I should have titled this post "I got no vibrato." When I was a kid and learned from the little Hohner book that came with my first harp or whatever, It instructed on how to get vibrato with a rapid opening and closing of the hands. That's what I learned and now it's just second nature so much that I just do it without even thinking about it when I'm playing without amplification. It sounds good I think. However, when playing with a microphone cupped I've got nothing at all. I watched the YT lesson on the subject and I am up against the wall on this issue. I don't think any amount of meditation or me attempting vibrato for seven beats from now to infinity could ever get me to the point of having anything near the smooth, beautiful, controlled vibrato like you have KZR. I seem to have a little something going on in my attempts but it does not involve the Adam's Apple at all. It's something in the gland area and it's weak and basically worthless. Does the good vibrato come from use of the Adam's Apple ? (not Adam's Apple...the Adam's Apple) Input appreciated. ---------- My YouTube Channel
That's called, aptly, "camp-fire vibrato". If you think it sounds good, I suspect you're in a small minority!
I'm an oboist, so naturally I play diaphragm vibrato. You can check it out on YouTube, but there's some crap there. Caveat emptor. ---------- Andrew, gentleman of leisure, noodler extraordinaire.
Ive been practicing a vibrato which uses throat & diaphragm together for probably near a year as instructed by a teacher. I think it's workng pretty well so far and seems to continue to get better I dont think it's as hopeless to perfect as you fear, at least I hope not :) . Like many things worth acheiving it just takes time & proper practice effort.
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~Ryan
"I play the harmonica. The only way I can play is if I get my car going really fast, and stick it out the window." - Stephen Wright
Pennsylvania - H.A.R.P. (Harmonica Association 'Round Philly)
Unfortunately, vibrato is not like, for instance, bending notes where once it "clicks" you start making faster progress. I've spent a several months working on it and have slowly gone from "machine gun bursts" to something that resembles vibrato, though not near as smooth as Adam's. Just keep re-watching the vids, and working at it, you'll eventually get there. ---------- Ozark Rich __________ ##########
It does seem to be a long process. I've been working on it for a couple months now, and although my improvement is noticable it is slow.
Your approach sounds similar to mine pacemaker; I couldnt get any movement around the adam's apple, but I did find if i made like I was going to cough to clear my throat and slowed that action right down (I'm talking dead slow) I could feel the muscles that closed my throat. It was then a case of trial and error to figure out how to pulse these muscles in a controlled manner rather than choking myself to death. I'm getting there.
Work on it via singing as well. I learned mine from listening to SBWII over and over until it started happening without me having a clue at the time of how I got there. Relaxing is a key piece of the puzzle.
I learned to play before the net and in isolation. Being too young to get in clubs, no one into blues around my life, I bought records. The amped harp tone lost me so bad because I didn't have a clue they were even playing it with a mic and amp.
Let your throat and diaphram relax and try to make a single OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sound with the vibrato idea in it. Be nice to yourself. Laugh. Laughing has the same technique in disquise coming from the diaphram (another trick for learning to use your diaphram). These little things here are pieces of the vibrato puzzle. Play around with them and see if you can discover it on your. I find discovering things on my own to be much more exciting than learning them via direct instruction methods. Walter ---------- walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year. " life is a daring adventure or nothing at all" - helen keller
I believe Ben Boumann posted a clip or two where he played 4 distinctly different types of vibrato. I'll post the link here if I can find it. There's more than one way to skin a cat-I know I for one use different types depending on what I am playing and where the effect falls in a song or solo. ----------
That would have been great Jim...if I could understand Spanish. Thanks for the input people. ---------- My YouTube Channel
Last Edited by on Jan 13, 2011 11:43 AM
Here is the contents of the Ben Boumann thread I mentioned above:
I've posted this message before... you could say that the handvibrato is more like a tremolo...
The only thing that counts is how and when you use... Ben Bouman www.customharmonicashop.com
Yesterday i did a quick recording for www.bluesharp.nl.. I recorded 8 different vibratos... you can hear them on:
http://www.box.net/shared/vpxe22ooll
here's a short explanation ( on the recording it is in dutch!) vibratos on a Bb harp/hole 4 draw 1. handvibrato 2. mouth/tongue vi.. 3.mouth cavity tremolo 4.mouth cavity vibrato 5. mouth/throat vibrato 6. throat vibrato 7. tongueblocked throat vibrato 8. cupped tongueblocked throat vibrato
There are many more vibratos , this is just a short overview . For more details/explanation you can contact me on: ben@harmonicainstituut.nl I also do on-line lessons through SKYPE..!
My vibrato is mostly throat and diaphram. I'm slowly adding in the jaw but I think there is also a tongue that Larry Adler used. When I first met Chamber Huang he working on the Larry Adler. I started learning vibrato from an old MMO record by Chamber. I refined it by studying with Robert Bonfiglio.
Don't underestimate a good hand vibrato. Charlie McCoy uses it and is used in classical playing. Here are two examples of vibrato. You can fool your friends as to what instrument is playing in the Sapori Video. I told the guys in the session I was going to make the harmonica sound like a cello.
As Chamber used to say "you must develop proper technical control. Fortunatley through great teachers and practice I can change to fit the style.
Lots of hand vibrato
Down and dirty blues vibrato
---------- Emile "Diggs" D'Amico a Legend In His Own Mind How you doin'
Thank You Mr. Diggs and others. The music is beautiful. This forum is a wealth of knowledge. Thank you too Dr. G for letting beginners and everyone in here for free. ---------- My YouTube Channel
Last Edited by on Jan 13, 2011 1:45 PM
I'm just getting the hang of vibrato now but it has taken a long time. As far as draw vibrato is concerned my strongest is the throat vibrato as that seems to come naturally now, but especially when I'm bending the note at the same time as it gives me more focused air to grip and lets the throat do the work. If I play the same note without the bend I find it more difficult, in fact it then seems to become diaphragm/mouth vibrato. My blow note vibrato is diaphragm/mouth.
Like all these pesky harmonica techniques you can read and read tips and nothing seems to work and then suddenly you get it out of nowhere.
Good luck with it, I'm sure you'll get it and then you'll have the same problem explaining to someone else how you did it!
The Gruenling video is a bit strange, as clearly his hands are moving, but it might as well be a coughing tremolo. There are a couple of harmonies I'm not keen on, but otherwise it's an excellent advert for third position. ---------- Andrew, gentleman of leisure, noodler extraordinaire.
Last Edited by on Jan 14, 2011 5:49 AM
