Vibrato...

[Merlemantel]

Vibrato musically placed adds a lot to musical expression. I have been watching a lot of videos to see how people use vibrato. I am curious about the moving the guitar back and forth method. I see great players do this, usually at the end of phrases. I assume it works because it changes the distance between the guitar and the listener's ears, sorta compressing and elongating wave lengths. Does anyone have anything to add? I am curious to know more.

[mr. beaumont]

Can you post some examples?

I think I know what you're talking about, but want to make sure I'm on the right page before commenting further. Vibrato is something I've spent a LOT of time on...I agree with you, its expressive capabilities are immense, and its one of the easiest amd most effective ways to "personalize" your playing.

[rick-slo]

Originally Posted by Merlemantel

Vibrato musically placed adds a lot to musical expression. I have been watching a lot of videos to see how people use vibrato. I am curious about the moving the guitar back and forth method. I see great players do this, usually at the end of phrases. I assume it works because it changes the distance between the guitar and the listener's ears, sorta compressing and elongating wave lengths. Does anyone have anything to add? I am curious to know more.

Moving the guitar back and forth in front of micophone creates "vibrato" at the mike via the Doppler effect. I seen quite a few videos doing this. Can be over done and looks looney to me.

Trying to create vibrato with a finger rocking back and forth on a string (picture a violinist) is hard to be effective on an acoustic steel string guitar - more effective on a nylon string guitar.

Tying to bend the neck back and forth doubtful.

Better luck and options with an electric guitar generally. Not bad results on a classical guitar either if you have time with a sustained note and not to much else going on with other notes..

[Mandobart]

Violin (and other orchestral strings) vibrato works by rocking the fingertip back and fort parallel to the fingerboard axis, subtly changing the contact point and thus the pitch.

This doesn't work on fretted instruments because the contact point is fixed at the fret. However, by subtly bending the string back and forth perpendicular to the fretboard axis, you can get a vibrato-like sound.

[rick-slo]

Originally Posted by Mandobart

Violin (and other orchestral strings) vibrato works by rocking the fingertip back and fort parallel to the fingerboard axis, subtly changing the contact point and thus the pitch.

This doesn't work on fretted instruments because the contact point is fixed at the fret. However, by subtly bending the string back and forth perpendicular to the fretboard axis, you can get a vibrato-like sound.

Yes that is an obvious advantage a violinist has in performing vibrato. On guitar you can get some vibrato parallel by increasing and decreasing string tension and to your ears
by the Doppler effect if wiggling the whole neck somewhat.

String tension change works better and more easily on a nylon string guitar and electric guitar.

The problem with perpendicular movement is that it can get in the way of the other strings and there is less tempo (and likely magnitude) control. Perpendicular movement is effective more on an electric guitar and where it does not interfere with notes on adjacent strings (typically single note lines).

For example this video:

]

and

[Robin, Wales]

This may be surprising, but as a basic Carter style flat picker on a standard steel strung acoustic (all my guitars wear medium gauge monel strings), I do use vibrato. Just then standard forward and back rocking just behind the fret. I use it sparingly, but there are certain lead breaks, licks, fills and bass runs where a specific held note just sounds "right" with some vibrato added.

It is not as strident as it is on a fretless instrument, but it is still audible.

I can't think of any song that I finish at present by moving the whole guitar to create the effect - the overtones on a strummed finishing chord on a steel strung guitar seem to do a pretty good job themselves of adding natural reverb/chorus as the chord dies away.

[Gitfiddlemann]

Here's a video of the great Pierre Bensusan demonstrating and explaining the effect you mentioned:

He does it very well of course, and as is usual with Bensusan, and all the other great players in other genres like electric rock/blues and classical, it's all about supporting the music.
It's one of those effects that, if overdone, or badly executed, will have the opposite effect, and will look a little wonky, especially on a steel string acoustic.

[Brent Hahn]

Actually, you can do a violin-style vibrato on a guitar, or at least I could on the day I tracked this. It's got a different vibe from a normal crossways vibrato. In the solo there are two brief vibrato-ey moments, at 2:00 and around 2:15, and they were both done violin-style. The second one's a double stop.

[rick-slo]

Originally Posted by Brent Hahn

Actually, you can do a violin-style vibrato on a guitar, or at least I could on the day I tracked this. It's got a different vibe from a normal crossways vibrato. In the solo there are two brief vibrato-ey moments, at 2:00 and around 2:15, and they were both done violin-style. The second one's a double stop.

Yes, violin style is the usual way on acoustic guitars (as shown in the above videos).

[rick-slo]

Originally Posted by Brent Hahn

Actually, you can do a violin-style vibrato on a guitar, or at least I could on the day I tracked this. It's got a different vibe from a normal crossways vibrato. In the solo there are two brief vibrato-ey moments, at 2:00 and around 2:15, and they were both done violin-style. The second one's a double stop.

Yes, violin style is the usual way on acoustic guitars (as shown in the above videos) and often on electric guitars also.

[Merlemantel]

Originally Posted by AndreF

Here's a video of the great Pierre Bensusan demonstrating and explaining the effect you mentioned:

He does it very well of course, and as is usual with Bensusan, and all the other great players in other genres like electric rock/blues and classical, it's all about supporting the music.
It's one of those effects that, if overdone, or badly executed, will have the opposite effect, and will look a little wonky, especially on a steel string acoustic.

Yes!! This was great. Answered my question perfectly. Thank you!! And this is fascinating, i think. Curious, What instrument is he playing?

[Gitfiddlemann]

Originally Posted by Merlemantel

Yes!! This was great. Answered my question perfectly. Thank you!! And this is fascinating, i think. Curious, What instrument is he playing?

I'm pretty sure it's his Signature model from Lowden.
This one.
Back when he wasn't that well known among the public, he played a Lowden. Then, he switched to a custom made Ryan (from luthier Kevin Ryan), only to go back to Lowden and the one in the video, which was based on that older model that he used to play.
I think that's how the story goes.

[nickv6]

Originally Posted by AndreF

Here's a video of the great Pierre Bensusan demonstrating and explaining the effect you mentioned:

He does it very well of course, and as is usual with Bensusan, and all the other great players in other genres like electric rock/blues and classical, it's all about supporting the music.
It's one of those effects that, if overdone, or badly executed, will have the opposite effect, and will look a little wonky, especially on a steel string acoustic.

What a great video, thanks for posting

[Sev112]

I always do the up and down (rather than side to side) vibrato on steel and classical, I am sure it was what I was taught 40 years ago, not really just for expression, but to get the notes to sound well. With just a static finger getting a note it doesn’t seem to sound / resonate as much as when you keep putting some extra energy in with the left hand

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by rick-slo

Moving the guitar back and forth in front of micophone creates "vibrato" at the mike via the Doppler effect. I seen quite a few videos doing this. Can be over done and looks looney to me. ...

This is my reaction to this technique, too. I think it looks rather pretentious.

- Glenn