# Vibrato technique. How did you learn? Are you happy with it.



## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

I could never get vibrato in 60s/70s. Part of the frustration and reason I quit. Started again in 2005. Thanks to YouTube, I have learned some things, but there are things I still can't do. 

How did you learn? Anything you would recommend - I am a visual learner. Anything you are hung up on and really pissed about?


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## geezer (Apr 30, 2008)

I never had much trouble gettin' the hang of wrist vibrato ( I never learned the horizontal type ) other than , I over use it and I don't vary the speed of the vibrato to go with the music as I should. I seem to recall reading an article by Tom Hess on his site , that had some good tips.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

Years ago I saw a TV special with B.B. King in concert. After that I worked for hours and hours trying to sound like him. Sorry, other than that I really can't offer too much technical advice.


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## RobQ (May 29, 2008)

There are several kinds of vibrato with different techniques involved.

First there's BB style lateral vibrato where you shake the strings laterally (parallel to the frets). Most guys find that easiest.
Then there's the more classical style that some of the shredders use, where you shake the strings parallel to the string, which involves shaking the wrist parallel to the neck or rolling the fingers.
Third, there's bent string vibrato, where you bend a string up a semitones or tone and then add vibrato. This is the trickiest of the three and takes the most finger strength and accuracy. Takes a lot of practice to get accurate. Best way is to practice quick bend-release-bend-release to a specific pitch

Note some guys combine the first two and do what they call 'circular' vibrato, which is what it sounds like; move your fingertip in a circular kind of motion. Vai uses this a lot.


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## The_Penguin (Feb 26, 2012)

I thought I was happy with my vibrato technique, 'till I heard Gary Moore....


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

Bent string vibrato, I can do. Lateral vibrato I still can't do right to save my life. I believe Mike Bloomfield used classical vibrato at times, rather wickedly - adequately.


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## Shark (Jun 10, 2010)

I'm pretty happy with my vibrato. It's one of the things I seem to do well. Not sure how I picked it up, though. That's lost in the mists of time. Probably by playing and feeling overly emotional. Actually, it's probably from starting to really pay attention to music at an early age in the 80s when people were whammying within an inch of their lives and then me playing non-floyd guitars and using my fingers to get the same aggressive action. Another non-floyd player with a wild vibrato is Angus Young and I listened to way too much AC/DC when I was a kid.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

I learned by trial & error--tried up & down and back & forth, and just by wiggling my fingers or my hand.

Listening to BB King helps, and knowing how he moved his fingers helped.

A friend of mine read a BB King interview & thought he moved his finger the other way than he does--because he misread the answer, but seeing him live cleared that up.

Also vibrato was easier once I got my Iceman with the high frets.

So try the ways listed above and use trial & error to see how it works best for your fingers & hand.


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## dmm30 (Nov 6, 2011)

I'm still trying to learn, I cant vibrato to save my life!!!!For some reason or another I just can't do it at all, it seems like the easiest thing to do but for me it's impossible.


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## J S Moore (Feb 18, 2006)

I've always had a Paul Kossoff type of vibrato. Just full speed ahead. In the last couple of years I've been attempting to slow down and found the best way for me to do it is to move the guitar as well. The added mass slows me down.


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

its one of those things i struggled with for several years- i recall how very frustrating it was.
especially that thing i saw jimi do on that rainbow bridge video tape.
grab the high e string with the index finger, 
then quickly pivot the wrist/hand.
looks so simple- but i think i fought with that for like 5 years lol.

but like all the things i struggled with on guitar, one day i was doing it correctly.
never noticed myself improving at it or anything, it just suddenly happened.
never wouldve happened if i hadnt kept trying though.

nowadays, its something people comment on.
ive got strong hands, so they focus on that, but thats not really it (though it helps).
it was the time spent working at it.

one thing ive suggested to others that helps is to
tune down to d standard. everythings the same but the strings are looser-
they fight you less, and feel more elastic.
i think good vibrato has a lot to do with confidence- so once you get it happening, at whatever degree,
you're almost there.


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## noman (Jul 24, 2006)

Like everything with the guitar, it all comes down to practice. I can comfortably do all three mentioned but what really helped me was that long ago, I played cello, and the vibrato on a stringed instrument like that is more 'arm' oriented. The movement was already familiar so with my ring finger and pinky I tend to do more of a 'cello' style (it's more horizontal) and with my first and second finger, I tend to use the 'wrist' movement. Spastic movements are just bad since you don't really get an even vibrato but more an out-of-control tremelo effect. I always remember that not every note needs vibrato!!


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## SaviArt (Mar 1, 2012)

You can experiment with the vibrato. Most common is making vibrato by pushing the string down or up. It's mostly used. But you can do it with circular motion. Make circles in a clockwise. This way you'll be vibrating the string in the circle. try it! The difference between these two is obvious


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