Finger vibrato
Encyclopedia
Finger vibrato is vibrato
produced on a string instrument
by cyclic hand movements. Despite the name, normally the entire hand moves, and sometimes the entire upper arm. It can also refer to vibrato on some woodwind instruments, achieved by lowering one or more fingers over one of the uncovered holes in a trill
-like manner. This flattens the note periodically creating the vibrato.
Throughout the 20th century, finger vibrato was normally used in playing all members of the violin
family unless otherwise indicated. Toward the end of the century, playing without vibrato became a more accepted technique- but almost never professionally.
In contemporary music, finger vibrato is also routinely used by classical guitar
ists on longer notes, to create an impression of a longer sustain. The technique is also used by jazz
bassists to add depth of tone.
), but can be performed on any kind of guitar, and is frequently used on steel string and electric guitar, as well. When a guitarist sees the term "vibrato" written in a score, this is generally the first effect which will come to mind.
Radial pitch-shifting (also referred to as "string bending" or "bending") is produced by moving the stopped (held down) string with the fretting hand in a direction perpendicular to its axis and parallel to the fingerboard. This type of pitch-shifting is associated with blues, rock, country and pop music. The effect generally shifts the pitch over a wider range than axial pitch-shifting. It can be used to produce vibrato per se, that is a cyclic variation in pitch;or a single up-and-down swoop; or a shift
from one pitch to another which is then held. If the stringing and action of the guitar are light enough, it is possible for the extremes of a string bend to be a semitone
or more apart: thus, it is possible to use string bending as a way of making a legato
transition between notes, and not just as a decoration on a note.
String bends are one of few ways to achieve microtonality, especially blue notes, on the guitar.
A backward, reverse or release bend, involves pressing the string to the fingerboard, pulling or pushing it up to stretch the string first, then striking the string and relaxing the string to normal position. This causes the note to go flat, the reverse direction of straight bend.
Sometimes the guitarist will bend a note on a certain string up, while playing the note the string is being bent to on another string, creating an effect called a "unison bend."
Bends of one or two semitone
s are the most common, but skilled players may use bends from 3 semitones to as much as 5 or more) semitones as can be heard in the solo played by David Gilmour
on the song "Another Brick In the Wall
Pt.2" from Pink Floyd
's album "The Wall
." In addition to the player's skill, the range of a pitch bend is also limited to some extent by the type of guitar, material and stiffness of the strings, and area of the neck in which the bends are played. (E.g., Steel strings can be bent further in pitch than nylon strings; thin strings further than thick strings; bends in the middle of the neck further than bends near the nut, etc.)
In Blues
playing, the target note can be slightly higher or lower than the fretted note one or two frets higher. It can be a quarter tone
or not even exactly that, but a tone which is not present in the tempered scale
, being a natural third or seventh instead (or close to it). These are the blue note
s, one of which is e.g. between minor and major third. The exact location varies from performer to performer.
Press the string between the nut
and the machine head
(tuning key), and the pitch will shift.
The particular advantage of this technique is that unstopped notes can be pitch shifted (bent).
technique, known as Bebung
.
Until the first half of the 20th century, the clavichord was the only keyboard instrument
on which finger vibrato was possible. In 1928, Maurice Martenot
invented the Ondes Martenot
, featuring a keyboard which can be laterally rocked back and forth—inspired by his experience as a cellist. Other finger vibrato techniques may also be used on pressure sensitive
electronic keyboard
s with appropriate sounds and patches. For example, the Rodgers
digital church organs may be provided with an optional voice for the upper keyboard which provides a solo trumpet
with velocity-sensitive volume and pressure-sensitive pitch, allowing a skilled player to play a very realistic trumpet solo.
, it was called flattement in French and used, usually on long notes, on the Baroque flute and recorder
, and noted in the writings of Jacques-Martin Hotteterre
and Michel Corrette
. In Irish music, it is used on the uillean pipes and pennywhistle. In contemporary terms this technique is more usually referred to as a "timbral trill".
Vibrato
Vibrato is a musical effect consisting of a regular, pulsating change of pitch. It is used to add expression to vocal and instrumental music. Vibrato is typically characterised in terms of two factors: the amount of pitch variation and the speed with which the pitch is varied .-Vibrato and...
produced on a string instrument
String instrument
A string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
by cyclic hand movements. Despite the name, normally the entire hand moves, and sometimes the entire upper arm. It can also refer to vibrato on some woodwind instruments, achieved by lowering one or more fingers over one of the uncovered holes in a trill
Trill (music)
The trill is a musical ornament consisting of a rapid alternation between two adjacent notes, usually a semitone or tone apart, which can be identified with the context of the trill....
-like manner. This flattens the note periodically creating the vibrato.
Violin
There are three types of violin vibrato: finger, wrist, and full-arm. In finger vibrato, the performer only moves his/her fingers; in full-arm, the performer pulls his/her arm back and forth on the violin but only minimally changes his/her finger's position, creating a change of tone.Throughout the 20th century, finger vibrato was normally used in playing all members of the violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
family unless otherwise indicated. Toward the end of the century, playing without vibrato became a more accepted technique- but almost never professionally.
Guitar
In its pure form, vibrato is usually achieved by twisting the wrist rapidly to bend the note slightly, moving to and from the root note. However, the same techniques are applied at a slower speed to get pitch alterations.In contemporary music, finger vibrato is also routinely used by classical guitar
Classical guitar
The classical guitar is a 6-stringed plucked string instrument from the family of instruments called chordophones...
ists on longer notes, to create an impression of a longer sustain. The technique is also used by jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
bassists to add depth of tone.
Axial pitch-shifting
Axial vibrato is produced by moving stopped (held down) string with the left hand in a direction parallel to its axis, which increases or reduces the tension on the string and thereby alters the pitch. This type of vibrato is typically used by classical guitarists (see Classical guitar techniqueClassical guitar technique
The classical guitar technique is a fingerstyle technique used by classical guitarists to play classical guitar music on a classical guitar.-General:...
), but can be performed on any kind of guitar, and is frequently used on steel string and electric guitar, as well. When a guitarist sees the term "vibrato" written in a score, this is generally the first effect which will come to mind.
Radial pitch-shifting (string bending)
from one pitch to another which is then held. If the stringing and action of the guitar are light enough, it is possible for the extremes of a string bend to be a semitone
Semitone
A semitone, also called a half step or a half tone, is the smallest musical interval commonly used in Western tonal music, and it is considered the most dissonant when sounded harmonically....
or more apart: thus, it is possible to use string bending as a way of making a legato
Legato
In musical notation the Italian word legato indicates that musical notes are played or sung smoothly and connected. That is, in transitioning from note to note, there should be no intervening silence...
transition between notes, and not just as a decoration on a note.
String bends are one of few ways to achieve microtonality, especially blue notes, on the guitar.
Basic technique
To produce a bend the guitarist puts a finger on the string and then, while pressing the string down to the fingerboard, strikes a tone, and pushes or pulls the string to the side. This has the effect of stretching the string and thus makes its pitch higher. Generally a bend on the lower (6th-4th) strings will move them "down" vertically as seen from the guitarist's point of view and a bend on the higher (3rd-1st) strings will move them "up". The technique can also be used with pinch harmonics to make "squealies".A backward, reverse or release bend, involves pressing the string to the fingerboard, pulling or pushing it up to stretch the string first, then striking the string and relaxing the string to normal position. This causes the note to go flat, the reverse direction of straight bend.
Sometimes the guitarist will bend a note on a certain string up, while playing the note the string is being bent to on another string, creating an effect called a "unison bend."
Bends of one or two semitone
Semitone
A semitone, also called a half step or a half tone, is the smallest musical interval commonly used in Western tonal music, and it is considered the most dissonant when sounded harmonically....
s are the most common, but skilled players may use bends from 3 semitones to as much as 5 or more) semitones as can be heard in the solo played by David Gilmour
David Gilmour
David Jon Gilmour, CBE, D.M. is an English rock musician and multi-instrumentalist who is best known as the guitarist, one of the lead singers and main songwriters in the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. In addition to his work with Pink Floyd, Gilmour has worked as a producer for a variety of...
on the song "Another Brick In the Wall
Another Brick in the Wall
"Another Brick in the Wall" is the title of three songs set to variations of the same basic theme, on Pink Floyd's 1979 rock opera, The Wall, subtitled Part 1 , Part 2 , and Part 3...
Pt.2" from Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
's album "The Wall
The Wall
The Wall is the eleventh studio album by English progressive rock group Pink Floyd. Released as a double album on 30 November 1979, it was subsequently performed live with elaborate theatrical effects, and adapted into a feature film, Pink Floyd—The Wall.As with the band's previous three...
." In addition to the player's skill, the range of a pitch bend is also limited to some extent by the type of guitar, material and stiffness of the strings, and area of the neck in which the bends are played. (E.g., Steel strings can be bent further in pitch than nylon strings; thin strings further than thick strings; bends in the middle of the neck further than bends near the nut, etc.)
In Blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
playing, the target note can be slightly higher or lower than the fretted note one or two frets higher. It can be a quarter tone
Quarter tone
A quarter tone , is a pitch halfway between the usual notes of a chromatic scale, an interval about half as wide as a semitone, which is half a whole tone....
or not even exactly that, but a tone which is not present in the tempered scale
Equal temperament
An equal temperament is a musical temperament, or a system of tuning, in which every pair of adjacent notes has an identical frequency ratio. As pitch is perceived roughly as the logarithm of frequency, this means that the perceived "distance" from every note to its nearest neighbor is the same for...
, being a natural third or seventh instead (or close to it). These are the blue note
Blue note
In jazz and blues, a blue note is a note sung or played at a slightly lower pitch than that of the major scale for expressive purposes. Typically the alteration is a semitone or less, but this varies among performers and genres. Country blues, in particular, features wide variations from the...
s, one of which is e.g. between minor and major third. The exact location varies from performer to performer.
Difficulties
- The most difficult moment for beginners practicing bends is getting the note bent to proper pitch. Usually the bend changes note pitch exactly by 1 semitone or 1 whole tone (2 semitones), and most beginners fail to bend a string exactly to proper pitch, producing overbends and underbends. Most guitar teachers advise playing the target note on a higher fret, listening closely to its sound and trying to bend the string aiming to get exactly the same pitch.
- Bending (especially heavy bending, more than 1 semitone) usually involves touching more than 1 string with a left (fretting) hand, as seen in the illustration.
- Bending can cause the strings to break or the guitar to go out of tune.
- Bending, especially wide bending, requires specialized finger strength. It is not uncommon for bending to be very awkward and/or tiring for the hands. However, with proper practice, this subsides. String gauge also plays a big role; typically thicker strings are more difficult to bend. Notable guitarists who used very heavy gauge strings while still producing musical bends include Stevie Ray VaughanStevie Ray VaughanStephen Ray "Stevie Ray" Vaughan was an American electric blues guitarist and singer. He was the younger brother of Jimmie Vaughan and frontman for Double Trouble, a band that included bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Chris Layton. Born in Dallas, Vaughan moved to Austin at the age of 17 and...
and Peter GreenPeter Green (musician)Peter Green is a British blues-rock guitarist and the founder of the band Fleetwood Mac...
.
Behind-the-nut pitch-shifting
- Also known as "Behind-the-nut bending"
Press the string between the nut
Nut (instrumental)
The nut of a string instrument is a small piece of hard material which supports the strings at the end closest to the headstock or scroll. The nut marks one end of the speaking length of each open string, sets the spacing of the strings across the neck, and usually holds the strings at the proper...
and the machine head
Machine head
A machine head is part of a string instrument ranging from guitars to double basses, a geared apparatus for applying tension and thereby tuning a string, usually located at the headstock. A headstock has several machine heads, one per string...
(tuning key), and the pitch will shift.
- Classical guitar (nylon-string): This works on the unwound strings on a classical (nylon-string) guitar, and also works better on the strings whose heads (tuning keys) are further from the nut
- Bass guitar: works on all strings
The particular advantage of this technique is that unstopped notes can be pitch shifted (bent).
Variations
- Several strings can be bent at once.
- Innumerable bend patterns exist: for example, straight bending of a string 2 semitones up, then 1 semitone down, then 1 up, then 2 down.
Sound
When a string is bent, the sound it creates is much smoother than would be otherwise, even using other legato techniques such as hammer-ons, pull-offs, or finger slides. String bending on the guitar was first used in blues to mimic the smooth sound of a slide guitar. It has since become an integral part of playing lead guitar. Some masters of string bending on guitar include Tony Iommi, Brian May, T-Bone Walker, B. B. King, and Eric Clapton, as well as many other blues, country, and jazz influenced guitarists. In order to facilitate his extensive string bending, Clapton used to substitute an unwound banjo string for the third string on his guitar. At that time, there was not a set of light-gauge strings with an unwound third string available.Keyboard instruments
Finger vibrato is also a standard part of clavichordClavichord
The clavichord is a European stringed keyboard instrument known from the late Medieval, through the Renaissance, Baroque and Classical eras. Historically, it was widely used as a practice instrument and as an aid to composition, not being loud enough for larger performances. The clavichord produces...
technique, known as Bebung
Bebung
Bebung is a type of vibrato executed on the clavichord.When a clavichord key is pressed, a small metal tangent strikes a string and remains in contact with it for as long as the key is held down...
.
Until the first half of the 20th century, the clavichord was the only keyboard instrument
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
on which finger vibrato was possible. In 1928, Maurice Martenot
Maurice Martenot
Maurice Martenot was a French cellist, a radio telegrapher during the first World War, and an inventor.Born in Paris, he is best known for his invention of the ondes Martenot, an instrument he first realized in 1928 and spent decades improving. He unveiled a microtonal model in 1938...
invented the Ondes Martenot
Ondes Martenot
The ondes Martenot , also known as the ondium Martenot, Martenot and ondes musicales, is an early electronic musical instrument invented in 1928 by Maurice Martenot. The original design was similar in sound to the theremin...
, featuring a keyboard which can be laterally rocked back and forth—inspired by his experience as a cellist. Other finger vibrato techniques may also be used on pressure sensitive
Pressure sensitive
Pressure sensitive may refer to:* Pressure sensitive adhesive* Pressure sensitive paper* Pressure sensitive tape* Piezoelectric sensor* Pressure sensor* the force with which a key is held after initial impact...
electronic keyboard
Electronic keyboard
An electronic keyboard is an electronic or digital keyboard instrument.The major components of a typical modern electronic keyboard are:...
s with appropriate sounds and patches. For example, the Rodgers
Rodgers Instruments
Rodgers Instruments Corporation is an American manufacturer of classical and church organs. Rodgers was founded in 1958 by Rodgers W. Jenkins and Fred Tinker, employees of Tektronix, Inc., of Portland, Oregon, and members of a Tektronix team developing transistor-based oscillator circuits...
digital church organs may be provided with an optional voice for the upper keyboard which provides a solo trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
with velocity-sensitive volume and pressure-sensitive pitch, allowing a skilled player to play a very realistic trumpet solo.
Wind instruments
Finger vibrato is used on several woodwind instruments, in both classical and traditional music. In Baroque musicBaroque music
Baroque music describes a style of Western Classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1760. This era follows the Renaissance and was followed in turn by the Classical era...
, it was called flattement in French and used, usually on long notes, on the Baroque flute and recorder
Recorder
The recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes—whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle. The recorder is end-blown and the mouth of the instrument is constricted by a wooden plug, known as a block or fipple...
, and noted in the writings of Jacques-Martin Hotteterre
Jacques-Martin Hotteterre
Jacques-Martin Hotteterre , also known as Jacques Martin or Jacques Hotteterre, was a French composer and flautist. Jacques-Martin Hotteterre was the most celebrated of a family of wind instrument makers and wind performers.-Biography:Jacques-Martin Hotteterre was born in Paris, the son of Martin...
and Michel Corrette
Michel Corrette
Michel Corrette was a French organist, composer and author of musical method books.-Life:Corrette was born in Rouen, Normandy. His father, Gaspard Corrette, was an organist and composer. Corrette served as organist at the Jesuit College in Paris from about 1737 to 1780. It is also known that he...
. In Irish music, it is used on the uillean pipes and pennywhistle. In contemporary terms this technique is more usually referred to as a "timbral trill".
External links
- Jerry Donahue Interview; contains useful information