Four Types of Vibrato You Should Know, Part 1

When you first get started on guitar, learning the notes, scales and chords takes up most of your left hand practice time. Fortunately, if you are persistent, these are fairly easy to master. However, once your skill improves, you start to notice that your solos and riffs seem a bit flat compared to those of more experienced players. You are playing all the right notes, and after diligent practice, you can play them cleanly and confidently. Yet, what often makes the biggest difference between a seasoned player and a beginner, is phrasing. How you play the note is nearly as important as which note you choose to play. A big part of phrasing is how you get to the note. Bends and slides are often used to give a phrase more character and emotion. But once you're there, what can you do to make the note you're playing more expressive? You've probably guessed that I'm talking about vibrato. Vibrato makes the note sweeter, more singing, and more human. In this series, we will discuss Four Types of Vibrato You Should Know. 

The Classical (Axial) Vibrato

One of the most beautiful and subtle forms of finger vibrato is the classical or axial vibrato (sometimes called "roll vibrato" as well). It gives the sustained note you're playing a "shimmering" or "singing" quality. The classical vibrato does not involve bending the string, but rather pushing and pulling the string along its axis in a horizontal fashion. (Fig.1) Typically, the thumb is rested (not crushed!) against the back of the neckshaft, while the fretting finger depresses the string. To create the vibrato, shake the hand back and forth in a horizontal motion while holding down the string. It might take a bit of pressure at first, but once you master the technique, it should feel effortless. Avoid wrapping your thumb around the neck or clamping your hand down tight. The hand position should be parallel to the frets, and should look like you're eating a sandwich, not gripping a baseball bat. 

 

 

 

 

The Rock (Radial) Vibrato

The most common and popular type of guitar vibrato is the rock vibrato. This style of vibrato works by rotating your hand back and forth using your thumb as a fulcrum. (Fig.2) The wrist should perform a twisting motion. Rock vibrato works the same way a string bend does, increasing tension to modulate the fretted note slightly higher, then releasing. Depending on which string you're on, the rock vibrato can pivot away or towards the player's face. If the string is towards the bass side of the fingerboard, the vibrato motion is usually away (downwards) from the player. The thumb remains stationary so the hand can pivot down and around it like a fulcrum. As the hand twists, the fretted note is bent higher. Then release the bend without moving the fretting finger and repeat. If the string is closer to the treble side of the board, there may not be enough room on the fingerboard to bend downwards. In this case, the hand rotates the opposite direction, pushing the string towards the bass side. When you get it right, you should feel like you're bending the string and releasing it in a cycle. Rock vibrato is more conspicuous and dramatic than classical vibrato and is the most common vibrato in rock and blues music. You may be tempted to wrap your thumb around the neck for more power but doing so locks your hand down to the neck, undermining your control (really- lose the baseball bat). Take the time to learn your rock vibrato with your hand in classical position (remember the sandwich), only rotating rather than moving along the string.

 

 

 

 

Practice for Control and Acceleration

The speed of the vibrato determines the effect, so practice both slow and fast, and don't forget to practice accelerating from slow up to fast and vice-versa. When you can control your vibrato speed with precision, you will discover a whole new range of expressivity in your playing. In Part 2 of this article, we will learn about two other (somewhat exotic) vibrato techniques that can make you really stand out from the crowd.

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