[Harp-L] Throat Vibrato On Bent Notes

["samblancato" <samblancato@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I am after advice as to whether I should persist with working on throat
vibrato on bent notes, or whether I should rely on hand vibrato for these?
I am unsure whether I can still get a good hand vibrato when playing
amplified with a microphone in my cup, as I am not at that stage yet, but
wish to have all the skills applicable for when the time comes. All advice,
except give up gratefully received.
Reg
Tony Renshaw
Sydney Australia

 

Tony,

 

Are you sure you?re doing actual throat vibrato in the first place? I just
learned throat vibrato 5 months ago so I might be wrong about this but my
experience has been that T.V. works great in slight bends ? half steps- and
on adding a singing quality to straight draws but is very hard to do on deep
bends that go down one and a half steps.  I know Butterfield could do it but
he?s the only player whose work I?ve tried to play and discovered these deep
bend throat vibratos.  There?s one on Blues with a Feeling on his first
album.  The thing is, I?m not even sure if it is a bent throat vibrato; it
might be just a really violent tongue vibrato (as in just bending and
unbending the note with the tongue) because I seem to be able to get the not
that way. 

 

My point is that getting your, let?s say, 3 draw down one and a half steps
and then being able to work the throat/septum for a throat vibrato is really
difficult.  I sitting here as I write with a C Golden Melody working the 2
and 3 draws, getting a great T.V. on both but bringing each down only a ¼
step.  When I bring either note down a full step there is too much pressure
brought to bare on the not to and the tongue is to far back in my throat for
me to engage my throat and septum to put a vibrato on them.  Good luck on
puling that off if you can, it?s beyond me.  If you do learn how to do it ?
let us know.

 

Sam Blancato, Pittsburgh