If you're tired of your vibrato sounding a bit subpar, the fix is probably simpler than you think. You don't need a magic wrist or years of playing. You need a way to make it consistent, and a way to measure it.
So here's what actually makes vibrato good, how to practise it to a metronome, and a few technique points to check so you're practising it properly.
What makes vibrato sound good? ▶ 0:12
There are a few possible answers to this, but to be honest, I think it's just about consistency.
Take two very different players. Brandon Ellis from The Black Dahlia Murder plays a wide, slower vibrato. Guthrie Govan's is much faster. They sound nothing alike, and both are equally valid. I personally prefer Guthrie's sound, but that's just me.
What they have in common is that their vibrato happens at the same kind of speed all the way through, and the distance the string moves with each little bend is the same every time. That's what you're aiming for, whatever style you end up with.
Practise vibrato to a metronome ▶ 1:38
Here's the thing I think most people miss: you can practise vibrato to a metronome.
Set it to 100 bpm. One click is the resting note, with the string flat and no tension on it. The next click is the bent note. So it goes rest, bend, rest, bend, one movement per click.
Notice there should be a good amount of urgency in those bends. It's not a wavy, floaty thing. It's a definite up, down, up, down, and you should hear a clear movement in the pitch each time.
Then speed it up:
- 150 bpm. Not too difficult for most people. If you struggle here, practise it a bit slower and build up in smaller steps.
- 200 bpm. Try it without the metronome afterwards. It'll still be a little slow for vibrato, but it won't sound bad.
- 300 bpm. Still a tad slow, but getting there.
- 400 bpm. This is about right for a normal vibrato.
You don't have to go all the way to 400. The point is to keep working up, and every time you hit a new tempo, turn the metronome off and see if you can replicate that same speed on your own.
If your metronome doesn't go up to 400 bpm ▶ 3:19
Most metronomes don't, but you can get around it. Leave the tempo at 100 bpm and set the clicks per beat to two. Now it clicks twice per beat, which is the same as 200 bpm. Four clicks per beat at 100 is the equivalent of 400 bpm.
I use an app called Metronome Beats for this, but plenty of other apps do the same thing.
Why this works so well ▶ 3:48
There are a couple of reasons. First off, it's a measurable way to practise vibrato. You know where you are and you can see yourself getting faster.
But secondly, it forces you to iron out any inconsistencies in how far you bend. If you have to do it at an even speed, you can't get away with bending really high, then a little bit, then really high again. You need to bend the same amount every time. So you're evening out the speed and the width in one go. Two birds with one stone.
Get the depth right ▶ 4:29
Now a few technique points, so you're practising the right movement.
People with shaky vibrato tend to go too far when they add it to a normal resting note. It sounds a bit silly and a bit inconsistent. On an ordinary note, go more shallow.
Funnily enough, the opposite happens on bends. When people add vibrato to a bend, they get a bit shaky and don't bend it enough, and it sounds a bit uncomfortable. I'd rather hear it bend a bit more. It sounds more energetic. It depends on your style, so it won't always be right, but it's a useful frame of reference.
Hit the note first, then add vibrato ▶ 5:12
This is a bit of a vocal thing, and singers do it all the time. Hit the note, pause for a moment, then add the vibrato.
It means the first thing the listener hears is the actual note, not a slightly flat version of it. If vibrato is the first thing you do, the wobble is the first thing that comes out of your instrument, and that's not necessarily what we want to hear.
Turn from the wrist and lock your fingers ▶ 5:38
Make sure the movement comes from your wrist. Lock the inside of your first finger, where it joins the palm, against the underside of the neck, with your thumb on top. Then think about turning a key in a lock. You're rolling your wrist, not pushing with your finger.
There will be times you can't do this, depending on where you are on the fretboard, but it's the default to aim for. If you want to practise the motion on its own, just roll on the underside of the neck with your thumb locked on top. You don't need to go far at all for vibrato.
The key thing to make that work is you need to make sure there's tension in the fingers. If there's no tension, the fingers will wobble around but the note won't go anywhere.
So close your hand down and lock your fingers together, even if it's just your first finger on the string, and turn the wrist.
For more stability, use your second or third finger for the vibrato and put the fingers behind it on the string as well. I don't advise the little finger, because it's much shorter and harder to support. But if you have to, you have to.
Finding your own vibrato sound ▶ 6:43
Once the speed and consistency are there, you can start to find your sound. You might like a faster, shakier vibrato like Guthrie Govan's, or the big, wide, slightly crazy sound Brandon Ellis goes for. Or a bit of both.
Set a metronome to 100 bpm, do one movement per click, and work your way up. Every time you reach a new tempo, turn it off and see if you can keep that speed on your own. Have a go.
