Basics of Vibrato Technique for Guitar Players REVISITED
how to guitar vibrato techniques clinic
I used magic cartoon gloves as training aids when first developing my vibrato techniques. But that's just not necessary, and today I'm gonna give ya some handy tips.
Trem Unit: Trems allow you to shimmer full chords and open notes as well as single notes. Just go to YouTube and check out vids of SRV, Eric Johnson, Jeff Beck, Scott Henderson & Michael Landau. Or really put your freak on and check out Lori Lindstruth. Usually trem unit vibrato oscillates from center pitch to lower pitch, though not always. But learn to distinguish the sonic difference between this typical oscillation and a fretting hand vibrato technique-- as the fretting hand must ALWAYS oscillate pitch from center to sharp. In other words, a bent string goes sharp whereas a bridge rocked toward dive direction sends the pitch flat. But enough about trem, just watch those players I suggest.
Lateral Finger-Wrist Vibrato: This is my term for the classical vibrato associated with fretless instruments and classical nylon string guitar technique. Not so much the focus of this post, but this technique has to be the original and oldest vibrato approach there is. The sound is shimmery although cellists and violinists can get some wide crazy stuff going. This technique is easier to observe than other ones we're yet to explore. But again, go watch cello players and classical guitarists to see what you're hearing!
Slide Vibrato: Before getting into the fret grindin' stuff, we can't skip slide. Think about a slide in terms of a highly mobile fret or bridge capable of traveling anywhere along the full scale length. Also think of slide vibrato as an exagerrated lower friction version of the classical/lateral/fretless technique already described. Slide vibrato technique's unique sound is due to its oscillation from flat to sharp, back and forth across the center pitch point fret position. The pivot point being the thumb against the back of the neck. This effect is also possible with a floating trem. Good singers work that whole spectrum-- listen to the vibrato of Stevie Wonder and K.D. Lang.
Fret Grindin' Stuff...
First, let's touch on a key point-- perhaps the most important thing you gotta know. The string is like a spring and its tension is a counter-force against your force of bending the string. Read that again.
Get that whether you're bending a string toward the ceiling or bending it toward the floor to raise the pitch, you're applying force against the tension of the string. But returning to center home note need only be a RELEASE, allowing the string's own counter-force to do the work. In other words, you DON'T push or pull the string back into home position. In the context of vibrato, unbending the note involves releasing it so that the tension of the string returns it.
I'm going into excruciating detail, because some teachers & writers simply describe vibrato as pushing the string back & forth which is not only vague and inaccurate-- it can also steer a player off the course of realizing that a tension & release is occurring and of ever learning to utilize that factor. Most guitarists discover this accidentally and many players NEVER get vibrato. I've watched players trying to "shake" a fretted note-- resulting in a shakey sounding note instead of vibrato. Sound familiar?
Applying force both ways makes it very difficult to maintain an oscillating equilibrium since you actually encounter resistance in one direction only. The string wants to return, so you hardly need to force it back to the home note. In fact, forcing it back only confuses your own motor skills into nullifying the vibrato in most cases. There's that shakey thing again. If you've ever jumped on a trampoline or a diving board you may have experienced what occurs when trying to jump against the rebound. It disrupts & nullifies the entire bounce cycle-- sometimes even knocks your a#@ into the grass. Getting smooth fluid vibrato is similar to jumping on a trampoline. Wider vibrato is like jumping higher. The forces are in equilibrium. SRV's Texas Flood is loaded with prime examples of great vibrato equilibrium.
Yeah, I'm beatin' this to death alright. But nobody else ever does, so I'm feelin' kinda original-- not that I invented vibrato or the internet or pop tarts, but cuz I'm putting this into language.
Okay, so now let's talk about pivot points or fulcrum points-- and tennis balls. The vibrato travel range of bending a string across a fret surface by mechanical-human means involves pivot points. These pivot points are the elbow joint and the middle knuckle joint or "proximal inter-phalangeal joint" clearly indicated HERE. Muscles provide the tension & release, while one of these joints acts as the pivot point.
In the context of pivot points there is technically NO SUCH THING as "Wrist Vibrato". Yes, I said that. Just make a fist, make your forearm rigid, then grabbing your fist with the opposite hand, try rotating that fist at the wrist joint. Doesn't rotate. Sure, GI Joe's does but not yours. The actual pivot rotation occurs at the elbow. If I described that well enough to communicate correctly, you weren't able to twist your hand at the actual wrist joint. When you twist your wrist your entire forearm always turns too. Watch it.
Get yourself some coffee...
Squeeze Vibrato: Again my invented term. When quickly squeezing & releasing a tennis ball, the primary pivot point is at the middle knuckles. Yes, your base knuckles move too, but when you're really squeezing, the middle ones are the grip focus point-- especially around a guitar neck. Squeeze Vibrato is employed when pulling the low E & A strings downward since pushing them upward would ride them over the top edge of the fretboard. Vibrato on these northernmost, wound strings involves pull-down tension and release with the middle knuckle joint acting as pivot point.
Does everyone do it that way? Not necessarily everyone, but listen to Steve Morse's crazy wide but fast vibrato on the lower pitch notes. That's Squeeze Vibrato, just as if Steve were rapidly squeezing and releasing a tennis ball. You can't get that snappy & wild-- yet very controlled response using elbow vibrato at those strings closest to the top edge of the fretboard, especially considering the speed of Morse's runs. Elbow pivoting doesn't sound the same as Middle Knuckle Squeeze either. Observing Steve using this technique may require some slo-mo. But if you try doing this yourself you'll eventually know by the sound.
It's even possible to pull down with the shoulder as pivot point, while all other joints are rigid, but why would you wanna do that? -- other than to comment here that I might have missed something. Well, don't bother.
Important Note: Regardless of which vibrato technique used, rarely do you use only the fretting finger to apply all the force. In other words, it greatly helps to anchor that finger against the others for more stability. For example, when bending a note with the 3rd (ring) finger, the 1st and 2nd fingers should be fretting the lower positions on that string which the 3rd can brace against. Conversely, when the 1st finger note is oscillating there is also bracing against 2nd & 3rd fingers although obviously the latter fingers aren't touching the string.
Elbow Rotational Vibrato-- aka "Wrist Vibrato": This is the one that most guitar players struggle with from the very start. Why? Because this is the closest anatomical-ergonomic-geographic representation of vibrato we most commonly observe when facing the forward profile of another guitarist (I really just wrote all that). Unfortunately it's also deceptive, as the true mechanics occurring aren't usually what we think we're seeing. So we try to do what we saw, and get that shakey result once again.
The tension & release of this vibrato pivots on the forearm rotational aspects at the elbow. Just knowing this, can make it easier, however this is NOT typically the easiest one to develop either. When you "see" BB King, Albert King or even Michael Schenker wildly twisting that "wrist" back & forth, remember that the wrist ain't really turning! It's the elbow, not to mention some stabilization provided from the shoulder. Also important to know is that there is an alternating tension and release required at each of the knuckle joints and the wrist joint. Alternating rigidness with slackness must parallel the tension and release. In other words, if too many joints are loose during the tension phase of bending the string, the bending range will be offset & thus compromised by the slack motion range of those joints which should have been rigid at that moment. Likewise, if everything doesn't relax when the string should unbend, the string won't return smoothly. And that don't sound good.
More coffee? I shouldn't have to remind anyone about the myriad of simultaneous mechanics coordinated between mind and body at any given instant, but it's necessary to clear up some vibrato related misconceptions and difficulties. Playing guitar involves a lot of things, and it's even tougher trying to get from point A to B via Q. I'm trying to remove some of the via aspects created by false & inadaquate explanations.
Elbow Hinge Vibrato: BTW, these elbow vibratos are the ones you'll use on D,G,B & hi-E strings when bending upwards (towards the ceiling). In a way, I've saved the best for last here. When everything is well coordinated, this is the probably the most effective, powerful, wide and expressive vibrato option you'll have, particularly on the strings just mentioned, especially when using 10's and higher gauge strings. Elbow Hinge Vibrato involves more of a straight up and down motion of forearm to fretboard and all points in between. It's more powerful because you have more strength at curling than you do twisting, PSI-wise. But again, the rapid, tension to release coordination of joints and muscles through wrist and knuckles to fingertips to strings is essential, otherwise the elbow's range and force is compromised by weak links en route to the fretboard.
I hope this helps anyone struggling or dissatisfied with vibrato technique. Also understand that you don't use just one of these techniques to the exclusion of the others. You should use them all according to which one is most appropriate for the string(s) you're on at that instant, and the degree or quality of vibrato effect you intend to produce. There's also a technique involving the nose which we'll save for a later article.
It's all about the tension and release exchange between your force and the string's tension as a returning force. Balance that out muscularly then add the loop of your listening, emotion and taste to fine tune the vibrato into your intended musical & emotional expression. That's the whole banana folks! So don't stay stiff and shake it in both directions! If you do that too much you may need to seek medical attention and immediately stop taking Viagra. But seriously, it probably also contributes to tendinitis or at the very least not being able to play as fluidly as you actually should.
Not trying to come off as a know-it-all, I've simply tried to observe and describe the mechanics of my own vibrato development. This includes observing others, whether beginners or legendary players. I've never read or viewed a clinic where vibrato technique was broken down like this. If I'd found one, I'd just provide a link or reference and tell ya to check it out. If I'd read this as a beginner, it might have taken years off of my development curve. Either that, or I wouldn't have understood a friggin' word! It's also probably true that a good demo video could demonstrate this entire post in 5 minutes, and do it better. Still, I hope some of this is useful & workable to someone.
Then there's always the magic cartoon gloves Doc!
sponsored by: Stratoblogster Labs
I used magic cartoon gloves as training aids when first developing my vibrato techniques. But that's just not necessary, and today I'm gonna give ya some handy tips.
Trem Unit: Trems allow you to shimmer full chords and open notes as well as single notes. Just go to YouTube and check out vids of SRV, Eric Johnson, Jeff Beck, Scott Henderson & Michael Landau. Or really put your freak on and check out Lori Lindstruth. Usually trem unit vibrato oscillates from center pitch to lower pitch, though not always. But learn to distinguish the sonic difference between this typical oscillation and a fretting hand vibrato technique-- as the fretting hand must ALWAYS oscillate pitch from center to sharp. In other words, a bent string goes sharp whereas a bridge rocked toward dive direction sends the pitch flat. But enough about trem, just watch those players I suggest.
Lateral Finger-Wrist Vibrato: This is my term for the classical vibrato associated with fretless instruments and classical nylon string guitar technique. Not so much the focus of this post, but this technique has to be the original and oldest vibrato approach there is. The sound is shimmery although cellists and violinists can get some wide crazy stuff going. This technique is easier to observe than other ones we're yet to explore. But again, go watch cello players and classical guitarists to see what you're hearing!
Slide Vibrato: Before getting into the fret grindin' stuff, we can't skip slide. Think about a slide in terms of a highly mobile fret or bridge capable of traveling anywhere along the full scale length. Also think of slide vibrato as an exagerrated lower friction version of the classical/lateral/fretless technique already described. Slide vibrato technique's unique sound is due to its oscillation from flat to sharp, back and forth across the center pitch point fret position. The pivot point being the thumb against the back of the neck. This effect is also possible with a floating trem. Good singers work that whole spectrum-- listen to the vibrato of Stevie Wonder and K.D. Lang.
Fret Grindin' Stuff...
First, let's touch on a key point-- perhaps the most important thing you gotta know. The string is like a spring and its tension is a counter-force against your force of bending the string. Read that again.
Get that whether you're bending a string toward the ceiling or bending it toward the floor to raise the pitch, you're applying force against the tension of the string. But returning to center home note need only be a RELEASE, allowing the string's own counter-force to do the work. In other words, you DON'T push or pull the string back into home position. In the context of vibrato, unbending the note involves releasing it so that the tension of the string returns it.
I'm going into excruciating detail, because some teachers & writers simply describe vibrato as pushing the string back & forth which is not only vague and inaccurate-- it can also steer a player off the course of realizing that a tension & release is occurring and of ever learning to utilize that factor. Most guitarists discover this accidentally and many players NEVER get vibrato. I've watched players trying to "shake" a fretted note-- resulting in a shakey sounding note instead of vibrato. Sound familiar?
Applying force both ways makes it very difficult to maintain an oscillating equilibrium since you actually encounter resistance in one direction only. The string wants to return, so you hardly need to force it back to the home note. In fact, forcing it back only confuses your own motor skills into nullifying the vibrato in most cases. There's that shakey thing again. If you've ever jumped on a trampoline or a diving board you may have experienced what occurs when trying to jump against the rebound. It disrupts & nullifies the entire bounce cycle-- sometimes even knocks your a#@ into the grass. Getting smooth fluid vibrato is similar to jumping on a trampoline. Wider vibrato is like jumping higher. The forces are in equilibrium. SRV's Texas Flood is loaded with prime examples of great vibrato equilibrium.
Yeah, I'm beatin' this to death alright. But nobody else ever does, so I'm feelin' kinda original-- not that I invented vibrato or the internet or pop tarts, but cuz I'm putting this into language.
Okay, so now let's talk about pivot points or fulcrum points-- and tennis balls. The vibrato travel range of bending a string across a fret surface by mechanical-human means involves pivot points. These pivot points are the elbow joint and the middle knuckle joint or "proximal inter-phalangeal joint" clearly indicated HERE. Muscles provide the tension & release, while one of these joints acts as the pivot point.
In the context of pivot points there is technically NO SUCH THING as "Wrist Vibrato". Yes, I said that. Just make a fist, make your forearm rigid, then grabbing your fist with the opposite hand, try rotating that fist at the wrist joint. Doesn't rotate. Sure, GI Joe's does but not yours. The actual pivot rotation occurs at the elbow. If I described that well enough to communicate correctly, you weren't able to twist your hand at the actual wrist joint. When you twist your wrist your entire forearm always turns too. Watch it.
Get yourself some coffee...
Squeeze Vibrato: Again my invented term. When quickly squeezing & releasing a tennis ball, the primary pivot point is at the middle knuckles. Yes, your base knuckles move too, but when you're really squeezing, the middle ones are the grip focus point-- especially around a guitar neck. Squeeze Vibrato is employed when pulling the low E & A strings downward since pushing them upward would ride them over the top edge of the fretboard. Vibrato on these northernmost, wound strings involves pull-down tension and release with the middle knuckle joint acting as pivot point.
Does everyone do it that way? Not necessarily everyone, but listen to Steve Morse's crazy wide but fast vibrato on the lower pitch notes. That's Squeeze Vibrato, just as if Steve were rapidly squeezing and releasing a tennis ball. You can't get that snappy & wild-- yet very controlled response using elbow vibrato at those strings closest to the top edge of the fretboard, especially considering the speed of Morse's runs. Elbow pivoting doesn't sound the same as Middle Knuckle Squeeze either. Observing Steve using this technique may require some slo-mo. But if you try doing this yourself you'll eventually know by the sound.
It's even possible to pull down with the shoulder as pivot point, while all other joints are rigid, but why would you wanna do that? -- other than to comment here that I might have missed something. Well, don't bother.
Important Note: Regardless of which vibrato technique used, rarely do you use only the fretting finger to apply all the force. In other words, it greatly helps to anchor that finger against the others for more stability. For example, when bending a note with the 3rd (ring) finger, the 1st and 2nd fingers should be fretting the lower positions on that string which the 3rd can brace against. Conversely, when the 1st finger note is oscillating there is also bracing against 2nd & 3rd fingers although obviously the latter fingers aren't touching the string.
Elbow Rotational Vibrato-- aka "Wrist Vibrato": This is the one that most guitar players struggle with from the very start. Why? Because this is the closest anatomical-ergonomic-geographic representation of vibrato we most commonly observe when facing the forward profile of another guitarist (I really just wrote all that). Unfortunately it's also deceptive, as the true mechanics occurring aren't usually what we think we're seeing. So we try to do what we saw, and get that shakey result once again.
The tension & release of this vibrato pivots on the forearm rotational aspects at the elbow. Just knowing this, can make it easier, however this is NOT typically the easiest one to develop either. When you "see" BB King, Albert King or even Michael Schenker wildly twisting that "wrist" back & forth, remember that the wrist ain't really turning! It's the elbow, not to mention some stabilization provided from the shoulder. Also important to know is that there is an alternating tension and release required at each of the knuckle joints and the wrist joint. Alternating rigidness with slackness must parallel the tension and release. In other words, if too many joints are loose during the tension phase of bending the string, the bending range will be offset & thus compromised by the slack motion range of those joints which should have been rigid at that moment. Likewise, if everything doesn't relax when the string should unbend, the string won't return smoothly. And that don't sound good.
More coffee? I shouldn't have to remind anyone about the myriad of simultaneous mechanics coordinated between mind and body at any given instant, but it's necessary to clear up some vibrato related misconceptions and difficulties. Playing guitar involves a lot of things, and it's even tougher trying to get from point A to B via Q. I'm trying to remove some of the via aspects created by false & inadaquate explanations.
Elbow Hinge Vibrato: BTW, these elbow vibratos are the ones you'll use on D,G,B & hi-E strings when bending upwards (towards the ceiling). In a way, I've saved the best for last here. When everything is well coordinated, this is the probably the most effective, powerful, wide and expressive vibrato option you'll have, particularly on the strings just mentioned, especially when using 10's and higher gauge strings. Elbow Hinge Vibrato involves more of a straight up and down motion of forearm to fretboard and all points in between. It's more powerful because you have more strength at curling than you do twisting, PSI-wise. But again, the rapid, tension to release coordination of joints and muscles through wrist and knuckles to fingertips to strings is essential, otherwise the elbow's range and force is compromised by weak links en route to the fretboard.
I hope this helps anyone struggling or dissatisfied with vibrato technique. Also understand that you don't use just one of these techniques to the exclusion of the others. You should use them all according to which one is most appropriate for the string(s) you're on at that instant, and the degree or quality of vibrato effect you intend to produce. There's also a technique involving the nose which we'll save for a later article.
It's all about the tension and release exchange between your force and the string's tension as a returning force. Balance that out muscularly then add the loop of your listening, emotion and taste to fine tune the vibrato into your intended musical & emotional expression. That's the whole banana folks! So don't stay stiff and shake it in both directions! If you do that too much you may need to seek medical attention and immediately stop taking Viagra. But seriously, it probably also contributes to tendinitis or at the very least not being able to play as fluidly as you actually should.
Not trying to come off as a know-it-all, I've simply tried to observe and describe the mechanics of my own vibrato development. This includes observing others, whether beginners or legendary players. I've never read or viewed a clinic where vibrato technique was broken down like this. If I'd found one, I'd just provide a link or reference and tell ya to check it out. If I'd read this as a beginner, it might have taken years off of my development curve. Either that, or I wouldn't have understood a friggin' word! It's also probably true that a good demo video could demonstrate this entire post in 5 minutes, and do it better. Still, I hope some of this is useful & workable to someone.
Then there's always the magic cartoon gloves Doc!
sponsored by: Stratoblogster Labs
vote it up!
posted by Stratoblogster at 9:35 PM PERMALINK
5 Comments:
Dave Jacoby said...
You know, when you said trem unit, I thought you meant tremolo pedal. So I tried to find a Lori video where that was part of her attack. Eventually, I put the math together, but not until I found this video featuring Lori. I know, if they could just recruit Tal, it'd be the perfect band, right?
Have you made Lori an official Stratosister yet?
Where would you put B.B.'s "butterfly" vibrato in all this? And some sources, Vai's 30-Hour Boot Camp being one, suggest you bend up to the note and then do vibrato, so you get the over-and-under "floating trem" vibrato that way.
I have been reading other things about vibrato recently, such as the web exclusive column covering it in our favorite guitar mag, Premier Guitar. I guess I have a lot to practice on these days.
Dave: Lori is one of my first Stratosisters. Tal is an honorary bass Stratosister too. I even have another bass player chick besides Tal.
There's actually so much that people do with vibrato and bending, that I don't even scratch the surface about.
I haven't seen Vai's stuff, but know he's a cool teacher. I used to read his Martian Love Secrets GP column in the 80's. He's so fundamental in a Zen way, i.e. having you play one little thing over and over for hours till it really plugs into the universe for you. Actually that partially comes from a Cecil Taylor concept I once read too.
I want to pick up a Strat soon, just looking for the right one under a grand. Cool blog
I forget where he said he got it from, but Shrapnel shredder Greg Howe plays with a wide lateral vibrato, one that passes over fret boundaries like a slide guy. I'm sure he does it here, on "Sunny". (I think he's switched to a Laguna endorsement. The coolest thing is how he color-coordinates the string-damping scrunchie with the guitar body.)
I know you have seen or at least heard of Steve Vai's 30-Hour Path to Virtuoso Enlightenment. You have said a lot more on how to do the vibrato than he did, while he covers how to make it part of your style more.
My captcha for today is "medleg". Now doesn't that sound like it could be a jam band?
Ernest: There are plenty of great Strats out there for under $1K. The thing to do is just be patient and play lots of them. Fortunately there are LOTS of Strats to play. Finding a good Strat is hit & miss, but good ones aren't rare. The marketing of guitars tries to create that perception to make you spend more. If you've played Strats you really liked, and know the difference between what you perceive as a good one from a bad one, then you're already ahead of a lot of folks. Just be patient, play the field and don't let your money burn a hole in your pocket. I'd look for a $400 range MIM (mex)model with good intonation and plenty of natural sustain. Those two things are most important. Then, you'll have $ left for tweaks and little upgrades.
So just play the field and don't marry the first one that reminds you of the bulge in your wallet.
Dave: Howe is great! And what a cool take on that old tune too. The way he employs that grace/gliss/sliding technique certainly does move it into the vibrato realm of whammy range and effect. Why not?! Show's ya just how relaxed Howe is. He's loose!
I've been using that technique in the manner of Jeff Beck & Scott Henderson, so Howe just adds more back & forth smoothly enough for a whammy vibrato effect. The scrunchy is cool too-- though I mix too many open pedal tones, overtones and textures in my playing. Imagine Landau & Eric Johnson muted... not good. But Howe can blow so fluidly, his playing can pretty much say it all even with the scrunchy.
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