Songs with GREAT vibrato licks

mixolyd · April 2016

I've been improving my vibrato with a metronome and fancy graduating to trying to copy some tasty vibrato licks. What ya got?

mixolyd · April 2016

Here's one: check Danny Kirwan's wide, fast vibrato from around 1:25 here. Also Jeremy (?) seems to be a little unsure of when to come in on the maracas.

viz · April 2016

Great stuff. One point though, if I may. I wouldn't think a metronome has any place in vibrato practice. Developing vibrato is about being relaxed and letting the oscillations flow, rather than pushing and pulling something in time to a click. If you're good at vibrato, you will be able to increase and decrease the frequency (and amplitude) in a very natural way, so it won't and shouldn't always be in sync with the beat. In fact I'd say that a fixed beat is almost the antithesis of vibrato and the effect it creates, which is one of natural warmth.

A better regime to get there would be to learn to relax; then to focus on technique - ie where you are applying the oscillations from (fingers vs wrist up-and-down vs wrist-twist vs elbow), which may depend on whether you are vibratoing from a bent note or not, and whether you have pushed or pulled to bend the note in the first place, also whether you play thumb-under in the classical style or not; then to focus on your width and whether you are wanting sharp and flat, or just sharpening the note (if bent), also whether you can control that width and expand or contract it, and finally to see how you can speed up and slow down, to do flurries and bursts of wide vibrato, or to start with a long straight note and then gently introduce an increasingly wide and quickening vibrato, that sort of thing. A metronome will hinder all of that. My opinion only.

In answer to your question, though with voice rather than guitar, and to demonstrate how vibrato can warm up a long sustained note if applied effortlessly and with a smooth transition from level to oscillating, check out James Labrie at 7:10! The guitar solo immediately afterwards is packed with vibrati at all speeds too.

Phil_aka_Pip · April 2016

Andy Latimer is a master of the bend it up then add vibrato technique. Stationary Traveller immediately comes to mind but i bet you could find examples all over any Camel album

eSully · April 2016

Parisienne Walkways for me, it's a feast of great vibrato.

Check out the bend at 3:25

slacker · April 2016

Let There Be Rock

stratman3142 · April 2016

I can't improve on what @viz said.

There are a huge range of styles of vibrato and context is everything. Years back I read an interview with Alan Murphy in the old UK (now defunct) Guitar magazine where he referred to "indiscriminate vibrato", which made a lot of sense to me and has stayed in my mind.

There are too many good examples to cover, so I'll focus on a few (very) old examples that affected me. In some cases these Youtube clips keep disappearing then reappearing somewhere else, so apologies if they're not there anymore.

I was completely obsessessed with Paul Kossoff in my early days as a guitar player. The Free Live album especially is worth listening to for the classic Kossoff vibrato. It doesn't appear to be on Youtube so I can't post a link.

These clips still give me goosebumps:

Hendrix's vibrato on Red House on the Hendrix In The West from 27.40 in the clip below

Billy Gibbons' playing on the ZZ Top's "Tres Hombre" album has some great vibrato.

Blues Jean Blues from the subsequent Fandango album by ZZ top is a masterpiece of expressive guitar playing.

More recently I was blown away by JBs vibrato from 3.09 in the clip below - pure Kossoff vibrato in the right context.

Sambostar · April 2016

The obvious one that springs to mind is the Reckless Life lick by GN'R or maybe start with the lead riff on Mama Kin if you really want to get a handle on it on the lower strings in a tasteful Hard Rock/Rock n' roll style. Sweet emotion Aerosmith is another good one, you need it on the chords as well as the single lines.

You can't get Reckless Life riff right without being totally fluent in quick rock n roll vibrato on a bent string. If you are only learning vibrato, practice everyday for three years and you might get there. Also suggest the Angus inspired end of the solo on You're Crazy for frantic Angus style.

Slash basically and conveniently packs all of Joe Perry, Rick Neilson and Angus Young into one package. If you have the time though I would check all of their late 70's concerts out as well though and I loved him as I had similar approach to guitar and tastes.

You got to practice it on double stops and chords as well - most hairmetal from the mid 80's have that to take away the edge, although it started with the Small Faces etc. Ratt, Round and Round etc. Motley Crew - Shout Devil, Wild Side. Mick Mars was fantastic at that and most of those riffs require it to make them sound any good.

Slash and Angus are only small though, if want you a heavy handed technique that is less OTT, more tasteful than Zakk Wylde and applied tastefully, but like a kid playing a toy, look at Chris Holmes - ex WASP, seriously, especially the 80's stuff.

Gary Moore was the master though, no doubt, he could make it cry.

You have got to be able to master it like you have hands like shovels and practice it for years on end. Nothing else works to my ears and a lot of better players fail to pull it off and come across as too earnest or trying too hard or incapable. Aside from bends it is the second most important aspect about guitar playing. I spent years trying to get bends and vibrato right. If it wasn't for that the electric guitar would have no appeal.

Bonamassa is a weak imitation and sound thin and struggling. Slash and Angus have a feel for it. Slash has to play a Les Paul and tune down though. Zakk is like Jake E Lee turned up to eleven and too much and I've never really like Santana etc. as he also sounds OTT but thin.

I donno, 2:40 onwards?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSRv9Y9M60g

Pity he is such a self destruction nutter as he really has a feel for it.

I donno, I think the whole point of vibrato is to give something human to the music, to make it sound a bit out of phase, take the two dimensional edge off it, make it more rock n roll. I do like Slash though but when Chris Holmes is on form he is ace.

Those old black dudes from the 40's and 50's had big rough working hands and deep voices. That is what it is about and that is why people struggle to get it. but BBKing and the like invented it.

Gassage · April 2016

Far be it from me to promote JoBo, but his vibrato in this solo (IMO the best he's ever played) is just exceptional.

(signature Joe Bonamassa Vibrato Fingers are now being sold by Ernie Ball at all good music stores)

Sambostar · April 2016

I don't like Bonamassa vibrato. It's a bit too fast, too tight, too light and sometimes sounds flat to me, like he bends the wrong way or out of syc or something with his technique. He just doesn't get the phasey behind the beat blues sound right, if anything it adds more harshness to the music rather than soften it. Probably sound like I'm mad, but it's true, at least to my ears. It's is kind of why Slash was a revelation when he first appeared. JB makes Muddy Waters sound like Nirvana in comparison to him.

Although the middle bit at 3:24 was alright. I probably biased, wish he played like that consistently though, I might like him.

Gassage · April 2016

@sambostar

I don't disagree re the last point. I love that solo- the build up then the solo...vv good.

Sambostar · April 2016

Makes me want to get him drunk until he can't talk, let alone stand up, give him a load of coke to revive him, smack him around the head a few times with a bat, tell him I've just impregnated his women and given her herpes and then send him on stage. He probably has the wrong management is all it is.

mixolyd · April 2016

Some really great examples here guys, I'm still working my way through listening to everything.

The standout for me has to be Andy Latimer of Camel as I'd never heard of them before! Honestly when he whipped out the panpipes I would have turned off there and then if I hadn't known there was some juicy vibrato to be found later on! I need to listen to more of this guy, he really seems to have an interesting little musical niche going on.

Angus Young has come up a couple of times, yep he really has the high energy vibrato going on though he doesn't use it as often as he might.

Gary Moore is impressive but he doesn't really do it for me. I feel like he has tried and failed to match his hero Greeny, perhaps because he uses heavier strings. I've come to the conclusion that you can't get the hummingbird-light super fast vibrato on the whole tone bend unless you use light strings, it just doesn't sound right to me otherwise.

I don't get the Slash thing: he's always seemed to me to play with little or no vibrato, that's what made his style identifiable. Listening to that g n r track I don't hear any vibrato?

As for JoBo, yeah that one little bit of that song sounds sweet but as ever I find that there's always something wrong somewhere in his song or performance. It's like he's brilliantly gifted but somehow tone deaf in some way. He's the victim of his own success in a way: he's too successful to have someone more objective whip his parts and songs into shape now.

mixolyd · April 2016

Oh and Billy Gibbons: I'd only heard his more recent (i.e. last couple of decades) and was put off by the tinny tone from using 7's and 8's. That earlier stuff is more more like it.

Phil_aka_Pip · April 2016

@mixolyd you are discovering some good stuff. enjoy the journey.

I'm pleased you've switched on to Andy Latimer. Shows good taste

Sambostar · April 2016

mixolyd said:
I don't get the Slash thing: he's always seemed to me to play with little or no vibrato, that's what made his style identifiable. Listening to that g n r track I don't hear any vibrato?

You really have to start training your ears first then before your hands can follow. Slash applies loads of wide reverse vibrato to his lower strings in solos and lead riffs, he takes it from Neilsen, Joe Perry and Angus. He is exceptional at it and it's where many players fail because they haven't the strength. His wide vibrato technique on the lower strings and double stop lead riffs made the whole GNR sleazy sound for Christ sakes.

OK, think of the lead riff to Paradise City, the first solo of Paradise City, then the solo of Nightrain, once you can hear it you might be able to recognise it better. If you can't hear it in the Reckless Life riff or Mama Kin lead riff I can't really help you.

I really can't believe you think that. Slashes vibrato technique, bending and varied pick attack is one of the best up there.

You probably can't hear it in the Reckless Life riff because it's so fast, wide and subtle so you probably can't play the Reckless Life riff.

OK, of you want the same sort of thing without vibrato on the lower strings and a little weak vibrato on the E2 look up Lil' Devil by the Cult and see how tight, two dimensional, lame and sterile that sounds to Slash's creamy technique.

So many people think guitar sounds come from pedal and guitars and amps, they really, really don't you know.

Mind you, they do say the sign of a good job is that nobody notices. I notice JB's vibrato and it bothers me greatly. It's consistant and never changes, it sounds amateurish like he doesn't have ears. The things with Slash and the others is that they know when it use it, when to use it when it won't be noticed to enhance the depth/out of phasey/sleazy style of the sound, when not to use it and when to use it extremely subtly and softly (Sweet child first solo etc.).

The whole point of vibrato is that you have to master it and feel how to apply it, you don't just apply it to the note you end on. That is kindergarten stuff. It takes a wealth of experience, feel and strength to do it well and most importantly decent ears.

Sorry if I sound mean, I don't mean to be, but you sound as stupid as me commenting on half the stuff in Off Topic.

If you have to have it obviously in your face, then I'm afraid you will never feel it.

stratman3142 · April 2016

Mind you, they do say the sign of a good job is that nobody notices. I notice JB's vibrato and it bothers me greatly. The things with Slash and the others is that they know when it use it, when to use it when it won't be noticed to enhance the depth/out of phasey/sleazy style of the sound, when not to use it and when to use it extremely subtly and softly (Sweet child first solo etc.).

Yes I very much agree with that. Except we'll have to agree to disagree about JB

Slash has a great vibrato, as does Angus as you mentioned in your earlier post. Like you, the other Mr S isn't to my taste.

Sambostar · April 2016

JB is OK and can feel it, but I just don't know what planet he is on or switches to most of the time, it seems to be so inconstant between banal west End show and the very occasional searing feel and it applies to his singing as well. He gets in a zone I like so little often that I don't bother to listen to him as it's too much like hard work.

I'm not really mean, I just can't tolerate people who disagree with me,

viz · April 2016

Yes, indiscriminate vibrato is horrid. I agree with Mr Star, Slash's vibrato is well executed and one of the nicest things about his playing. Also Gary Moore is an expert, if a little wide. Neither of them is indiscriminate in their application. But for me, one of the best and most varied is Steve Vai. Here he is in Tender Surrender applying vibrato perfectly, imo. And how many techniques! Vibrato on octaves, vibrato on double stops with one finger across two strings, vibrato thumb-off Clapton-style, vibrato at the top of a bend, the first-finger swivel vibrato technique, his trademark circular vibrato on single notes with the 2nd or 3rd finger, trem pull-up vibrato, shaking the guitar itself, you name it, it's there. Check out the intro, then the overdriven section from 2:00.

Sambostar · April 2016

I will never admit to liking that Honky. Also he reminds me of Peter North.

viz · April 2016

You don't need to admit it, we all have our secrets.

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Songs with GREAT vibrato licks

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