I can't do vibrato!!!

[SweetSong]

I been trying to do this along time. I know I have to learn it and it is so important.I've read about how ta do it over n over but I guess I don't get it or I just can't. Actually I can do it kind of but I think it's the kind not to do I keep reading that sounds awful. It is awful though because I can hear!get mad then stop.

Sometimes I feel like I get it right but my finger touches another string n I hear that, I must be doing something wrong from the start.Do you just need to have very strong fingers or what?

I know you have to use your forearm like twisting and thats what I try.I just don't get it.

Ok so just asking I know you guys can help.

[just strum]

I'm not going to give you any technical advice, but I can only tell you to do what worked for me - keep practicing and relax. Sometimes I found that the things that were giving me trouble are often the result of trying too hard. I don't mean that from a practicing too much standpoint, but more from a relaxation standpoint. We sometimes make learning to play more difficult through body tension.

Just my two cents.

Edit: BTW, the advice I gave above was actually given to me by the guy that posted right after me. Rocket has some simple advice that will help your playing for the remainder of your journey.

[Rocket]

Sounds like you may be trying too hard... it's very subtle. Practice.

[evenkeel]

Less is best in the vibrato department. Rocket's right it's subtle and likely "slower" than what you might think. If you watch BB King it looks llike his hand is shaking all over the place. In reality his fingertips are not moving all that much.

I would also suggest you focus on playing clean until you get the phrase, song, lick, etc. down pat. Then add in the vibrato

[oldguy]

+1 what they said.....plus.....
You may have better results using lighter strings and turning your volume up a bit. This will make it easier to hear when you're getting it right.

[Rocket]

-KMrR_LqrOE

[Robert]

That looks like me! :eek:

Thanks, Rocket!

[tot_Ou_tard]

Great video Robert!

[just strum]

It must be an older clip, because it Suhr doesn't look recent.

[Gil Janus]

It was during his Tele phase.

Gil :cool:

[just strum]

Ok so just asking I know you guys can help.

[/COLOR]

Another thing I would suggest you do is put on headphones while you are practicing this (not loud, don't blow out the eardrums). Using the earphones you will be able to tell how close you are getting to the technique.

[Cottonwood King]

Great video post, that broke it down pretty nice.

[Ro3b]

Interesting. Check out how Arlen Roth demos B.B. King's vibrato technique in this video (http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Lessons/Lesson-Of-The-Day/bb-king-box-position/) (starting at around 0:53). He's pivoting his hand around where the big joint of his index finger rests against the edge of the fretboard -- his thumb isn't even touching the neck most of the time.

(I'm afraid I might not be able to do vibrato any more myself, what with all this analysis.)

[tot_Ou_tard]

Interesting. Check out how Arlen Roth demos B.B. King's vibrato technique in this video (http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Lessons/Lesson-Of-The-Day/bb-king-box-position/) (starting at around 0:53). He's pivoting his hand around where the big joint of his index finger rests against the edge of the fretboard -- his thumb isn't even touching the neck most of the time.

(I'm afraid I might not be able to do vibrato any more myself, what with all this analysis.)
That was incredibly tasty playing. That vibrato technique somehow makes more sense to me.

Thanks Ro3b

[sunvalleylaw]

I cannot really add anything but support. It took me a while too, and it just got better (I am not saying mine is any good per se) over time. Kinda like barre chords, you just keep doing it, and after a while it gets better. As one keeps playing with it, one forgets to be tense or try so hard, and progress just comes and the muscles, nerves, mind, etc. figures out what to do. Keep playing with it long enough to let your head get out of the way.

I also started listening to vibrato techniques that I liked so I had them in my mind/body to try and copy. Whether you like BB's, Clapton's or someone else, just listen and let it soak in.

[tot_Ou_tard]

I cannot really add anything but support. It took me a while too, and it just got better (I am not saying mine is any good per se) over time. Kinda like barre chords, you just keep doing it, and after a while it gets better. As one keeps playing with it, one forgets to be tense or try so hard, and progress just comes and the muscles, nerves, mind, etc. figures out what to do. Keep playing with it long enough to let your head get out of the way.

I also started listening to vibrato techniques that I liked so I had them in my mind/body to try and copy. Whether you like BB's, Clapton's or someone else, just listen and let it soak in. I think that folks misunderstand the head.

The brain is lazy but primed for new things.

If you constantly present it with some new stimuli it will pay attention to it. The brain wants to predict what needs to be done & move appropriate actions into abstraction so it can trigger the proper responses with the fewest clues:

A7 with a hammer on ....

But it cannot do this until it has enough experience so that it can trigger prewired responses. How does it gain this? By the patient analysis of repeated requests to solve a problem. Little by little the solution migrates to more abstract regions of the brain.

I think you have the right feeling, but it's not that your head was ever in the way. Your head did it's thing well enough so that it seems like it disappeared just like it seemed like it was in the way before. That's how heads have always worked. That's how you learned to walk, talk, read, use the internet etc...

[Tone2TheBone]

I used to have lousy vibrato long time ago. A good friend of mine told me to improve it by putting pressure on your thumb against the back of the neck. I know this goes against all the Eric Clapton schools of free hand vibrato'ing (shaking the entire hand thing without any thumb brace). If you have a good solid pivot point start by over exaggerating your string bends real slow and purposefully. Make it sound out of tune on purpose. Bend up towards your head then let down. Do it over and over slowly then stop and forget about it. Go back later on and do it again. Eventually your brain will know what to do and you'll improve. Vibrato is a change in pitch usually the note played and the next half, full step up in pitch or more. The speed between pitch changes is what your brain will get accustomed to. Get that idea fixed in your mind and you'll get it.

[sunvalleylaw]

tot, I see what you are saying. I guess what I was trying to say is that it got better after I did it long enough for my muscle memory/brain/nerves/muscle connections to learn how to do it without my conscious thought. In your words, getting it to the point that it is prewired. Whether it is skiing, playing guitar, whatever, it is always better after my mind and body are used to doing it without my having to consciously think it through.

[cherokee747]

I'm not going to give you any technical advice, but I can only tell you to do what worked for me - keep practicing and relax. Sometimes I found that the things that were giving me trouble are often the result of trying too hard. I don't mean that from a practicing too much standpoint, but more from a relaxation standpoint. We sometimes make learning to play more difficult through body tension.

Just my two cents.

Edit: BTW, the advice I gave above was actually given to me by the guy that posted right after me. Rocket has some simple advice that will help your playing for the remainder of your journey.
+1 Strum. Practice over time will bring it all together.:) Mike

[tot_Ou_tard]

tot, I see what you are saying. I guess what I was trying to say is that it got better after I did it long enough for my muscle memory/brain/nerves/muscle connections to learn how to do it without my conscious thought. In your words, getting it to the point that it is prewired. Whether it is skiing, playing guitar, whatever, it is always better after my mind and body are used to doing it without my having to consciously think it through. I think that we are saying the same thing.


I just wanted to make the point that the head was still there doing it's thing when it was out of the way just as it was doing things that are necessary for the process of getting out of the way while it was in the way. It takes a while to set up the neurological circuitry. Muscle memory is this circuitry.

I agree that being in a relaxed but involved state helps to train the brain to wire up relaxed smooth & fluid playing. You get what you ask for & the brain doesn't tend to solve the same problem twice. It will trigger the patterns that it already knows. If you practice tensely you'll play tensely later on.

I should take my own advice! ;)

All the above is just me wagging a finger in what seems a reasonable direction as to how the brain works. What do I know, maybe its done with hamsters. ;)

[ZMAN]

I think that the vibrato comes naturally with time. When I first started playing BB King and Albert King were my inspiration, and their style is mostly bending and vibrato. So to emulate their tone the constant bends just progressed to finger vibrato. Now I have a huge callus on my first finger.
I also have 10 strats and the whammy bar on all of them is in the case.
It is really true what a lot of you have mentioned. I add a subtle ammount to each note without really realizing it. What Robert pointed out was it just adds to a lick making it come alive, and more interesting.

[Hardass blues]

...1 st off I have no viable music training but have played for over 30 years so, here it goes. When you are trying to bend the strings lets say with your 3rd finger use the remaining fingers to help push up and or pull down on the string .It's just a start. This will help as you develop the vibrato and help the muscles in your fingers develop along with the callouses on the finger tips. When doing a slow bend I will use whatever fingers I have open to bend the notes as far into pitch that I can, on a good slow blues tune you can strangle a single note till it hurts. Hope this helps. J.H.

[SweetSong]

Thanks this is helping!:bravo: I have been playing for 3 hours now trying to just do it alot easier than I was before. It already sounds better so atleast I know I'll do it right someday when I stop thinking so much.

That video is great. I think it's easier to learn something by seeing it.

Is it ok if the neck kind of shakes? I'm still doing that some. If that's a bad habit I don't want to keep practising wrong.

[just strum]

Thanks this is helping!:bravo: I have been playing for 3 hours now trying to just do it alot easier than I was before. It already sounds better so atleast I know I'll do it right someday when I stop thinking so much.

That video is great. I think it's easier to learn something by seeing it.

Is it ok if the neck kind of shakes? I'm still doing that some. If that's a bad habit I don't want to keep practising wrong.

Remember, if it works, it's not the wrong way. Find what works for you. If you think the neck movement is hindering your progress, than focus on stopping it, however personally I wouldn't be too concerned.

Relax and it will get easier.

The biggest tip in golf is to relax, it applies here too.

[sunvalleylaw]

It is just fine for the neck, or even the whole guitar to shake. Many do it that way. Like Strum said, no wrong way really. Watch some youtube vids of your favs and see how they do it. Glad it is helping and you are having fun with it, which is really the key.

[SweetSong]

Ok I won't worry then,it sounds alot better so just happy about that right now.I better stop for tonight though.My fingers are sore!!:R

[ZMAN]

Jimi Vaughan atually throws the neck back and forth when he does some of his vibratio. So movement on the neck is cool.