you want at any given time (the control aspect). Sometimes a song calls for a mean, aggressive, fast vibrato. Sometimes you want something slow and soulful. Being able to control it comes from practice.

[3shiftgtr]

Lots of hand positions too....

 

The classic Clapton "pivot" vibrato where you position the thumb side of your fret hand index finger against the side of the finger board, and while keeping your index finger stiff, rock the finger back and forth with the 'pivot point' being where the index touches the neck. Classic "slowhand" vibrato.

 

A variation on that is the B.B. King "hummingbird" vibrato where you basically use the same physiology as the 'pivot' but you fan your middle, ring and pinky out and spasmodically rock that stiff index finger. Your hand, if the guitar wasn't there, would be making the "Eh....so, so" hand motion, but doing it really fast. If you watch B.B. do it, his fingers are curled over the fretboard when he frets notes, then they fan out when he uses that famous vibrato of his.

 

Good pivot and hummingbird vibrato raises the pitch a little less than an 1/8 of a step.....of course how far is a SUPER sliding scale with no rule....but the key is consistency. However far you want to raise the pitch, remember, do it the same amount consistently. If you go too far, it won't sound 'vocal'.

 

Which is maybe something you want!

 

Which in that case, there is the Yngwie style "wide" vibrato where you take a note and bend it up 3/4 of a step and back REALLY fast. Vai does this a bunch too. And remember to go a little past the note when you come back. But as with anything Yngwie related, REALLY FAST is the key. I treat this as a series of bends, but do what you gotta do to do them to be fast.....