I don't think there is such a thing as jaw vibrato! Vibrato means fluctuation in volume. It sounds like the jaw thing is more a tremolo effect. Tremolo is fluctuation in pitch. Is that what your talking about Jon and Preston? Most people can only do the throat or the diaphragm. Not both! I guess it's like wiggling your ears. Some people can and some can't. I can't do the throat vibrato. Paul butterflied could do it very well! Listen to "bread and butterflied"
Sometimes, on a 2 draw whole-step bend, I just kind of wiggle my tongue up and down to get a vibrato. Is that a 'proper' technique, or is it just some wierd bad habit I thought up? Has it got a name, a tongue-wiggle perhaps? ---------- 'If it sounds GOOD to you, it's bitchen; if it sounds BAD to YOU, it's shitty' - Frank Zappa
I just looked it up on Websters on-line dictionary, and vibrato is: "a slightly tremulous effect imparted to vocal or instrumental tone for added warmth and expressiveness by slight and rapid variations in pitch."
And it must be true because I found it on the internet.
I have a really hard time with vibrato. I think I used to be better and then I lost it. I guess I didn't exercise it enough. I can do diaphram better than throat.
I can also do something else that is hard to explain, but I'll try: I can move the tissue on the bottom of mouth in between the jaw bones. My jaw bone stays still, and if it part of my throat, it is VERY high in the throat, like where the mouth and throat meet. My tongue is wiggling a little bit with it, but more like I am spreading it out and thinning it than an up and down motion. Hard for me to explain.
I can do all forms of vibrato but I choose the one that people call "jaw vibrato" because it's the most consistent with every note bent - unbent - ob - od.
Throat and Diaphram vibrato has too slow of an attack and is too choppy for my tastes. I also think the heaviness of it can ruin a song.
you can hear it clearly in this clip of my playing with Jason Ricci's band. I love it because I can stick it in the middle of lines like a soprano sax player would or I can just float it out there like a feather in the wind.
Here's another clip that better demonstrates the vibrato
Yeah! I see(I mean hear) what you mean. I can't do mine that softly. I can vary the speed, but its always more intense or more pronounced. I don't know how to describe it other than I can't throttle back and make it sound as relaxed. You made it fit mood of the song. That's nice! I played in a rock band for over ten years and it was my job to rip peoples heads off! It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks, but I'm learning! That's the one great thing about youtube. I can hear what other very good harp players are doing. I very seldom think I should change the way I play because of what someone else is doing, but I get a lot of inspiration from people like you, Adam, Jason and I liked the Todd Parrot bends the over-blows too. I'm not so much into his style, but the demo he gives on bending OB's is very nice I thought. Very talented!
here's another vid that shows the versatility of my style of vibrato. listen around 1:35 or so to hear how I can mimic the sounds of a guitar style vibrato.
Here is another variety of it. It's quicker and wider as it would be found in asian style music.
Sorry couldn't resist. Great posts though. I was just in Beijing for 3 weeks and my only internet access was through an iPod touch and whatever open access points I could find. I couldn't listen to any of the music that you posted until I returned to the states.
Last Edited by on May 27, 2009 11:30 AM
CH- don't worry about it too much, there are many ways to accomplish the same thing. Try and see what works for you and remember that there is more than one way. Once you feel comfortable with one method, perhaps try another one to see what that's like. It's the same thing with bending, many ways to do it, just stick to what feels and sounds good to you and you'll get better. Actually, once you DO get better, you probably will become more interested in using various technics... but for now... just doing basic stuff will get you pretty far. (my guess is that it won't take you 10 years) 10 years from now, you'll be reading this stuff and laughing about it...
BTW I know somebody from another forum, you became pretty good in ONE year... some people thought he was BS-ing, but he wasn't.. this guy put in many hours EVERY DAY for a year and it paid off......
ps: looks like I forgot to say welcome... Welcome CH! ---------- DutchBones Tube
