If you play your guitar without any vibrato at all, this is just like a plate of Mexican without any salsa. Vibrato is one of the most definitive techniques in defining your musical style, your own personal unique sound. No two players have the same vibrato sound. There are those who like to play it slow and wide, while others like to narrow things down and play fast, but it's all up to the player when it comes to his/her vibrato technique of your choice. It's like eating different salsa's every time you go to your favorite taco stand. But this ain't about basketball, for crying out loud - this is about vibrato, so read on.
Vibrato is sometimes confused with tremolo. It is not to be confused with tremolo, which means fluctuation in volume - it is the vibration of a string in such a way that it varies ever so slightly in tone. The technique used by most beginners would be to use the third finger of their fretting hand to play the third string on the seventh fret, moving the note up slightly, then moving it down slightly as well. Do this in quick succession so the over riding effect is a "wobbly" tone around the root note you are playing. Coordinate your hand, arm and wrists as you perform this technique. Never just wiggle a finger. In some cases you will notice guitarists pull the string all the way down and release it back to its original position - this is one of the popular forms of bending.
Use different bending techniques at different speeds as you work on your vibrato. Keep your motions fluid and you'll be on your way to mastering the technique. If you are playing a slow blues riff then you may want to slow down and make a wide circular motion with the string, or if you are playing a fast rock lick you may just ad a fast narrow vibrato to accent the final note in a run.
More often than not, the first and third fingers on the fret hand are used to add vibrato, but the third finger, by far, is the most commonly used. Sometimes using the first finger can be a challenge. You can use your first finger for fast vibratos similar to BB Kings style. You will literally lift your other finger far off the fret board, press down and just "vibrate" the string as fast and as open as possible. It is just apropos that the word vibrato sounds just like "vibrate", because aren't you vibrating the string when you use this technique?
Mixing vibrato with other techniques like advanced string bending, legato and harmonics can help you become a dynamite musician in no time flat. You don't exactly have to imitate the likes of SRV, Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck note-per-note - playing guitar is about developing your own style and exercising your creativity. Playing vibrato is one step closer to developing a style you could call your own. Remember to enjoy your guitar playing experience, and be patient when trying different styles of playing vibrato and other techniques.
Vibrato is sometimes confused with tremolo. It is not to be confused with tremolo, which means fluctuation in volume - it is the vibration of a string in such a way that it varies ever so slightly in tone. The technique used by most beginners would be to use the third finger of their fretting hand to play the third string on the seventh fret, moving the note up slightly, then moving it down slightly as well. Do this in quick succession so the over riding effect is a "wobbly" tone around the root note you are playing. Coordinate your hand, arm and wrists as you perform this technique. Never just wiggle a finger. In some cases you will notice guitarists pull the string all the way down and release it back to its original position - this is one of the popular forms of bending.
Use different bending techniques at different speeds as you work on your vibrato. Keep your motions fluid and you'll be on your way to mastering the technique. If you are playing a slow blues riff then you may want to slow down and make a wide circular motion with the string, or if you are playing a fast rock lick you may just ad a fast narrow vibrato to accent the final note in a run.
More often than not, the first and third fingers on the fret hand are used to add vibrato, but the third finger, by far, is the most commonly used. Sometimes using the first finger can be a challenge. You can use your first finger for fast vibratos similar to BB Kings style. You will literally lift your other finger far off the fret board, press down and just "vibrate" the string as fast and as open as possible. It is just apropos that the word vibrato sounds just like "vibrate", because aren't you vibrating the string when you use this technique?
Mixing vibrato with other techniques like advanced string bending, legato and harmonics can help you become a dynamite musician in no time flat. You don't exactly have to imitate the likes of SRV, Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck note-per-note - playing guitar is about developing your own style and exercising your creativity. Playing vibrato is one step closer to developing a style you could call your own. Remember to enjoy your guitar playing experience, and be patient when trying different styles of playing vibrato and other techniques.
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