Re: [Harp-L] Vibrato

[BiscuitBoy714@xxxxxxx]

In a message dated 3/7/2007 7:09:24 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
rick.dempster@xxxxxxxxxxx writes:
 
     I've been watching this thread for a while now and  haven't said 
anything about it. Getting good vibrato is something that  comes with lots of 
practice. I guess the first time I ever tried to do it when I  was learning was when 
a buddy of mine loaned me his Paul Butterfield album.  It took a while before 
I could figure out what he was doing, but when I finally  got it I knew I had 
something cool. To me vibrato is another lick to use, it  always makes the 
people I'm tryin' to show how to play look at me in disbelief.  When I try and 
teach people how to do it I always say, "you have to let your  throat relax and 
modulate the air going through the harp all the while not  letting any air 
escape from around your lips." Whenever I get this vibrato I  have to make myself 
do it, although I get this affect without really thinking  about it, I just 
do it because it sounds cool. Part of the "bag 'o' tricks so to  speak. I 
usually do it when I want to sustain a note for effect. I do it with my  throat, I 
can feel my tongue moving when I do it. Maybe I'm doing it wrong but  it 
sounds real cool and I can copy anybody else's effect that way. Yea, I'll  admit 
it, I learned by copying people so if you don't want me copping your licks  
don't put 'em on the internet.
      I've been a singer all of my life, did  it in church and school because 
my family was known for it. I hate to admit this  but when I use vibrato with 
my voice I do it because I'm afraid I will be flat  on a sustained note. At 
this point I have to make myself NOT use vibrato when I  do rock or something 
kind of rough. The effect is kind of similar but doing it  takes different 
techniques for singing or playing the harp.
      Let me go completely out of freakin' bounds  here. Having played most 
of my life for money (just a little most of the time) I  always felt like I was 
trickin' people. I thought that anybody could do this if  they just tried to. 
It was just so easy for me to learn how to play. I did it  between basketball 
games, and after we put the hay in the barn. Did any off yall  ever feel that 
way? God I'm such a mess sometimes.
         Randy

A true  'vibrato' (rhythmic variations in pitch) is produced by the
opening and  closing of the vocal chords (read 'epiglotus' if you want)
I am no great  shakes as a singer, but when a 'vibrato' occasionally
appears in my voice,  I think it is a variation on this process, but
still caused by movement of  the vocal chords: If my diaphragm is
controlling the flow/pressure of air,  my vocal chords can be relaxed
enought to viabrate according to the  frequency of the note to produce a
vibrato


 
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