[Harp-L] re: vibrato

[Wolf Kristiansen <wolfkristiansen@xxxxxxxx>]

This is a response to rainbowjimmy's question about
vibrato-- is it really a modulation in volume, not
pitch?

I grabbed the nearest available paper dictionary I had
before composing this answer.  Here's how my Funk and
Wagnalls defines vibrato:

"Vibrato-- A trembling or pulsating effect caused by
rapid but minute variations in pitch during production
of a tone."

I'm not claiming Funk and Wagnalls is an authority on
music, but it does seem to talk about pitch.  

We hear so many kinds of vibrato in the harmonica as
played by its classical, jazz, pop and blues
practitioners. From subtle (Toots Thielmans) to broad
(Howlin' Wolf). It's hard to say vibrato is exactly
one thing or another. 

I happen to like Howlin' Wolf's vibrato, but many
would find it overly broad.  A good example of his
broad, pulsating vibrato can be heard at the start of
his song, "Sittin' on Top of the World."  It
contradicts the Funk and Wagnalls definition-- there
is nothing rapid OR minute about his pitch changes!  

I think it likely that you DO hear a modulation in
volume in the vibrato samples you are studying.  My
guess is that's because it's next to impossible to
modulate the pitch without at the same time modulating
the volume.

Just my two cents worth.


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