Bends and vibrato ~ ~ ~ how do you do them ?

ChrisMusic

Just found a nice little workshop snippet from Guthrie Govan,

so I thought I'd share.

Do you have any tricks, techniques or good video clips to share too?

ChrisMusic

ChrisMusic

ChrisMusic

or B B King's approach

ChrisMusic

SRV Crossfire Bending Vibrato Technique

monquixote

I've been working a lot decently with trying to bend up then further and then back down in steps as shown in the first video. 

I find I really have to reign in my vibrato on bends with some drive or it gets very zak wylde and tasteless as demonstrated in the video. 

jpfamps

My New Year's resolution was to give up string bending.

viz

For some reason I did a bit of classical vibrato on the very last note of this improv. Despite what people say about classical vibrato on an electric, I think it's a subtle but nevertheless noticeable technique. Ignore all the clangers.

Cirrus

I like wiggling the neck back and forward to get vibrato. Results very depending on flexibility of neck and join!

viz

Yes I tried that on my chinese doubleneck and got about an octave either way.

mike_l

That's nearly a Floyd's worth viz. 

DrJazzTap

jpfamps said:

My New Year's resolution was to give up string bending.

I decided to go up the gauges until I couldn't bend no more, I didnt want to become reliant on it. I went from 9s to 12's. After 12's bust my hands up, i settled on 11s. I can bend a tone, and that's enough for me

I really love Holdsworth's classical style vibrato. But then I like Peter Green, Cream era Clapton, Ford and Carlton. When I was getting my basic shapes down I did use to practice in a similar style to Govan. Granted not as many semi tones! I've only bent one semi tone or a tone max. I found jam tracks helped, and just focusing on that one thing.

randomhandclaps

viz said:

For some reason I did a bit of classical vibrato on the very last note of this improv. Despite what people say about classical vibrato on an electric, I think it's a subtle but nevertheless noticeable technique.

Totally and utterly agree with this.  Why would you not want another technique to express yourself. 

frankus

It's not about NOT having a means of expression it's about having lots of different means of expression...

First day at one of the IGF Jazz courses and we were told we were playing styles of Jazz for the first 2 days where he'd like us to NOT bend the notes as it's a crutch. You'd have thought he'd said "out your guitars away it's a paper based course".

As it turns out sliding up and down to a note, playing short punchy notes on the beat was fun after all - whodathunkit.

icarusi

Less usual bends

Melodic minor bends

rewq

ChrisMusic

I am quite a fan of Andy Timmons.  I find his writing and playing to be very melodic, and exciting to listen to.

While trawling YT for interesting stuff I came across this masterclass.  He spends some time discussing bends from 19:10 onwards, so I thought that I would share it here.

Duration 42 mins

guitarfishbay

Basically I just keep pretending I'm Marty Friedman or George Lynch, but my hair just isn't as good which is what I'm convinced holds me back.  Paul Gilbert is my other favourite, he has lovely vibrato IMO.

This was a pre re-amp/mix solo from a demo track last year, has plenty of bends and vibrato in it.

What I found was the more I got interested in string bends/vibrato the lighter the string gauge I used.  In standard tuning I'd use 9s on Fenders and 10s on PRS/Gibsons, any heavier and I find I can't play that kind of style for too long before discomfort sets in.  I'm using heavier strings to tune lower at the minute, but have gone for a set that gives me plain strings that feel about that light.

guitarfishbay

Man Andy Timmons is killer.

The Ibanez 90th show version of Cry For You is one of the best live guitar solo performances I've heard, some beautiful string bending and vibrato in it.  Starts at about 8 minutes.