The vibrato is a classic sound heard in blues harmonica. It gives your playing so much soul. Take the time to work on your vibrato no matter what genre of music you're getting into. For more lessons: www.Harmonica12...
Bro your playing is so soulful and amazing. I always learn so much from your videos. Can't thank you enough for sharing all of your harmonica wisdom. You are the man.
I've been noodling around a lot of harp sites specifically looking for tips on vibrato. Your explanation was excellent and easy to implement. Thanks Ronnie and thanks Michael.
I like what you said about being careful not to overuse the technique. To my ear too much vibrato can compromise the natural sweetness of the tone. It's a matter of taste, but I prefer sweet to harsh. I think alot of blues players go harsh because they think that's the blues. You are fine teacher and a great technician. I think I am going to sign up for your Internet class.
Very helpful. Many thanks. For me, doing the slow vibrato was the key. That way I could focus on the feeling in my throat and learn how to control it better.
Thanks for giving tips on how to do vibrato.Actually I am trying for the past 3 years but couldn't get vibrato. Now I am getting some vibrato after following your tips.hope I will learn it fully after some days. Thanks for your tips.
Great advice! I'm 6 1/2 months playing and find memorizing songs from books too frustrating so I make up my own single note very short riffs and now I am just learning to add whah-whahs and vibratos to them! Great teaching!
Like any great musician you make it look/sound easy. But it’s not. I know...shut up and practice. Your lesson is much appreciated. I want that Howlin Wolf Vibrato you feel in your extremities.
Thanks Ronnie. About a year ago, I was trying to fix my self learned vibrato. Sounded ( and sometimes still sounds ) like a sheep. BAAAAAAD! After watching how you do it, I realized part of it was I was just hitting it too hard. Now I'm working at slowing it down. It seems too fast when I listen back. Could that just be a matter of style? All my favorite blues players ( you included ) have slower ones.
this is still the hardest technique for me at the moment. I find it very hard to master. even though I can get away without playing vibrato it would really spice my playing up. thank you for your good explanation and practicing tips. I can do the diafragm vibrato quite nicely but this just sounds so sweet. love your tone mate! Is it easier on the hy harps while bending is harder on the lower harps? again thanks for sharing!
Hi ronnie and fellow harp players. I started experimenting with throat vibrato on draw bends. Interesting sounds, particularely on the 3'-4 hole double stop. Right now my concerns goes to pitch oscillation. It seems to me that vibrato works as a kind of "release": the pitch goes up everytime I attack it with the throat. Is it just me or you also notice that? If so, is it possible to make it go down instead of up? Many thanks for you help and keep on harpin :)
Hey Ronnie, when you do the vibrato does it sound like there is a little popping sound in the back of your throat, because when I do it there is a little popping sound in the back of my throat.
That's your vocal folds slapping together, the harder your vibrato the harder they hit. Phil Wiggins has a throat vibrato so strong you can hear the popping three feet away...
well in my defense, it's your playing that makes the harp unique sounding first and foremost, then the type of harmonica. that could be a older Richard Sleigh custom marine band. looks to be. but i can replicate the sound, tone on a standard MB no problem.
A fantastic lesson, Ronnie thank you! I've been working on my throat vibrato on and off for years. I can't speed the thing up and also I find I run out of air really quickly. Any advice on that? I'm guessing I'm not relaxed enough. As for throwing vibrato on a bent note, it's way out of my skill set. One other thing, does throat vibrato damage your voice? I always get this sneaking feeling that I'm making my throat do something it wasn't designed for. Sorry for the rambling comment. Loved the video. Thanks for any advice, if you get a chance to reply.
The only way I will get it perfect is on my death bed, gasping for air. Then I'll be able to say I did it yeah, then close my eyes and go on. So right now screw it! I'll just use a pedal lol
Hi Ronnie. Again thanks for all the useful tips over the years. For the last few months, I've grabbed a decent tongue vibrato that works very well. But for some reason I think that the throat vibrato might be the next step in my progression. I understand very well the basics (inwards cough, etc.) but it looks much more like a tremolo effect than a vibrato, with variations of pitch. I know it takes a lot of pratice to make that vibration happen but I'm still wandering if there's no tips to work in a more efficent way, to focus on the action of the throat, on the fact that you don't want it to "close" completely as the effect goes (otherwise, it will give the staccato feeling I talked about). Thanks in advance for your response, Bertrand.
Ronnie Shellist True fact even though this statement applies on everything when it comes to music :P . I'll just keep up working but I think I might focus a little bit more on the way that the diaphragm is involved in the process. Now that you mention it, I noticed that after seing your video, while practicing the throat vibrato. Sometimes, you just need a phrase to get you on the right direction ("The gasp of air comes from the diapghram but the effect is happening in you throat..."). Don't know if that will do but anyway, thanks for your response. I'm already waiting for the next bit of instructional stuff coming from your channel :) .
Bertrand Werbrouck On second thought: YES that was exactly the explanation I've been looking for! Many thanks for getting me on the right track. My throat vibrato still sounds harsh and staccato but now there's a tiny variation in pitch. I'm just gonna work through that the hard way, slow and steady :) !
Yes it can be down on blow notes, but because pitch change needs to happen, it's important to use a bent tongue position to some degree. It's less common, but the 7 blow and micro bend do create a nice vibrato. I sometimes use the tongue pump technique for this type of vibrato. Perhaps in another video I can demo and discuss. 7-10 blow are where the blow vibratos will be contained.
Ronnie Shellist As far as I remember, Chris Mischalek used tongue vibrato on everything including the blow notes that cannot be bent (1 to 6). You juste have to be careful not to make an overblow by accident. Of course, you cannot make strong variations of pitch, but you can create the illusion of smooth vibrato. I'm currently experimenting with this... hoping that one day it will get close from what Chris achieved^^ BTW I think he made a YT video about this... Hope that helps too