Vibrato: Expression or Total Spazz?

[CandidPicker]

I've seen it done well. There's just a lot of marginal players around my area that have started doing it WAY too much - like on every chord!!!

I hear ya. When someone who knows how to play does it well, it sounds wonderful. For the rest of us...we're just like prep chefs trying to make a decent meal taste better without ruining it.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Just to be clear, I’m not talking about never shaking notes and doing the wiggle, just not all the damn time.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

“Ooh lovely bit of vibrato ‘ere!”

(Think lady Monty Python voice)

 

[Outlier22]

My vibrato used to be really good. Or at least I thought it was. But it's either gotten sloppy or it always sucked and i'm only realizing its sloppy listening to recordings of myself. I really think it's the former but am not dismissing the latter. (I think we are talking about left hand vibrato right? I don't often use the bar except on chords on very rare occasions and when getting feedback.)

 

[danktat]

I use it.....pretty often now that I think about it. But part of it for me is that I need all the help I can get. A poorly fretted note can be bloomed into life with a little but of up/down. An otherwise boring, overused line can be modified a bit with some jiggle here and wiggle there. If I were more technically efficient I may use it less. But, as it stands, I use it quite a bit.


On a side note, being a stopbar tailpiece user, the overuse of a whammy bar in demos drives me up a wall. I am trying to hear the amp, or the tone of the pups, and all I hear is WaWaWaWa. It can become annoying.

 

[Tone-y]

It is something that the longer I've played, the more conscious of it I am. It's a bit like all the singers you see on these talent shows over doing the vibrato thing, sometimes less is more.
I read an interview with David Gilmore years ago that stuck with me. He said he approaches it the same way as a classical singer by holding a note or bending to pitch with no vibrato for a measure, and only then applying some vibrato. Helps to prevent you from over doing it

 

[11top]

Must you apply vibrato to every frikin’ note?

 

[AP515]

I use it sparingly. Mine is a slower softer vibrato, and I really only use it on the last note of a run.

I'm not bad with the fingers but I'm terrible with a "tremolo" vibrato. Just need more practice I guess. Most of my trem equipped guitars have never had the trem installed.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

It is something that the longer I've played, the more conscious of it I am. It's a bit like all the singers you see on these talent shows over doing the vibrato thing, sometimes less is more.
I read an interview with David Gilmore years ago that stuck with me. He said he approaches it the same way as a classical singer by holding a note or bending to pitch with no vibrato for a measure, and only then applying some vibrato. Helps to prevent you from over doing it

Yeah, that exactly what I’m talking about!

 

[TheDoktor]

I'm new here, so I can't link just yet, but there was a very interesting interesting interview w/Guthrie Govan posted on the Ultimate Guitar where he talks about how when he was in Steven Wilson's band SW would absolutely forbid the use of vibrato (amongst other things.)

Me myself? If it's just me practicing I'll go nuts sometimes with it (too much air guitar Angus Young as a kid!) But I'll dial it down when playing with others.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

I'm new here, so I can't link just yet, but there was a very interesting interesting interview w/Guthrie Govan posted on the Ultimate Guitar where he talks about how when he was in Steven Wilson's band SW would absolutely forbid the use of vibrato (amongst other things.)

Me myself? If it's just me practicing I'll go nuts sometimes with it (too much air guitar Angus Young as a kid!) But I'll dial it down when playing with others.

Welcome TD, I think guitar vibrato is something that just happens naturally when you play, much the same as vocal vibrato.

Sometimes I think it happens without conscious effort.

 

[Bsic]

Most of the time i never hold a note without vibrato. Most of the time.

But I vary the speed and range of it. Depending on where I am in the building of momentum, the vibrato might be slow and narrow, and when I’m at the peak of intensity it is faster and wider. Or sometimes slow and wide... It happens without even thinking about it, vibrato for me is more automatic than planned.

Agree with the OP tho... I see videos mainly from beginner players who just do that super fast BB king vibrato on every note and it really doesn’t fit what they are playing.

 

[CVS]

I don't use vibrato all of the time (and forget it on nylon sting guitars) but I use it rather often, sometimes unconsciously (I admit).
I am currently focusing on making my vibratos better on bent notes and at differing speeds.