Re: Vibratos, Etc.

[Thomas Hinkle <hinkl_th@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

It seems to me that normally it is vibrato.  The way I do is a vibrato is
my changing the shape of my throat a bit.  The sound I get is that of a
very slight bend fluctuating, or a fluctuation in pitch.  I actually have
difficulty changing the volume (tremolo) without having some pitch change.

				-Tom-


On Mon, 5 Jun 1995, Bobbie Giordano wrote:

> g/mail/postponed-mail/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII
> 
> Obviously, I have nothing better to do than net-play while awaiting the
> hurricane to come through Tallahassee!
> 
> After reading all the descriptions of the various effects to be made on
> the harmonica, it occurs to me that most are not truly vibrato at all.
> Unless the pitch is wavering somewhat, it's not a vibrato.  In fact, I
> guess most single note effects on the harp are more accurately called
> tremolos, caused by rythymic changes in air pressure, and thus, volume.
> Even the use of the muscular mechanisms in the throat, which are used to 
> create a vibrato while singing, really only deliver a pulsing of the note
> played on the harp because the air pressure in the voice tract is fluctu-
> ating.
> 
> It seems the only true vibrato on harp is achieved by BENDING the note in
> a rythymic manner.  I have to say this does have a distinctly different
> sound than the other ways I wiggle a note.  Since I don't overblow (yet!),
> the pitch shifts lower than the note played.  If you're already bending
> the note, I guess you can also make the pitch go higher than the note 
> played, but this seems pretty difficult to me.  Does anyone do this?  I 
> think I'll experiment with it a little, but I don't think I'll like it as 
> much as the vibrato with the note flatting.
> 
> BTW, one technique I enjoy when playing is to add bending while doing a 
> headshake (trill, warble, quaver, whatever it's called.)  Another is using 
> vibrato (or tremolo) while bending a note.  The thing about developing 
> various note wavering techniques is the variety of pulsating speeds and 
> tonal qualities you can create. 
> 
> Is making a vibrato by rhythmic note-bending a common method used by others?
> 
> 
> Till next,                              
> ....Bobbie                                          *Harp Vibrating Here*
> 
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> """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ^^^^^^^ """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" 
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