Vibrato and Jazz Guitar

**Shadow of the Sun** · 12-27-2009, 07:07 PM

Hey, folks. Just wanted to ask you guys about the use of vibrato and your preferences.

Personally, I'm a big fan of making extensive use of vibrato, but usually a very narrow band of variation in the pitch- although, this makes sense, because I use classical style vibrato instead of the more usual blues style.

If I'm not making an extensive amount of pick attacks or trills, generally, every note I play has at least a bit of vibrato, even if it's a very slow use of it- I think vibrato adds to the beauty of the notes and makes it a lot more expressive.

So, what's your thoughts and trends in how you use vibrato?

**Bigmagic** · 12-27-2009, 07:52 PM

I love vibrato used in a dynamic sense. Larry Carlton is one of the best at it IMO. BB King is a master of it as well, I just think Carlton has taken it to new places. I think sometimes in jazz in our effort to master fast passages like Bird we forget the simple subtle things that can make for a great solo.

**cosmic gumbo** · 12-27-2009, 08:49 PM

When I'm gigging overnight, Mrs. Gumbo uses the vibrato.

**derek** · 12-27-2009, 09:18 PM

Originally Posted by cosmic gumbo

When I'm gigging overnight, Mrs. Gumbo uses the vibrato.

LOL! Pretty funny.

My vibrato has always been a little shakey.

**cosmic gumbo** · 12-27-2009, 09:50 PM

I think the different uses of vibrato is one of the most personal factors in a player's style, it's very much a part of your signature.

**Tom Karol** · 12-27-2009, 11:04 PM

I agree that vibrato is a very personal part of a player's signature. I do it and use it differently in different musical contexts. In a jazz context, I use vibrato to sort of emulate a vibraphone. I didn't plan it that way - at some point I just realized that's what I do.

**BillyC** · 12-28-2009, 01:13 AM

I like to think of a sax player when I use vibrato. Think of how a player like Harry Allen would use a sweet vibrato at the end of the last note note of a phrase, not too fast or shrill, just a nice pulsing vibrato to add a hint of color and style. The best way to emulate this is not to physically bend the string back and forth, but to sort of roll/slide your finger back and forth on the string between the entire boundaries of the fretted note without bending the string, exactly the way a violinist would. This creates varying pressure on the string, producing a much nicer and smoother vibrato.

**Shadow of the Sun** · 12-28-2009, 08:34 AM

BillyC, that's classical style vibrato, and exactly what I myself use.

**Goofsus4** · 12-30-2009, 11:57 AM

When playing jazz, I use classical style vibrato technique (no bending) and generally only apply it on sustain notes.

I will do microbend type dissonant vibrato when playing classic nasty, muddy, delta blues oftentimes. It sounds really gritty and worried.

I've never been able to do the BB King butterfly thing, but I wish I could. BB's got the best sparkling blues vibrato in history probably.

**Shadow of the Sun** · 12-30-2009, 04:55 PM

I know BB flutters his entire hand, but does he move it along the strings, or perpendicular to them? I'd love to try it.

**Goofsus4** · 12-30-2009, 11:21 PM

Shadow, I think his rapidly oscillating hand movement creates an up and down micro bend of the string. I don't think it is a movement along the length of the string as classic vibrato is. Or, perhaps, his movement creates a sort of oval movement in the string. I do think his vibrato is probably most easily acheived at very high amp/volume settings. I think the guitar has to be really "hot" for the technique to be done well.

**itsall4you** · 12-31-2009, 07:31 AM

Here's a quick fact for those of you that don't know this already. The Two vibrato types discusses, blues and classical, have a different feel. This is because the blues vibrato, starts on the pitch of the played note and goes upwards and only upwards because the string is stretched.

The Classical vibrato starts on the played note and goes upwards AND downwards. This is because as you are pulling the string to either side, if you pull it towards the head you are stretching the string from the side that is sounding causing the note to go sharp. if you pull it towards the bridge you are stretching the side that isn't sounding so there will be less tension in the side that is sounding therefore the note goes flat.

The reason classical vibrato is more stable/smooth is because it keeps the played note in the middle and moves up and down. The Blues vibrato is less stable because the pitch of the note when used sounds slightly raised.

**fep** · 12-31-2009, 10:12 AM

Originally Posted by itsall4you

The Classical vibrato starts on the played note and goes upwards AND downwards.

That's not true for any of my guitars using classical technique including my classical guitar. The pitch only goes up from the orginal pitch sounded (and then back down to the original pitch, it never goes below the original pitch).

When you start your finger should be right behind the fret, as close to the fret as possible without being on top of it, and only enough pressure for the note to sound clear. That is standard technique and is the position where your guitar tone and intonation will be the best.

If you move from that position with a classical vibrato, because of the height of the frets, you are bending the string slightly and causing the pitch to go up.

Just do it and listen, the pitch only goes sharp, never flat.

edit: If you start by placing your finger away from the fret while fretting with a lot of pressure and then slide forward toward the fret the pitch will drop, but it only drops to the correct pitch. In this case you started with the pitch being sharp, this is just a pre-bend.

**Bigmagic** · 12-31-2009, 03:35 PM

I have also heard BB & Larry use great vibrato without moving the pitch much if any.

**itsall4you** · 01-01-2010, 01:42 AM

Originally Posted by fep

That's not true for any of my guitars using classical technique including my classical guitar. The pitch only goes up from the orginal pitch sounded (and then back down to the original pitch, it never goes below the original pitch).

When you start your finger should be right behind the fret, as close to the fret as possible without being on top of it, and only enough pressure for the note to sound clear. That is standard technique and is the position where your guitar tone and intonation will be the best.

If you move from that position with a classical vibrato, because of the height of the frets, you are bending the string slightly and causing the pitch to go up.

Just do it and listen, the pitch only goes sharp, never flat.

edit: If you start by placing your finger away from the fret while fretting with a lot of pressure and then slide forward toward the fret the pitch will drop, but it only drops to the correct pitch. In this case you started with the pitch being sharp, this is just a pre-bend.

Sorry, but this just is not true.. This is the way classical teachers teach the difference between the vibratos it does go flatter and sharper. You should try it with a tuner or something. The reason is in my post which isn't really worded very well but I think you can get what I mean.

Here's the wikipedia(I know...) definition of guitar vibrato.

Vibrato

The classical guitar Vibrato is executed by rocking the tip of the left hand finger(s) back and forth horizontally within the same fret space (i.e. along the string axis, and not across it as for a vertical "bend" in rock or blues music) producing a subtle variation in pitch, both sharper and flatter than the starting note, without noticeably altering the fundamental tonal focus of the note being played. When vibrato is required at the first or second fret it is sometimes beneficial to push the string across its axis as it produces a more noticeable vibrato sound there. This second method will only vary the pitch by raising it sharper than the starting note which is the most common method of vibrato used by steel string and electric guitar players.

So I think, me, my teacher and even wikipedia

is right on this one..

**randalljazz** · 01-01-2010, 05:05 AM

many shades available. you can play a "classical" vibrato so that it goes only sharp and then down to pitch, and you can also play so that it goes sharp and flat. the latter is much more common.

there is much expression possible by using greater pressure than only the minimum required to stop the string without buzzing. it was an inseparable aspect of segovia's playing. of course, that is not much in favor with many of the soul-less speed merchants of recent years.

**tapcity** · 01-02-2010, 02:51 PM

In blues, on the center strings, i was taught to hammer the string horizontally- to start the note with a half step up bend- starting a fret lower, that is; then you can go up or down. But that's the tone; on the butterfly thing, you shake your hand a lot but that torques down to a tiny but strong circular movement at the fingertip. Impossible to do it softly though. . .got to try this classical thing