I'm working hard trying to develop a good vibrato, but it's not easy. I read somewhere that one should practice with a metronome so as to able to match the vibrato with the beat. I'm not sure this makes sense. I don't think singers do this. What do you think? Any tips that help me along?
Last Edited by John95683 on May 16, 2013 5:03 PM
I'm not sure, but I think your early development time might be better spent getting the mechanics and smoothness of the vibrato down before trying to make yourself into a human metronome.
Years ago I asked Gary "Sonny Jr" Onofrio what was the #1 most important thing for a blues harp player to work on, and he immediately said, "The inward cough."
I'm quite happy with my belly vibrato (tremolo?) It's solid, but I can't change the rate very much. My mouth vibrato is solid and I can vary the rate down from a rate much slower than I can do with my belly and up to a rate faster than I can do with my belly. If I had to do it all over again, maybe I would just have concentrated on mouth vibrato.
I can't do throat vibrato at all, but I wonder if people can change the rate of throat vibrato more so than their belly? Then it would be a consistent trend where it's easier to get better tone from low down in your belly but harder to control the rate and easier to control the rate higher up but harder to get the tone.
By mouth vibrato, I mean Buddha's vibrato technique.
You will be working on your vibrato for a very long time. Singers do modulate the time on their vibratos to match the music. It adds to the drama of the song if you punch it deep and slow or drill it in quickly. It is the same in your playing.
Pay attention to lots of different players' vibratos. They vary widely. Try to get as many in your tool box as you can - they all serve a purpose.
May I suggest you work on your diaphragmatic at the same time as any other you are trying. If it doesn't come naturally to you, it will take the longest to develop, and will pay the greater dividends eventually. ---------- Danny
I definitely vote for metronome work. Not just on the beat, subdivide into eight notes, triplets and sixteenths. It will help your timing everywhere not just on vibrato. But also, the metronome is a good push. If you listen closely, it says try again.
It takes a long time to develop. I have a recording from every year of my playing. The first year - no vibrato. The second year - no vibrato. The third year - crappy vibrato. The fourth year -pro vibrato. The 28th year - much better vibrato.
Last Edited by Michael Rubin on May 17, 2013 7:09 AM
@arzajac: I find that's the case for me (easier to control than belly). Personally, I actually find throat vibrato easier to control than my mouth vibrato. I was one lucky enough to have had a mouth vibrato lesson straight from the source (Buddha), and he did teach me his tricks, but for me, throat is where it's at. I think it's a bit of "different strokes fro different folks" when it comes to vibrato. For me, the person to emulate when it comes to vibrato is Dan Kaplan, who does it all by throat... ----------
Another vibrato which I use is to move the harp in and out against your mouth and lips with your left hand and sorta bounce it off your lips straight away from the embrochure. I think bounce is the right word here, works well for me
@KingoBad ... I second listening to, and getting in your tool box, different kinds of vibrato ... they all fill their purpouse ...
My couple of dimes ... First, for me a good vibrato is dependent on good tone and vice versa ... second, a good belly vibrato is still dependent on the ability of a good throat vibrato/ability to do throat bends, like throat control is like controlling the end of a water hose ... And third, I find that for me different vibratos works better in different registers of the harp, low- mid or high. ---------- The tone, the tone ... and the Tone
Last Edited by S-harp on May 17, 2013 2:39 PM
"What do you think? Any tips that help me along?" Listen to players who´s vibrato you like. Copy it. And don´t give a f*kh about those busybodies trying to tell you how to go about it -- if the strong staccato inhale, a là Butterfield is what you like, go for it. It´s rather easy. (Plenty of instructions online.) But it´s not subtle -- so when you´re in the region of questioning that it´s something else. Butterfield´s sound is defined from his vibrato and that worked very well in most of the musical contexts he was involved in, but are they yours?
