slide vibrato....

[Deleted]

I want to take my slide vibrato technique up a level. I know what I want to sound like but I don't always do it the same. So, I'm analysing what I'm doing 'best', so I can stick with it - if I'm going about it right:
It appears that if I'm doing vibrato down the fretboard (e.g. 5th fret), it works best when my wrist is loose (doing all the work) and my forearm is stable.
If I'm doing vibrato up the fretboard (e.g. 12th fret), it works best when my wrist is stable and my forearm is doing all the work from the elbow.
In between it sort of varies in a proportional fashion.
Is this what YOU do? Is this BAD??
Cheers
TT
(p.s. I'm not a fan, but I was watching some Eric Sardinas dobro earlier and I like his vibrato)

[slide496]

I hold the slide different angle down the 12-15 fret on a twelve fret, and thumb is different. Mine starts from the large muscle group upper arm, my upper arm would jiggle if you could see it.

[eggy]

For me I use a tight vibrato,mostly coming from my wrist.I find it easier to control in general and for more uptempo i find it easier.I do use a wide vibrato now and then for a variety.
eggy

[Deleted]

We probably need some examples of great player's vibrato....?

BluesKing777.

[Deleted]

Thanks - actually eggy made me think a bit: Maybe sardinas' 'wide' style has a big visual impact, but doesn't actually sound that much different to a 'tight' vibrato (if same frequency). I'm watching Garry Smith right now, and it sounds great - tight.
TT

[blueshome]

TT
Try practising in the dark (I'm serious) so you focus on the sound not sight and just practice until you find the sound you want all over the fretboard. More playing, less thinking! There is no good or bad if it sounds good to you it's good.

[snakehips]

Hi there !

I have noticed some guitarists bring their thumb around to UNDER the treble side of the neck, when playing a slide up the neck.
I've never heard a decent vibrato from players playing like this.

This means that the whole arm is not supported by anything other than the upper arm muscles.
It can't be conducive to good vibrato as you would have to move the whole arm as one to get a vibrato.

For me, i anchor the weight of my arm and hand, with my thumb on the bass side of the neck - like a monkey hanging/swinging from a branch of a tree, by one arm/hand.
The thumb takes the weight of your whole arm and you just swing back and forth your hand freely from that pivot point.
You can swing your hand back and forth, from the fulcrum point of your thumb, on the bass side of the neck.
Stick your thumb more or less at the same fret that you intend to do th vibrato at (or maybe a fret or two less).

Not sure i have really explained that well!!!

In short though, if you want a reall good vibrato, use your thumb at all times !

Another thing - if you use a tapered sided bottleneck, stick the narrower end down to the hand knuckle, with the fatter end sticking out at the nail end of your pinky.
The wider end helps reach further around the neck towards the 6th string. Stick the slide on the other way round, then you are making it more difficult on yourself to reach the 6th string.

[Nickel]

Jan 19, 2014 23:37:30 GMT blueshome said:

TT
Try practising in the dark (I'm serious) so you focus on the sound not sight and just practice until you find the sound you want all over the fretboard. More playing, less thinking! There is no good or bad if it sounds good to you it's good.

I agree TT! Great idea. Just recently while we were camping over the holidays, I was practising in the evening and as it got dark I just kept on playing and I couldn't see a thing. Realised then that was a good way to train your ears and hands. 

[twang1]

I do my vibrato like Snakehips described: the thumb is the pivot, my forearm doesn't move much and 90% of the work is done by the wrist, that is very loose. A loose wrist means more control, easier fast passages and happier and healthier tendons.
Frank

[pete1951]

Thumb-anchoring is also important for accurate intonation. You can hit a note ,go off a fret or two and come back to the first note. If you do not have your thumb on the neck its easy to drift.
PT
Sounds like you would benefit from some one-to-one tuition, see you at Bromsgrove??

[garrysmith]

Jan 19, 2014 21:59:00 GMT @deuce said:

Thanks - actually eggy made me think a bit: Maybe sardinas' 'wide' style has a big visual impact, but doesn't actually sound that much different to a 'tight' vibrato (if same frequency). I'm watching Garry Smith right now, and it sounds great - tight.
TT

Thank you Deuce. I don't like my vibrato to get too far from what you might expect from a human voice. That's my style, YMMV. I anchor with my thumb behind the neck but am otherwise quite relaxed.


Taking Slide Guitar out of the "Blues Ghetto".

[Quarterquay]

Snakehips, i was watching a clip of Keith Richards doing that very thing you describe of thumb under the treble side. i thought it looked odd so I tried it out and for a little while I thought he had a point, it felt quite stable , but no not for long! Far too much of a strain.

As for playing in the dark, great for accuracy around the frets, but what if it's not dark? Blindfold maybe, or just close your eyes.

[slide496]

MM also posted a clip of someone who did that in an earlier thread. Keith changed technique:

[blueshome]

"As for playing in the dark, great for accuracy around the frets, but what if it's not dark? Blindfold maybe, or just close your eyes."

No you just look at the audience, not the guitar.

[garrysmith]

Look at this clown doing it all wrong...



Taking Slide Guitar out of the "Blues Ghetto".