Yesterday someone pointed out to me that my gut-vibrato (or at least, what I think is my gut-vibrato), isn't as deep as it should be. It was very loud in the room, so I don't know how exact his analysis was, but the fact is that my tummy doesn't move as ferociously as I've seen other people's move. My gut does move, but only rather high up, agains my ribs. If I put a very hard vibrato on, my tummy starts to move too, but not as deep as I've seen it for example in Gussow 04 etc.
I can't seem to get it deeper. Does anyone have this problem too? Are there ways to practice this?
Good question :) Well, it does sounds good to me. Could be a tatbit deeper, but I just thought that it wasn't in my constitution somehow. I would like to know if other people have the same 'problem'. And also: is the 'deep', low vibrato the same thing but developed further, or a different thing altogether?
Last Edited by on May 05, 2012 6:31 AM
You also need to get the diaphragm working and what can help is going to a vocal coach and the deeper vibrato, which is more of a throat/diaphragm combo, you'd have to do a lot of work in terms of slowing the speed of the vibrato drastically and it's tons of hard work and a bit of soreness involved, especially if you're using the diaphragm for the first time. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
Is the movement between the ribs (just under the breastbone) not caused by the diaphragm? If is is, I would just need to lower it somehow by hard work?
yes- the diaphragm is like a membrane with muscle that attaches to the bottom ribs and spine in the back and wraps around the rib cage along the sides and front just under the sternum. i am an osteopath- that's my day job andi i treat diaphragm spasm and work with a lot of vocal coaches in my chronic pain and injury practice. the only thing that seems important that good vocal coaches emphasize is that the biggest muscles of the diaphragm attach to the back, so breathing and vibrato are best directed primarily to the bottom back of the rib cage... kind of like a turtle breathing backwards into its shell. way too many folks have misconstrued belly breathing for diaphragm breathing (trying to breath lower), which actually has the opposite effect on breathing and locks up the diaphragm! i see lots of belly breathers who insist that they are using their diaphragms... where their ribs and back are locked too. and also locked up are the hip flexors/ the psoas muscles which also connect to the diaphragms, and if they are tight the can pull on the diaphragms as well as the back. a great exercise to isolate the diaphragm i learned form a native flute player is to work on your vibrato by lying on your back preferably with your legs up a little... even up on a chair. this relaxes teh hip flexors and allows you to get at your diaphragms in ways that you cannot when standing. my advice, imho, is not to try to go lower than the bottom of you sternum and ribs... maybe try to isolate and anchor your vibrato in the back first and just get more and more control of your diaphragm that way. i hope this helps.
Thanks little onion. I'll try that and focus on the back. Here my 'blues name' comes in handy (as per the chart that was posted here earlier): skinny back mcgee :)
I would answer this with something so simple but somebody would come along with some complicated answer that would muddy it all up.There would be no example but the Emperor's New clothes would win in the end.I'll just put an example of my playing and if anybody want that technique just say so and I'll explain it.
---------- Emile "Diggs" D'Amico a Legend In His Own Mind How you doin'
Diggs, Please explain your technique!!! I am struggling with a weak vibrato. I am just starting to work/learn vibrato. Throat vibrato is impossible at this point, I just cannot make it work. Belly vibrato works but is weak.
I am curious why it is assumed you need to use diaphram to get a good vibrato tone? Chris Michalek (Buddha) and Jason Ricci are both proponents of jaw vibrato and they are/ were both sticklers for tone. Does it matter where the variation in breath force comes from if one keeps an open mouth and upright posture?
diggs that was LOVELY... with such great tone and vib. i owuld be interested in hearing how you do it too! @walterharp- i wonder the same thing. i kind of have this feeling that theuy arte different. like watching jason on the drifting blues he does at antwerp that you can get on youtube... he uses his jaw yes, but you can see him working his diaphragm. it's clear! the diaphragm controls th ebig air column and the jaw and cheeks and throat fine tune its shape. i have to believe that hw is using a combination of both. there would probably wars fought between the diaphragm vs jaw vib like there are between purse and tongue block! i guess it only really matters if you are getting the sound you want and can work with the tools your body has to offer. for me, that's why having some understanding of how the body works is useful.
The jaw and/or tongue vibrato that Chris, Jason and Howard Levy uses gives a smooth violin like tone. Beautiful for certain styles.
I believe the deep vibrato being requested here is more of the Jerry Portnoy slow depth. Sounds great for blues.
Perhaps a combination of suggestions may help:
Breath support for anything done on harmonica should originate in the diaphram as mentioned by little onion. Sometimes just focusing your concentration on those areas mentioned helps you relax into them, as you let go of attachments to anywhere else in your body.
Try keeping the throat in an "almost yawn" relaxed openness. Enlarging the chamber and keeping it helps develop a depth to tone.
Learn to control the muscles used when you clear your throat, as you will have to regulate them with pulses as you inhale.
Pulses can be created for just about any tempo. Going as slow as possible is a great way to expand yourself, learning where the muscles are and consciously sending impulses to them at a tempo you decide.
Sometimes it is a combination of factors combining that creates deep blues vibrato. ---------- The Iceman
The stuff I'll relate to you comes from my lessons and workshops with Robert Bonfiglio, Cham ber Huang and Forrest Scott. Forrest was Steve Guygers teacher. This is more or less my own synthesis of their teaching.
I think the body has its own intelligence and just a little point in the direction you want it will serve you. The first thing is to develop control. Cham ber used to say "you must develop proper technical control." One way to do this is to play triplets. Start by play one note. I suggest 4 draw to start. Play the triplets with a slight accent on the first note in each triplet. This is important to keep the rhythm accurate. DO NOT CUT THE NOTES. This should be like a pulse within a steady sound. You change the speed up and down but once you lose the triplet you must stop until you can play it with control. PATIENCE is the key!!!!!!!!!!!!! You can do this sitting in chair with your back straight. Most students feel the pull in their stomach immediately. This is to develop the muscles that you will use for vibrato.
Cham ber describes throat vibrato as a slight cough. You try can this in the same rhythm. These exercises should be on the blow and draw.
Nothing should be forced. Eventually add a slight bend that will alternate to the original pitch back and forth. This is FM or frequency modulation. AM or amplitude modulation this volume modulation. This alone can be nice for a light vibrato or sometimes just called a breath vibrato.
Start off slow and easy and post back if you have questions.
Chris Buddha used a different type of vibrato but he could also use the standard blues vibrato. I heard him play a blues gig once and he sounded like he was from the Butterfield school shakes and all. He said once he hated shakes. When I heard them it made me laugh. ---------- Emile "Diggs" D'Amico a Legend In His Own Mind How you doin'
For throat vibrato, try to "articulate" a staccato or hard "e" sound starting at your uvula. Try this without the harp first, as silly as it might sound then hold a single note and tap your foot while saying "e" on the downbeat. A metronome can help if your having troubling making the e in a level pulse. The best place to start is by listening to Big Walter, Big Walter's Boogie is all vibrato at the beginning and a copy of a bygone boogie-woogie piano piece,
