My vibrato sucks. Any pointers?

[-=johhnybravo=-]

Anything I can do to make it not suck?

Im looking to cop Marty Friedmans vibrato, I just dont know..

 

How do people go about attaining a vibrato? I dont want to just learn for myself, because Kirk Hammetts vibrato sucks, and I wanna be sure I get a 'good one'

I've had to relearn all my bad habits on guitar, which is absolutely everything I taught myself, currently relearning with a better technique, blah blah blah.

Whats the right technique for vibrato?

Or any helpful sites would be nice.

 

Thanks

[Coolie No.1]

Marty friedman has a pretty wide (exaggerated) vibrato and I absolutely love it.

 

Make it a part of your practice regimen. Make sure to practice Virato on already bent strings.

[Terje]

 

Originally posted by Coolie No.1 Make sure to practice Virato on already bent strings.

 

 

See, there we go again. Everybody wants to play vibrato on bent notes cause it sounds more musical, like a singer would do it. The vibrato would go from the target pitch and down.

 

Everything about vibrato becomes so much more easy, and so much more fun, if you play slide.

[-=johhnybravo=-]

How wide should I practice them on unbent notes for starters, half a step?

And how far down should I go on bent notes?

 

I dont wanna stuff this one up

 

Thanks already.

Metal + Slide doesnt work Terje, although I love playing with a slide on now and then.

[Auggie Doggie]

Originally posted by -=johhnybravo=- How wide should I practice them on unbent notes for starters, half a step?

 

Enough to be heard as a change in pitch, but not enough to be heard as a wrong note.

 

There's no set amount for how wide a vibrato should be, nor is its speed etched in stone. Pick three players whose vibrato you like, and try to copy them. Eventually, you'll develop a 'feel' for vibrato.

[ZX-Matt]

Here are some short vid clips here. Maybe helpful....

 

http://www.riffinteractive.com/lyler/lrarchive12/03-18-02/MainWindow.asp?dir=lrarchive12/03-18-02

 

-ZX

[Terje]

Listen to a vibrato you like (doesn't have to be a guitar player's vibrato, could be a singer's, violinist's or horn player's) and mimic it.

[LosBoleros]

Try using a metranogme to work on vibrato timing. As you practice playing melodies, arps or just scales to the metranogme, stop on any given note and vibrato it in time with the beat. Try heavy Vibrato and try barely any vibrato, but try it in time with the beat.

 

Not everybody worries about timing in vibrato, but some people do and it is noticable.

[Terje]

Originally posted by LosBoleros Try using a metranogme...

 

Those damn metragnomes

[Joe Merlino]

I really think vibrato has to be responsive to the situation. I realize that everybody has a default vibrato style, but I get irked when I hear a player that uses the same vibrato on everything. I'll do fast, slow, wide, narrow, bent, unbent, up, down, whatever. It depends on the mood. Fast and wide is frantic sounding. Slow and narrow is subtle and moody. Slow and wide is bluesly and laid back. Fast and narrow makes the note pop, just a little.

[fancynapkin]

I have a question for the experts, on bent notes (high strings being pushed up that is), when you do vibrato on them, do you pan the pitch down and back, or up an back?? I know with on regular notes, you usually do it up unless you use the whammy bar, so wouldn't you do the same on bent notes??

[ThomasD]

The best advice I ever received on vibrato is to start slow. Alot slower than actually even sounds good; then gradually work up speed only after you have achieved a really solid sound. It's tedious but pays big dividends.

[soc_monki]

Originally posted by Joe Merlino I really think vibrato has to be responsive to the situation. I realize that everybody has a default vibrato style, but I get irked when I hear a player that uses the same vibrato on everything. I'll do fast, slow, wide, narrow, bent, unbent, up, down, whatever. It depends on the mood. Fast and wide is frantic sounding. Slow and narrow is subtle and moody. Slow and wide is bluesly and laid back. Fast and narrow makes the note pop, just a little.

 

this man has it down...try all different styles. i generally go for the wide/fast frantic sound, but can also do subtle sounds, unbent etc. learn it all...it may take time but youll be better for it.

 

and there goes Terje again...saying we just want to sound more musical and should play with a slide! you crack me up LOL but really, thats how vibrato started...people wnated to mimic the sound of a singer on their instrument. so they came up with a technique for that. and if youre masterful at your instrument and dont use a slide, but have a whammy, you can actually use the Whammy and make it sound much like a slide (check out Saigon Kick's Edgar from Devil in the Details...youll swear its a slide, but its not!)

[soc_monki]

Originally posted by -=johhnybravo=- How wide should I practice them on unbent notes for starters, half a step? And how far down should I go on bent notes? I dont wanna stuff this one up Thanks already. Metal + Slide doesnt work Terje, although I love playing with a slide on now and then.

 

what do you mean slide doesnt work for Metal? listen to No More Tears young'un!!!! yea, you tell me that song isnt badass with a slide...

[Terje]

 

Originally posted by -=johhnybravo=- Metal + Slide doesnt work Terje...

 

 

Says who?

 

Seriously, there is no type of music that can onloy be played one way. You can play metal on a piccolo flute if you want to. It's called development of the genre. You should try it sometime. Hell, I even know a guy who plays blues on an elelctric balalajka.

[Terje]

Originally posted by soc_monki and there goes Terje again...saying we just want to sound more musical and should play with a slide! you crack me up

 

But, as you point out yourself, I am right in this. The typical rock and blues guitar vibrato, where you bend the note to get a vibrato means that you're going up from the target pitch and back down again. This sounds much more tense than going from the target pitch and down. And that goes against the idea of vibrato for the most part since it is mainly used on long resolution notes.

 

A fast nervous vibrato can be used for tension. I love that sound too but I wouldn't call it beautiful really.

[Factor]

Well you don't have to use a slide to get that: "Target note and down" vibrato. Ever heard of a pre-bend? Bend up without striking the note, striking a target note and releasing and bending up again.

 

It's hella hard, but well worth practicing.

[Joe Merlino]

 

Originally posted by Terje The typical rock and blues guitar vibrato, where you bend the note to get a vibrato means that you're going up from the target pitch and back down again.

 

 

I don't think so. Typically, what happens is you fret low, bend up to your target note, and then vibrato either up or down, depending on the effect you're trying to achieve. At least that's what I do.

[soc_monki]

Originally posted by Terje But, as you point out yourself, I am right in this. The typical rock and blues guitar vibrato, where you bend the note to get a vibrato means that you're going up from the target pitch and back down again. This sounds much more tense than going from the target pitch and down. And that goes against the idea of vibrato for the most part since it is mainly used on long resolution notes. A fast nervous vibrato can be used for tension. I love that sound too but I wouldn't call it beautiful really.

 

no i never definetly say youre right. in most cases yes, but a good, accomplished guitar player, if they want that "musical" sound (and there are many opinions of this...i think wide/frantic is musical and beautiful in its own right )...lets say they want to play an E note and vibrato it, but also get BELOW that note. you go a half step (or even whole step!) down and bend up to the note before you pick it. it takes practice to get on-pitch without hearing it...lots of practice. anyways, you bend up to the target pitch, or even over it (2 step bends are a bitch!) and then there ya go...you can go over and under the target pitch (hitting D and F as well as Eb and E# in there...just like a singer!) so you see, slide is not the ONLY way to get the desired sound. some ways are harder and take more patience and practice, but it can be done.

 

and i agree, slide CAN be a in a metal players bag and be used in a metal context accordingly. ive thought about pulling the slide out in my band...just need to find the right moment and song...and how to fit it in there...LOL definetly a challenge...

[hedbonker]

 

It's hella hard, but well worth practicing.

 

 

Actually, its not that hard to do and I use it a fair amount with blues. However, its pre-bending the note and not doing vibrato where you are taking the note down pitch, on pitch, down pitch etc.

 

The only way I know to do that effectively is with a slide.

[Tarv]

 

Originally posted by Terje Says who? Seriously, there is no type of music that can onloy be played one way. You can play metal on a piccolo flute if you want to. It's called development of the genre. You should try it sometime. Hell, I even know a guy who plays blues on an elelctric balalajka.

 

 

Shred? I understand your point but you cant just slap a slide on any time you want to vibrato if your playing songs that have alot of 3-note per string scales, string skipping or tapping.

 

Yes I know that you can still do all of those techniques even with a slide if you develop a new style. Slide is cool and all but IMO it lacks the rythmic and percusive articulation that make up the sound of certain styles.

JMO:)

[cashno]

On another forum someone said his teacher taught him to do the vibrato at least six strokes since most players end up fitting their vibrato to the beat. By playing slightly off the beat, it give your playing more charactor he said.

cashno.