Let's talk about Vibrato

[JammerMatt]

A discussion with Nuni got me to thinking. Mine needs work. How do you do yours, and how did you develop it?

-Matt

[Biu]

Re: Let's talk about Vibrato

Bah, I don't have much of a vibrato, but it's gotten better. I dunno, seems like it's just something that comes with time.

[nuntius]

Re: Let's talk about Vibrato

I've been practising bending a note up a tone and vibrato-ing it evenly and slowly. Same for un bent notes. Just taking it really slowly because my vibrato was really really short + fast before I started really taking note of it.

[JammerMatt]

Re: Let's talk about Vibrato

Nuni, when you bend up, does your vibrato return back to the original note whilst doing the vibrato? Or does it oscillate between your bent-up note and some tone slightly above the original tone?

-Matt

[shreder75]

Re: Let's talk about Vibrato

hmmm..difficult to answer that question....mine's slow and deliberate...the only thihng I'm really proud about my playing actually..my vibrato..LOL...just developed over time...it was never fast and shrill (ala steve morse or kirk hammet..not to diss steve...he's incredible..but I hate his vibrato..and it's well known that I pretty much hate everything about hammet..hehe)...I think my vibrato is very lynch/satch like...

in fact, there's not much that I DON'T vibrato...even when hitting chords, I vibrato them more often than not...

the speed varies, I've noticed...sometimes I will vibrato a little too fast (for my liking) when I'm comming out of something relatively fast and I stop and vibrato...fingers get in fast mode and the vibe. just follows I guess..lol...

I never really worked on it...just the way it worked out I suppose...

as far as how I do it...I do it the traditional way...I don't do the lynch method of moving laterally up the neck a few frets higher and lower...I can't do that and keep it clean..so just the traditional way for me..fret the note, move the hand 'perpendicular' to the neck..you know what I'm sayin'...bent or otherwise, I do it the same...sometimes I'll do it with the vibrato bar, but that's very rarely...and I'll use any one of my first, middle or ring fingers..never my pinky...

[DirrtyCraig]

Re: Let's talk about Vibrato

I think vibrato is SOOOO important. Its what immediately makes one guy sound like a pro and one guy sound like a beginner. I don't mean that in a rude way.
I don't think you can practice it, but you should be aware of it. Listen to yourself on recordings. I think years of live playing will get you there too. I know the dfference from my vibrato 10 years ago and now is like night and day and I never worked on it conciously.

I like SRV and Lynch for vibrato.

[Rainmaker]

Re: Let's talk about Vibrato

Pointers please!

[shreder75]

Re: Let's talk about Vibrato

you're 100% right, CRAIG...your vibrato's great by the way....mine's similar to yours..there's nothing like hitting that artificial harmonic with some sweet, smooth vibrato =D

anywho..about practicing it...I see what you're saying and I think you have it right....if you're aware of it, you can reign it in if it's outta control or not dynamic enough...

[shreder75]

Re: Let's talk about Vibrato

Rainmaker--

something like vibrato, aside from being a personal technique, taste kinda thing is hard to describe in words...it's much easier to observe how someone does it to get an idea...I'm not sayin' to cop someone's vibrato...not that that would be a bad thing..or a good thing..it's just a thing..lol...

one time I was in a guitar store and I was hitting harmonics all over the place..some guy came up to me and asked me how I did it....to me, it's just natural...to the point where I really couldn't explain it..

vibrato's the same way..but at least with that, you can see what someoen's left hand is doing

[Rainmaker]

Re: Let's talk about Vibrato

Hey Shreder, you're right - I'm going have to analyse my favourite players and try and absorb that... it all seems like an insignificant concern, I have enough problems even playing the right notes in the first place! Would you say it's something one should pay attention to from the beginning or worry about it later?

[DirrtyCraig]

Re: Let's talk about Vibrato

Ok, you guys got me thinkin about it now. Heres one I like. At exactly 00:49 seconds theres a good one in there. I would like to be this consistent ALL the time.

http://hair-metal.com/tunes/Dirrty_Scary.mp3

[shreder75]

Re: Let's talk about Vibrato

Hey Shreder, you're right - I'm going have to analyse my favourite players and try and absorb that... it all seems like an insignificant concern, I have enough problems even playing the right notes in the first place! Would you say it's something one should pay attention to from the beginning or worry about it later?

good question..I wouldn't say worry about it later...you're obviously aware of it, so ysou're paying attention to it...if you're not happy with it, you're going to be paying attention to it to the point where other thigns suffer...

it's a balancing act to be sure...but it's a technique that u use ALL the time..so I would work on it simultaneously with 'paying attention to playing the right notes' as you put it..lol...cause they really go hand in hand..it's not like 'ok, today I'm gonna practice apregios, or tapping'...those are things that are an aspect of your playing (dependent on style), yes, but they're not an INTEGRAL part of your playing...

does that make sense?

it's definetly not insignificant....as craig said, vibrato can make or break ya

[shreder75]

Re: Let's talk about Vibrato

CRAIG--

I LOVE that friggin' song..the tone rules..I used that as a benchmark to tweak my b-52 =)

and yes, the harmonic at 0:49 is exactly the type of harmonic w/vibrato that I was talkin' about and love to hit..maybe a little too much..eheheheh...

I meant to ask ya..when you recorded that, what type of mic did you use? and how did you place it?

[DirrtyCraig]

Re: Let's talk about Vibrato

I used an SM-57 on my Marshall cab. I point it straight in but off-center of the cone. Diffeent people will tell you different methods like angling the mic, but I prefer straight in.

[shreder75]

Re: Let's talk about Vibrato

yeah..we're workin' on our demo..and the first three songs I had it off axis near the cone (hey, what the hell do I know? never mic'd up a cab before)..and it sounded thin as..well, thin..lol....but standin' in front of it it sounded great...

then for teh last song, we put it stright in offa the cone and it sounded much better...