 |
| Closeup of vibrato on guitar fretboard |
If you play your guitar without any vibrato at all, this is just like a plate of Mexican without any salsa. Vibrato is one of the most definitive techniques in defining your musical style, your own personal unique sound. No two players have the same vibrato sound. There are those who like to play it slow and wide, while others like to narrow things down and play fast, but it’s all up to the player when it comes to his/her vibrato technique of your choice. It’s like eating different salsa’s every time you go to your favorite taco stand. But this ain’t about basketball, for crying out loud – this is about vibrato, so read on.
Many people mistake vibrato for tremolo. Vibrato is, as the name implies, vibrating a string in such a way that the tone, and not the volume fluctuates. For example if you are playing the 7th fret on the 3rd string with your 3rd finger on your fret hand you can just push the note up slightly and them pull it down slightly. Center on a root note and repeat the motion above until your tone wobbles like so, in such a way that it vibrates. Use your hand, wrist, and arm to make the movements. This is more than just moving your finger up and down. Some guitarists use a bending technique where they pull the string towards the floor and let it bounce back up.
Try this in a variety of speeds and levels of bending during your vibrato. The trick is to be consistent and smooth with your motion. For instance, you may want to vary things depending on the genre you are playing – if you want to play a slow blues and add some feeling to that riff of yours, you can try playing slower in a circular motion, or if you want to play something like Iron Maiden or Avenged Sevenfold, a quick and narrow vibrato could put that needed exclamation point at the end of your run.
The third finger is usually the most common finger used in adding vibrato, though the first finger and others are also utilized. Using your first finger is a bit trickier. It is this finger, though, that works best in a fast, bluesy vibrato just like you’d hear on a B.B. King number. First thing to do would be to move the first finger far away from the fretboard, press down, then start vibrating the string as quickly as you could. Again, we must remember the root word of vibrato – “vibrate” – so you’ll want to make sure that the tone of your guitar does sound like it is vibrating.
Mixing vibrato with other techniques like advanced string bending, legato and harmonics can help you become a dynamite musician in no time flat. You don’t exactly have to imitate the likes of SRV, Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck note-per-note – playing guitar is about developing your own style and exercising your creativity. Playing vibrato is one step closer to developing a style you could call your own. Remember to enjoy your guitar playing experience, and be patient when trying different styles of playing vibrato and other techniques.Here is a great example of guitar vibrato in a helpful video for guitarists that have had some experience playing notes cleanly on the guitar. Find the video here at http://bluesguitarunleashed.com/guitar-vibrato-breakdown/#.
As much as I love my “don’t worry about it” approach to vibrato… I’ve finally come to a point where I felt like I had to show how I do it.
WARNING: You have to be able to play the notes before this is going to matter to you. If you are struggling through a lick, trying to add vibrato to any note along the way is just going to increase the struggle and frustration… not exactly what I had in mind.
But, if you are comfortable playing a lick or a certain line, and you want to put a little “sugar” on it, this should help.
Besides differences in playing vibrato on guitar, there are also a few different ways to physically balance the vibrato of a guitar. For those of you who have an interest in tweaking your guitar, I suggest you check out this article here at http://www.guitarworld.com/eds-shed-how-balance-your-guitar-s-vibrato#slide-0.
We interrupt our regular top nut series to bring you a request. I’ve had a lot of you asking for a guide to balancing your guitar’s vibrato unit. Well, here it is.
The good news is that the whole balancing process is the same for most locking and non-locking vibrato units; i.e. any unit that’s based on the classic Stratocaster spring vs. string tension design.
The first step is to decide how you want your vibrato to sit. Here are the main three options:
1. Strat vibrato, flat on the body: I would hazard a guess that most Strat players (or owners of those guitars that, ahem, pay tribute to Leo Fender’s original design) prefer their vibrato to lay firmly on the guitar’s body. In other words, it can only be pushed forward to loosen the strings; not pulled back. Option 1 also applies to those locking vibrato-equipped guitars (like my Fender Standard Stratocaster HSS) that don’t have a recess to allow you to pull the vibrato unit up.
2. Strat vibrato, with some pull-up: This setup allows you to get some of that Jeff Beck-style warble. Some surf guitarists like to set their Strat vibratos with a bit of pull-up; wobbling the arm sounds great with your reverb whacked all the way up.
3. Locking vibrato, balanced. This is for locking vibrato loaded guitars that have a recess in the body (think the Ibanez JEM and its Lion’s Claw) to allow the arm to be pulled up, raising the pitch of the strings. The vibrato should be set so that it sits parallel to the guitar’s body, not on it.
BALANCING THE VIBRATO
Before you begin the process of balancing your vibrato (or any setup task for that matter), you have to make sure that the guitar’s strings are properly stretched. Tune the strings, give 'em a good ol' stretch, then re-tune. It can take a while for the tuning to settle, so keep on stretching and retuning until you don’t need to anymore.
Take a look at the angle of the vibrato from the side (See photo 1 in the gallery below). Is it sitting at your preferred angle? If not, remove the plastic plate on the back of the guitar. With the backplate removed (and the screws stored somewhere safe), you’ll see two large screws holding a steel "claw" and some vibrato springs (See photo 2).
You can alter the vibrato's angle by adjusting the two large screws with the correct-sized screwdriver. Why do I always say "correct-sized" when it comes to tools? Well, the bolts and screws fitted to some guitars can be quite soft. The wrong-sized screwdriver can damage the heads on these vulnerable parts.
If the vibrato angles toward the body, turn the screws anti-clockwise to release tension on the vibrato springs; and clockwise if it's angled away from the body to increase tension on the springs. Each time you turn the screws a half turn, retune the guitar and check the new angle of the vibrato. Repeat the process until you get the angle you want. It really is that easy.
The eventual result is that the tension between the screws and the strings will be balanced and the vibrato unit will stay exactly where you want it to. If you have a locking top nut, you can now bolt it down (See photo 3).
 |
| Body of guitar |
Last time we looked at how to get your guitar’s vibrato into line. Before I move onto the next juicy guitar maintenance task, I thought I would give you some additional balancing tips.
You may need to balance your vibrato whenever you change your guitar’s strings; it might just take a subtle tweak to get it back in line. Changing the strings one at a time can help maintain the balance of your Floyd or non-locking vibrato. You simply detune one string, remove it, fit a new one, tune it up, all the while keeping the other five strings as in-tune as possible.
Changing strings one at a time doesn’t help if you need to clean your guitar’s fingerboard, replace the pickups or carry out any major repairs. In those scenarios, you need to remove all the strings, so try stuffing a rag or duster under the vibrato to keep some tension on the springs. That could help the vibrato balance naturally when you tune up.
Here are some other tips:
Following on from last time, you might find that the two big vibrato screws you turn to increase and decrease spring tension are adjusted as far as they can go, but your vibrato still isn’t balanced correctly. In that case, you could consider adding or removing a spring.
If the screws are screwed into the guitar’s wood as far as they’ll go, but your vibrato is still angled away from the body, you’ll need to add an extra spring (See photo 1 in the photo gallery below). Put some safety goggles on (See photo 2).
You’re dealing a spring under tension. If it slips from your grasp it could hit you in the face. I’ve done that; it hurts big time. If you’re nervous about dealing with springs under tension, detune the guitar. This will make it easier to get the spring into position. Just make sure it’s seated securely in the claw and vibrato block before you retune the guitar.
To fit a new spring, attach its looped end to the claw. Next, using a pair of pliers, stretch the spring to the vibrato block and slip its pin into the hole in the block (See photo 3). The added tension caused by the new spring should finally pull the vibrato into line. You may find you have to release a little tension by turning the screws anti-clockwise. Just adjust and retune, natch (See photo 4). It’ll eventually settle down.
If you don’t have a spare spring you can increase the tension on the strings by angling one of the existing springs (See photo 5). It might just be enough to level that pesky vibrato once and for all. It’s worth a try. In some cases, you might find that you’ve loosened the two big screws as far as you dare but your vibrato is still angled towards the body. No problem. Just remove one of the springs. If that leaves the vibrato sitting too high, tighten the screws a bit to compensate.
When all is balanced you can tighten the locking top nut bolts. Don’t tighten ‘em too hard; just enough to keep the strings in check (See photo 6). By the way, when it comes to fine tuners, I set them with the same amount of adjustment for flat and sharp. That pretty much covers the whole vibrato balancing thing. You should be an expert by now!
By the way, someone asked why I always used the term "vibrato" and not "tremolo" or "whammy bar." Well, I use it because vibrato is the correct term for the wiggly stick on a guitar. It’s dear old Leo Fender’s fault that many players incorrectly refer to a guitar’s vibrato as a tremolo. While developing the Fender Stratocaster, Leo or one of his guys christened his new baby’s vibrato unit the "synchronized tremolo" before naming the tremolo effect on his amplifiers "vibrato." The names stuck and we’ve used them ever since.
To be honest, it doesn’t really matter what term you use to describe your vibrato. As for my hero, Leo Fender ... well, the guy was too busy making rock guitar history to care about correct terminology. Let’s cut him some slack. See you next time.
 |
| Electric guitarist using vibrato |
Though he's mostly revered for his huge-sounding, eternally cool riffs, inventive altered tunings, acoustic fingerpicking masterpieces and otherworldly, ambient soundscapes, Jimmy Page is also one of the most influential lead guitarists in rock. That his solos in such Led Zeppelin classics as "Good Times, Bad Times," "Heartbreaker," "Rock And Roll" and "Stairway To Heaven" are so firmly etched in two generations of guitarists' memories is testimony to his compositional and improvisational genius. In this lesson we'll examine the main technical elements and improvisational approaches that characterize Page's soloing style and look at some of his signature licks.
Sweet Bends
One of the things that makes Page such a great lead player is his tasteful, lyrical use of string bending (he prefers extra light gauge strings because they're easy to bend and shake). FIGURE 12 illustrates a minor pentatonic box pattern Jimmy uses to play soaring Albert King-style bends like those shown in the key of E in FIGURE 13. (Notice the inclusion of the major third in this shape. Jimmy will often teeter between the major third and fourth when playing in a major or dominant seventh tonality.)
As this example demonstrates, this compact little box shape lendsitself to performing a variety of soulful half-step and whole-step bends, such as from the fourth to the lowered fifth (A to Bb), from the minor third to the major third (G to G#), from the fourth to the fifth (A to B) and from the root to the second/ninth (E to F#). It's also great for playing screaming one-and-a-half-step and two-step "overbends," such as from the root to the minor third (E to G), from the root to the major third (E to G#) and from the fourth to the major sixth (A to C#). Jimmy uses this box pattern in the 15th position to play these types of bends in E in "Good Times, Bad Times" (1:43), and in A (8th position) in "I Can't Quit You Baby" (2:48).
Vibrato
One the most distinctive features of Jimmy's lead "voice" is his polished vibrato, especially his bend vibrato (vibrato applied to a bent note). His vibrato is fast, even and shimmering. A classic example of Page's impeccable bending and vibrato technique, as well as his phrasing genius, is his lead break beginning at 3:05 in "Whole Lotta Love." This excerpt is comprised of six succinct, punctuated phrases and each one reveals at least one signature Jimmy Page move. This solo is also a great example of how he uses notes from the E minor pentatonic scale (E G A B D), the E blues scale (E G A Bb B D) and the E major pentatonic scale (E F# G# B C#) in combination to create soulful, bittersweet melodies.
Jimmy plays phrases 1 and 3 in the trusty 12th-position E minor pentatonic box, which, as we've already seen, facilitates the rapid execution of pull-offs, hammer-ons and bends on the top three strings. He begins the first phrase with the whole-step smear bend on the G string, then plays a slick descending lick using the E blues scale. Notice the smooth double pull-off from Bb to A to G. He finishes the phrase with the same bend from A to B, which he then adorns with a haunting, wide vibrato. This bend vibrato is produced by partially releasing the whole-step bend and pushing it back up to the "target" pitch (B) in a quick, steady rhythm, as illustrated in FIGURE 14.
Phrase 2 demonstrates Page's judicious use of the "open-position" E minor pentatonic scale pattern. Notice how he takes full advantage of the open-string notes by playing a slick double pull-off (B to A to G) to the open G string, followed by a descending succession of fast single pull-offs to the open G and D strings.
Jimmy returns to the 12th-position E minor pentatonic box in phrase 3 and plays a smear lick on the top three strings, which he follows with a bend on the 2nd string at the 15th fret from the minor seventh (D) up to the root (E). Notice how he then plays the minor third (G) on the 1st string at the 15th fret, then quickly bends the D note up to E again and sweetens the bend with a robust vibrato, using the same partial-release-and-rebend technique detailed for the bend vibrato in phrase 1.
B.B.'s Box
Phrases 4-6 demonstrate Jimmy's tasteful use of a fretboard pattern many guitarists endearingly refer to as "B.B.'s box" (in honor of the legendary blues guitarist B.B. King, who relies on it for most of his signature licks). This pattern is based around the index finger on the root note on the 2nd string and facilitates the playing of major pentatonic, minor pentatonic and blues scale licks, all in the same position and key, with the index finger functioning as an "anchor" on the root note. FIGURE 15 illustrates this box pattern in E, with the root note located on the B string at the 17th fret. Jimmy begins phrase 4 on this note, then performs a gut-wrenching two-and-half-step overbend at the 20th fret on the same string, bending the G note all the way up to C (the lowered sixth) using both his ring and middle fingers to push the string (this technique is known as reinforced fingering). After releasing the bend he picks the E note again then plays the natural sixth (C#) below the root on the 3rd string at the 21st fret.
Jimmy begins phrase 5 on the root, E, at the 17th fret, then plays a screaming one-and-a-half-step overbend on the 1st string at the 20th fret, bending the fifth, B, up to the lowered seventh, D. Again he employs both his ring and middle fingers to push the string for added strength and control. After releasing this bend, he plays a descending lick using notes from the E blues scale. You can hear Jimmy playing a similarly wailing lick using this same box pattern (and an Echoplex) in his "You Shook Me" solo (4:18).
At the end of this solo, 3, Page contrasts the harmonically darker sound of the blues scale by playing a brighter sounding E major pentatonic lick in the same position. Notice how he bends the second/ninth, F#, up a whole step to the major third, G#, then overbends it an additional half step to the fourth, A, again using two fingers to push the string.
Unison Bends
Electric guitarist
Another signature move in Page's lead lexicon is the unison bend. This technique involves strumming two fretted notes that are a whole step apart on two adjacent strings (either the G and B, or B and E), thenquickly bending the lower note up a whole step to match the pitch of the higher note. This maneuver works best on the B and G strings, as the notes are comfortably fingered two frets apart with the index finger on the B string and the ring finger on the G string (the middle finger can help the ring finger bend the lower note up to pitch). Properly executed, this technique produces a natural chorusing effect and makes the doubled note cut through the roar of the rhythm section like a laser beam through fog. Page uses unison bends to emphasize notes during key melodic phrases and licks. You can hear him utilizing this technique on the G and B strings in "Dazed and Confused" (3:39), "Stairway to Heaven" (7:29) and "Communication Breakdown."
Open-string Licks
Some of Page's fattest sounding and most memorable licks are performed in the lower fretboard positions and involve the use of open strings. FIGURES 16 and 17 are twangy 1st- and 2nd-position licks that use single and double pull-offs to the open strings. You can hear Jimmy playing similar types of open-string licks in his solos in "The Song Remains the Same" (4:30) and "Moby Dick" (:46).
Behind-The-Nut
Another cool move Jimmy does is bend a string behind the nut by pressing down on it with his fingers. A classic example of this is the slinky, psychedelic lick he plays in his a capella solo in "Heartbreaker" (2:06). This lick is performed using double pull-offs to the open G string with the left hand as the right hand repeatedly bends the string behind the nut to raise the pitch of the C note (5th fret) a whopping two whole-steps. Jimmy uses a similar technique in his "Dazed and Confused" solo (4:04). In this case, he bends and shakes the open string behind the nut using his first two left-hand fingers as he repeatedly picks the stringwith his right hand. He uses the same technique during the song's intro (:14), where he sounds a G natural harmonic (N.H.) on the 3rd string at the 12th fret, then, as the harmonic is still ringing, bends its pitch up a whole-step to A by pressing the string downward behind the nut with his left hand.
Lateral Mobility
Jimmy will often shift from one position to another in the middle of a phrase to play long, smooth ascending runs like those shown in FIGURES 18 and 19, using finger slides to seamlessly connect the notes and transport his left hand up and down the fretboard. You can hear him playing similar types of ascending runs in "Moby Dick" (:52), "Black Dog" (3:36) and "Heartbreaker" (2:35 and 3:08).
"Since I've Been Loving You" is a fine example of the expressive use of "crammed" phrasing in a slow blues context (the "wall of notes" approach). Notice also how he effectively exploits the minor pentatonic box pattern introduced back in FIGURE 1, this time in the key of C minor, and uses the ninth (D) as a "color" tone.
This primer is but a glimpse into one aspect of Jimmy Pages' unique, multifaceted guitar style. The best way to truly understand and appreciate his diverse, inventive approach to melody is to study complete transcriptions of classic Led Zeppelin songs, many of which have appeared in these pages over the years. (Complete album folios are available from Warner Bros. Publications, Miami, Florida.) If you really want to emulate Jimmy, then do what he did early on and open your mind and ears to a healthy variety of guitar styles and musical genres.The quest for any guitarist to find unique vibrato can be a long, enduring road. I hope the information presented in this article proves to be a step in the right direction. Find this and much more at Mike's Guitar Talk.
Subscribe now at http://www.mikesguitartalk.com/ to receive guitar content like this at your own virtual doorstep.
Have fun and stay tuned!
Mike
No comments:
Post a Comment