subject: Oakville Guitar Vibrato Lesson - Rick Washbrook Guitar Studio [print this page] Oakville Guitar Vibrato Lesson - Rick Washbrook Guitar Studio
Oakville Guitar Vibrato Lesson - Rick Washbrook Guitar Studio
The blues guitar players that have that extra touch, that extra smooth sound. It sounds so authentic and bluesy. It makes your ears perk up, and take notice. What do you think it is?
Most of the time you will find the guitarist has developed a confident vibrato. Learn it first with accurate pitch, and accurate tempos. Your playing will stand out from others as your vibrato matures.
Vibrato is without a doubt one of B.B. Kings beautiful signature blues expressions. Look at B.B. Kings videos.
How to Vibrato on the Guitar.
Lets get to work. Step 1. The first lesson is to realize you have a target note. A Target note is an expression I have made up to convey it is the note one plays without a vibrato bend.
Now play the target note. In this example the target note will be on the 3rd string, 3rd finger, 7th fret. I want you to remember it. Don't let go of the sound of the target note in your mind. Simply now bend the string up slightly, then come back to the target note. Now bend that string down slightly, and return back to the target note. Repeat this 2 times, 3 times,and 4 times. I have just described the steps in producing a vibrato.
Advanced players reading will want to stop reading here. I encourage you to read on! I have some valuable things to share on the advanced level, even if you think your already good at vibrato. Please read on.
I want to point out. The mistake that most guitar players in the beginning make is they don't return exactly back to the target
note after the bend.
This does not mean you cant go wild with bends not returning to the target not you start with. I am saying learn the basics first, like the old saying. Walk before you run. If you get good at my method you can do anything.
Now step 2. Get your hands on a metronome. There are portable ones that only cost around $30.00. You can find metronomes on the Internet also if you wish.
Ok, this is the simple secret to mastering the vibrato to a higher level of accuracy. Set the metronome for 40 beats per minute. Start by playing the target note. Then on the click of the metronome you slightly bend up. Then slowly return the string down on the next click, to the target note. On the next click of the metronome slowly bend the string slightly down. Then on the next click slightly bend the string back to the target note. Do this 2 times or more, as much as you want. I know it is very slow and can be frustrating but be aware of each crucial step.
I know that you must recognize that steps 1 and 2 are the same, but we have a tempo this time, that is slightly faster and we strictly have to play with it.
Now lets go to a slightly more reasonable tempo of 50 or 60 beats per minute. You will probably find this easier and more musical. Do exactly what I explained when you played it at 40 beats per minute.
Now you have the mechanics down of how to create a tremolo. The next step is to master the bend to the exact pitch of one half step, and then 2 half steps.
To find your half step. For example. Put your 3rd finger on the 3rd string, 7th fret. Take your 3rd finger and play the note found on the 8th fret
(only one fret above your target starting note). Remember the sound of the 3rd string, 8th fret. Now go back to the 3rd finger, 3rd string, on the 7th fret. Bend it up to match the sound you heard on the 8th fret. Do this up and down bends as many times as you want. It wont really start sounding like tremolo until you speed up the metronome, but speed it up slowly.
The dedication you have to put into this is essential at the start. You have to make the string bends pitch accurate when bending up a half step, or 2 half steps, and bending down a half step or 2 half steps. A half step is one fret. It will slowly get easier, and the rewards are great.
Without having to repeat everything, now do the exact exercise for bending the string down. You don't change the string, the fret, and use the same finger. The only difference is you are bending down now.
Now step 3. This practise routine so far can become cumbersome. This is the time to meditate, and focus. The more you play guitar, you find that you will develop good focus skills.
Meditation with the guitar is powerful. It helps you learn faster when you relax and breath with the beat. Focus on what your doing. The focus on the tempo is essential, and breathing with the tempo. Let your whole body be involved when you practice, or when playing live.
The more you vibrato a note, you discover that the wrist,arm,and hand all come into play to deliver your vibrato.
Every day practise for 5 minutes or more at the slow tempo. Then the next day move the tempo up a notch. Keep a log of your tempo progress from day to day. Rest after this slow exercise. It is not good after your practise the bends slowly to start playing it fast. This is a really an important tip. If you do it will erase all your ear pitch training, and tempo accuracy that is down deep in your memory. You don't want to ruin your progress.
Commonly you will play the target note with the 3rd finger on the 3rd sting, 7th fret. Try it now with the 1st finger on the 3rd string, 5th fret, and bend your 1st finger down and then away from your body, slightly to the left.. See if you can find a video of B.B. King and watch his first finger bend down, and, up,down, and, up away from his body. Observe how he does it. He has influenced all the guitar players around the world with his signature vibrato.
It is really exciting for me to share this with you because I haven't even got into the topic of bending up two frets to match the 9th fret pitch when bending.
Also I am sure you would really like to deliver with confidence a cool steady bend holding the note up, and then let the note fall gracefully.
I am sure you would like to also bend the string up to a pitch you want and vibrato it when it is bent up to that pitch. This is when the guitar really starts to talk to your audience. I mean talk to that primal level of people.
I stress to learn it accurate at first by changing the tempo up a notch on your metronome and exercise that for 5 minutes every day. You will get it up to a fast speed. Always remember to check your pitch if your bending up or down, make it accurate.
Oakville Guitar Vibrato Lesson - Rick Washbrook Guitar Studio
