In addition to string bending, vibrato is a phrasing technique that can make your guitar sing.
This technique provides a lovely, vocal sound to the notes it is applied to and is frequently used by other instruments, including the human voice.
In this lesson, we will cover all you need to know about vibrato on guitar, including what it is, how it is notated in music, how to use it, when to use it, and how to practice it.
What is vibrato on guitar
The vibrato sound is produced by rapidly changing a note’s pitch slightly and then returning it to normal; this alters the note’s sound rather than changing the note itself (for example, if the note is F#, the listener is always hearing F#).
The hand and finger motions required to get this sound will be described below.
First note is called fundamental: The note you play before you start applying vibrato is called the fundamental note. Thus, vibrato can be described as pitch oscillation around the fundamental note
Classical vs standard electric
There are various ways and different nuances different guitarists apply to vibrato, some of which will be mentioned later on.
However it’s important to first make a distinction between the two most common ways guitarists get the sound of vibrato. They require different motions to execute, and get a different effect.
- Classical guitar vibrato: Used in classical guitar playing, this type of vibrato involves a subtle back-and-forth motion along the string without bending it up or down.
The effect is subtle and can be heard on Classical guitars more than electric due to the more flexibility given by the nylon strings.
That being said, this type of vibrato is occasionally used on the electric guitar to get a subtle effect, especially in ballads.
- Electric guitar vibrato: This is achieved by bending the string up and down, rather than moving the finger back and forth. Just like a normal bend, except that it’s not the same as a bend, as we’ll see in the next point.
This second type of vibrato, common in Rock and Blues will be the main focus of this lesson. Go to this lesson on classical guitar vibrato if this is the style of music that you play.
Not a bend
Though we do bend the string when executing vibrato technique, this should not be confused with the technique of string bending.
In string bending we reach a targeted note (usually a fret or two above the note, though wider bends are also used).
When playing vibrato, the duration of the bends is so short that the sound of the next note is not heard. The note you hear remains the fundamental. It now sounds more beautiful and vibrant.
Vibrato notation
On guitar tabs, vibrato is shown by a small wiggly sign above the notes it should be applied to.
In the following example, vibrato is to be applied to the second and fourth note:
Wrist movement
When playing the guitar without applying vibrato (or string bending) technique, the best place for the thumb to be is usually behind the fingers that are playing the notes, pointing up.
There are exceptions to this, such as when playing higher up the fretboard, but in general that’s where your thumb should be if you’re not playing vibrato or string bending.
When playing vibrato your thumb should crawl up above the fretboard while your wrist does a motion similar to that of turning a door knob.
The small bends required to execute vibrato are not made by your upper finger knuckles (where you have less control) but rather by your whole wrist pushing behind the tip of the finger.
Help – from the other fingers
While this is not available for the index finger, when playing vibrato with the middle, the ring finger or the pinkie, the remaining fingers can be used to help with the bends.
This will give you more control over the vibrato, especially when executing wider bends.
Width (narrow or wide) and speed (fast or slow)
The two primary variables you can control are width and speed, with the exception of certain subtleties that some guitarists use (like making a circular motion when performing vibrato).
Width refers to how much you bend the string. Generally speaking, wide vibrato is defined as bending the string one semitone (or one fret) or more.
When the bends are smaller than a semitone, the vibrato is considered narrow.
How quickly you bend the string determines speed.
Though these two variables may not seem like a lot, the amount of combinations you can get by varying the width and the speed of the bends are infinite.
There is no right or wrong combination between width and speed, but here are some general observations:
- If the vibrato is very narrow and fast, it will somewhat sound like a bee buzzing. This may be useful in some situations, but it doesn’t sound very nice.
- If the vibrato is narrow and slow, it will sound sweet, pleasing. It’s my personal favorite when I want to make a note sound really delicious.
- If the vibrato is wide and fast, it will sound wild and vibrant. A great choice when you want to heavily accent a note.
- If the vibrato is wide and slow, it may sound bumpy. The listener may even hear the sound of the next note which is not what you want. It can be done, but it should be handled with care.
Full release
This is a common mistake that beginners in vibrato on guitar should be aware of.
After you bend the string, it is very important that you release it back completely to the fundamental note.
If you don’t do that your vibrato will sound messy and out of tune.
Placing on notes you want to stand out
Like other phrasing techniques (ex. Slides, bends, pinch harmonics etc.) vibrato should only be used when required, and not applied to every note.
Vibrato can be applied to any note but these are the two types of notes you should give priority:
- Long notes – The longer the note, the more time you have to apply vibrato and the more effective it will be. Vibrato also helps sustain the note, thus adding vibrato to long notes also helps in making them sound their full duration.
- Any note you want to stand out – Does a note sound particularly beautiful in the melodic context it is in? Try adding vibrato to it to make it stand out even more.
Practice with a metronome
You can gain control over the speed by practicing vibrato with a metronome (for example, by playing one or two bends or a triplet per click).
In real life, you might not need to synchronize your vibrato with the beat, but using a metronome to practice gives you the necessary control over vibrato speed.
Can be applied to bending
String bending technique and vibrato can be combined by applying vibrato to a bent string.
It’s ideal to start working on this technique once you have mastered both vibrato and string bending.
Experiment
Once you get the motions right, experiment.
The amount of combinations you can get by varying the width and the speed of the bends is infinite. Experiment until you find the right sound.
Instant vs delayed vibrato
Many beginners in vibrato technique assume that the only option is to start making the vibrato motions as soon as you hit the note.
However another option is delayed vibrato, where the note is allowed to sound a few moments before vibrato is introduced.
Keep this option in mind when applying vibrato to long notes.
Mute unwanted string noise
The topic of muting strings goes beyond the purposes of this lesson, however if you play guitar with distortion, you need to keep this in mind:
If you don’t mute (with your left, right, or both hands) the strings you’re not playing, unwanted sounds will come out of them and these will dilute the effect of the note being played.
This applies to every note you’re playing, but it applies especially to notes with vibrato because these are the notes you want to stand out.
These are some parts of your hands that you can use to mute unwanted string noise:
- Left hand fingers can mute the strings below the notes they’re fretting.
- Right hand fingers that are not being used to hold the pick, can rest on the higher strings of the guitar.
- The back of your thumb, or your palm can mute the lower strings.
Your ear is the ultimate judge
The above advice suggests good practices for getting vibrato correctly, but in the end, it is your ear that should judge whether the note sounds good, and whether the vibrato is appropriate for the music that you’re playing.
In short, if it sounds good, it is good. And if it sounds bad, it is bad.
Vibrato signature
Vibrato gives guitarists a personal touch, and some guitar players are known for their vibrato signature.
These include Mark Knopfler, Steve Vai, Eric Clapton, BB King, Angus Young, Gary Moore, and Yngwie Malmsteen among many others.
Some of these guitarists use techniques that may differ from the standard practices suggested above. For instance Eric Clapton doesn’t wrap his thumb around the fingerboard, while Steve Vai uses a circular motion to squeeze out even more from the technique.
Conclusion: Give vibrato it’s due time
An intermediate guitar player may feel that since techniques like legato playing and speed building deserve serious practice because they are harder, vibrato doesn’t deserve practice time since it just involves wiggling a little your finger.
While it’s true that some other techniques require more practice time to master, spending regular practice time improving your vibrato is important for the following reasons:
- There is good and bad vibrato. Wiggling your fingers is not enough. If you follow the suggestions given in this lesson you will develop good vibrato that pleases the listener.
- All notes are not made equal (to the listener). The accented long note with vibrato is more noticeable than the dozen fast notes that preceded it. Thus by practicing vibrato you’re improving the sound of the notes that are given the most attention by the listener.
- The possibilities are endless: At first, you’ll practice making your vibrato sound right, but there’s a lot of experimentation you can do to have a variety of vibrato sounds available for use in different musical contexts.
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