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short and simple
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02-07-2014 01:52 PM
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Underused? He hasn't seen many barroom blooz guitarists.
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har!
good one!
bb king made millions off his vibrato.
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He's got a good point. It's not that vibrato is underused in general, it's that the technique isn't often explored to its full potential. Consider that most blues guitar vibrato is lateral to the string and only raises the pitch and returns it to normal unless the note is bent up to a pitch where the vibrato both can raise and lower the pitch. Even when you can tell a player by their vibrato there doesn't seem to be much variation within a particular player's vibrato sound. A one-trick pony if you will.
Listening to '60s and '70s rock guitar had some *really bad* vibrato, just terrible. Way too fast and with no center of pitch -- more of a careless warble. But then again some of the rock guys had beautifully expressive vibrato. Say what you will about Malmsteen, IMO the guy has superb command of expressive vibrato.
I can't think of a single example of noteworthy traditional jazz guitar vibrato. Subtle and skillfully employed perhaps, but to my ears nothing particularly worthy of emulation. It's possible that the longitudinal vibrato used by most jazz players is simply too limited on a fretted string instrument. Any thoughts?
Then again, Perlman plays probably the single most fitting instrument when it comes to the potential of vibrato since skillfully employed it can completely change the character of the violin.
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Django?
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Django may deservedly be well regarded as one of the preeminent forefathers of jazz guitar but I don't particularly care for the anxious sound he imparts into his vibrato, and I don't think one would be behooved to emulate his vibrato unless they wanted to personally explore every aspect of his sound in excruciating detail.
I readily admit that my opinion of this maestro's vibrato technique may be controversial if not downright blasphemous.
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Thanks great response to what Itzhak was saying, as far as jazz guitar goes.
Originally Posted by jckoto3
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I didn't watch but is Perlman speaking of electric instruments, or steel stringed instruments? What makes me doubt it?
most classical guitarists use vibrato, BTW.Last edited by fumblefingers; 02-07-2014 at 11:42 PM.
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It's Perlman so he's probably speaking about violins in particular though his idea is probably intended to be applicable to any instrument capable of vibrato.
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vibrato is used for sustain (hello electronics)
and for pitch, like a singer working around a pitch because they can't achieve perfection. (hello steel strings, T-O-M bridges, and frets)
so electric guitarists can turn the page here, unless they just don't want to.
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not pitch, he's talking about expression.
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i suppose the question would be, so what? he's talking about teaching classical violinists over the summer.
do we not blather on endlessly about feel, swing, playing in the pocket, blues, funk, chops and so on?
since when has the focus for jazz guitarists been to make certain that they emulate the legacy of expression found in European art music (i.e. classical)? we can't even say its a good idea to practice scales without cringing, but now we need to play the electric jazz guitar in a manner that Mozart would have preferred?
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fumble fingers,
I didn't hear him mention Mozart, or european music. I didn't mention it. It's got nothing to do with what he said.
I posted that cause he says its a great way to add expressiveness to your playing music.
If you don't think vibrato adds expressiveness to jazz playing, I have no problem with that.
it's completely subjective.
I agree with him. He explained four types, in a way i haven't thought of.
Do You mean, you don't like vibrato used for jazz guitar?
It's used on sax, trumpet, clarinet, vibes…. all the time. And for me, it adds a lot.
Cause it adds expressiveness, some people think.
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heck no, knock yourself out. i use it too on classical, and a little on the old archtop.
i believe that one can rest assured however, that the maestro plays and teaches classical.
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We take modern technology for granted but watching that video I couldn't help but think "Damn. I can't believe I'm living in a word where I can get free music lessons from Itzhak Perman teaching from his home!"
Obviously fretless instruments have the advantage of the vibrato dipping above and below the note which is a beautiful sound. That's one thing I really wish I could do more easily on a fretted instrument like guitar were the vibrato'd note isn't in the center, but the bottom of the vib.
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I get his point about vibrato and varying how it's used - but, vibrato on a violin is a whole different baileywick than guitar vibrato in it's execution. After decades of guitar playing and guitar vibrato I picked up fiddle 6~7 years ago. Just getting a good tone out of a fiddle is one thing but you sure don't just hold down a string and stretch it back and forth across the neck for vibrato. It's a whole different technique of rolling/flexing the finger and wrist to varying degrees and doesn't come easy. Kind of akin to patting your head and rubbing your belly at the same time - keeping a smooth bow stroke with one hand and vibrating with the other takes a while to get down. I sometimes get lucky and get a fair vibrato going after all this time with the fiddle.
This is all neither here nor there. Just my little anecdote.
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