Vibrato: The Expressive Technique of Guitar

Okay, so I'd like to talk to you now about one of perhaps the most expressive techniques that guitar has to offer, and that's vibrato.

Where to Apply Vibrato

Firstly, I'd just like to discuss where you might apply vibrato within a melody. Typically, you would apply it over a sustained note in a melody.

• If you have a busy melody with lots of notes passing quickly, you don't need to apply vibrato to every single note.
• It really shines when you allow a note to ring out and breathe for a moment, enhancing it with some vibrato.

Example Phrase

A really simple phrase might be something like this:

"Okay. So I'm not applying vibrato to every one of those notes. That would sound terrible. And I don't think I can even do it quick enough."

You can just see it sounds out of tune.

Picking Your Moment

Often, you'll find this at the end of a phrase. For example, I'm applying the vibrato there with my first finger only.

Things to Consider

When you're working on adding vibrato, consider:

• The style of the piece
• The tempo of the piece
• The feel of the piece

For instance, in a chilled-out slow ballad, a huge aggressive vibrato wouldn't make much sense, unless it's maybe a big Gary Moore number. We want something a bit more subtle and refined for a slower blues piece.

Varying Vibrato

Two aspects of vibrato that you can easily vary are:

• Speed: How fast or slow you're vibrating the string.
• Width: How far you're displacing the string.

A great example here is Zak Wilde, who has a huge vibrato, compared to a more subtle vibrato suitable for a slower, bluesy piece.

Personal Technique

Vibrato is a very personal and unique aspect of any guitar player's style.

• You'll notice some players have a circular vibrato that's quite subtle.
• There's also a more classical approach, moving with the grain of the string, creating a really subtle vibrato.

When going for a wider vibrato, anchor your finger and generate energy from your wrist.

Common Misconceptions

One common misconception with vibrato is that you need to move both ways.

"You don't need to do that."

Demonstration

Here's how it should be done:

• My vibrato goes towards the floor and then returns to center.
• It does NOT go from the floor to center, to the ceiling, then back to center.

You can see that moving both ways just doesn't work. It's something to bear in mind, you can tell when you do it that it doesn't sound quite right.

Direction and Personal Preference

Choose your direction based on your personal preference. I usually go towards the floor with my first finger because I find it sounds more controlled.

Experimentation Tips

Try experimenting with different speeds and widths of vibrato:

1. Start on the same note to get a slow, controlled vibrato.
2. Gradually increase the speed and width.

Timing Your Vibrato

It's also important to consider how soon you introduce vibrato to the note.

Listening Exercise

Going back to our phrase, listen to the difference here.

• The first time, I'll start my vibrato straight away.
• The second time, I'll let the note breathe for half a second before applying vibrato.

"Sounds better."

Often, letting the note breathe a bit first is beneficial. It allows the pitch to establish before ornamenting it with vibrato.

The Finger You Use

Lastly, remember that you can do vibrato with any finger you like.

A common practice is to play a note with your third finger and support it with another finger behind it for more control.

Demonstration Example

Here's how it would look:

• Two fingers on the string help create vibrato.
• It sounds much more controlled compared to using a single finger.

If you have lots of overdrive, it's useful to rest your first finger across the strings to keep unwanted noise to a minimum.

Conclusion

So, I hope this is useful! Vibrato is definitely something worth incorporating into your playing as soon as possible.

No matter how basic you feel your abilities are, it's a really expressive tool that can elevate your playing. So do check it out!