Calling Toby Walker...

[Diamond Dave]

...or any other knowledgeable, friendly acoustic blues players.

When you add vibrato to some licks you're playing (like on Toby's E pack), what's the proper technique? Do you keep your hand on the neck and use a forearm technique like you're bending the string, or do you lift your hand off the neck? Or is it okay just to waggle your finger?

(Justin Sandercoe calls the technique that's more like a string bend the "standard vibrato," while he calls lifting your hand off the "Clapton vibrato.")

From Toby's videos, it looks like at least his thumb, if not his whole hand, is coming off the neck, while just the one finger stays on the fretboard and adds the vibrato, but I have trouble playing that way with any success, and the neck bobs around quite a bit.

Help. Thanks.

[Diamond Dave]

F'rinstance, in this BB King video, you can see him doing the vibrato where the hand comes off the neck and his wrist jiggles at about the speed of sound. The wrist jiggle method seems like what Toby does too, albeit much slower (at least on the E pack--I'm sure Toby can hang! ).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fk2prKnYnI

[clintj]

Friend of mine who's played since the seventies told me to use whichever I preferred for a given lick or song. I have an easier time with my hand and thumb firmly planted, using finger muscles for the vibrato. I also add a subtle vibrato to some notes by squeezing the string into the fretboard rhythmically to pull it a little sharp - another reason I like taller frets. I think Toby might have a video of how he does it out there somewhere. Take a look through the thread about his lessons in this subforum.

[Toby Walker]

Originally Posted by Diamond Dave

F'rinstance, in this BB King video, you can see him doing the vibrato where the hand comes off the neck and his wrist jiggles at about the speed of sound. The wrist jiggle method seems like what Toby does too, albeit much slower (at least on the E pack--I'm sure Toby can hang! ).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fk2prKnYnI

Funny you should mention that B.B. King video. If it's the same one I'm thinking of then that's the very one I learned the technique from. I think I was 15 at the time.

[Toby Walker]

Originally Posted by clintj

Friend of mine who's played since the seventies told me to use whichever I preferred for a given lick or song. I have an easier time with my hand and thumb firmly planted, using finger muscles for the vibrato. I also add a subtle vibrato to some notes by squeezing the string into the fretboard rhythmically to pull it a little sharp - another reason I like taller frets. I think Toby might have a video of how he does it out there somewhere. Take a look through the thread about his lessons in this subforum.

Here's that video:

http://www.littletobywalker.com/how-...a-vibrato.html

[Diamond Dave]

Originally Posted by Toby Walker

Funny you should mention that B.B. King video. If it's the same one I'm thinking of then that's the very one I learned the technique from. I think I was 15 at the time.

I guess great minds think alike...or something.

Originally Posted by Toby Walker

Here's that video:

http://www.littletobywalker.com/how-...a-vibrato.html

Excellent. Using the side of the first finger as a fulcrum should help--and the other digits are just finger action.

Many thanks! I'm enjoying your course immensely.

[Diamond Dave]

Originally Posted by clintj

Friend of mine who's played since the seventies told me to use whichever I preferred for a given lick or song. I have an easier time with my hand and thumb firmly planted, using finger muscles for the vibrato. I also add a subtle vibrato to some notes by squeezing the string into the fretboard rhythmically to pull it a little sharp - another reason I like taller frets. I think Toby might have a video of how he does it out there somewhere. Take a look through the thread about his lessons in this subforum.

Thanks, Clint. The finger muscle thing works well.