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Topic: Rolling vibrato question |
Jim Robbins
From:
Ontario, Canada
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Posted 7 Nov 2009 10:22 am |
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I've never really used rolling vibrato before & always relied on the sliding kind but now I'm trying to get it down, since the sound is different.
For those of you that are good at it: Do you mainly use your thumb & fingers or does the motion mainly come from the wrist? Or both at once?
Any tips on the technique would be most appreciated. |
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Skip Ellis
From:
Bradenton, Fl USA
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Posted 7 Nov 2009 10:43 am
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Jim, that's the only kind of vibrato I've ever used - I do it with my fingers - I think I sort of lighten up with my thumb and let my index finger roll the bar back and forth. I've always thought it was a smoother sound.
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2013 Brook Torridge, 2014 Martin 000-18, two homebrew Teles, Evans RE200 amp, Quilter 101R head, understanding wife of 45 years. 'Steeless' at the moment but looking...... |
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Bent Romnes
From:
London,Ontario, Canada
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Posted 7 Nov 2009 4:04 pm
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Jim, it is what Skip said. Do what you have to do to make that bar roll, not slide. It's a very short roll mind you...maybe an eighth of an inch or less.
One thing I remember is what the great Jeff Newman told us: Try and keep your bar roll in time with the song; slow for a slow song and faster for a faster one. Practice lots on this. It's an art to acquire a good vibrato.
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BenRom Pedal Steel Guitars
https://www.facebook.com/groups/212050572323614/ |
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Dave Magram
From:
San Jose, California, USA
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Posted 8 Nov 2009 2:30 pm
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Hi Jim,
What I've found works best is to create a little "corral" between your left thumb and middle finger for the bar to fit in.
There should be only the lightest pressure (almost none) from your thumb or middle finger on the sides of the bar. The main job of this little "corral" is to keep the bar lined up with the fret and perpendicular to the strings. This "corral" allows the bar to roll easily.
Most pro players position the bar in this "corral" so that the tip of their middle finger extends slightly beyond the nose of the bar for muting/blocking.
Put your index finger on top of the bar with just enough pressure to keep the strings from rattling. Then by wagging your index finger a little bit, you should be easily able to roll the bar at whatever speed you desire.
- Dave
Last edited by Dave Magram on 9 Nov 2009 12:52 am; edited 2 times in total |
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Jim Robbins
From:
Ontario, Canada
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Posted 8 Nov 2009 8:47 pm
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| Thanks, this has been helpful. I'm getting to really like the rolling sound as opposed to the sliding sound. |
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Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 8 Nov 2009 9:17 pm 'cuse my ignorance but.........................
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Before Jeff Newman came along and the many others that his Jeffran College has successfully turned out,
I wonder HOW all of the great and wonderful, true pioneers of Hawaiian Steel Guitar managed to play without that "ROLLING" bar vibrato?
It's sorta like those fellows that didn't start thinking about Hawaiian Steel Guitar until after the 1980's and now when the talk about steel guitar, it's always spoken as tho' there was no steel guitar PRIOR to 1980.
Hummmmmmmmm? |
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Peter Freiberger
From:
California, USA
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Jim Robbins
From:
Ontario, Canada
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Posted 9 Nov 2009 8:41 pm
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Thanks, Peter, awesome clip, that band was so solid. Wouldn't it be nice to have more closeups of steel players' hands like that. (Feet & knees, too.)
Ray, while it's arguable that Bob Dunn played everything on electrified steel guitar that's worth playing, and ever since we've all been pale imitations, I don't see anything wrong with having more than one string to your bow. BTW I'm pretty sure that JD clip was from a few years before 1980. It would be interesting, but probably impossible, to trace the history of different bar vibrato techniques. |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 10 Nov 2009 9:12 am Re: 'cuse my ignorance but.........................
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| Ray Montee wrote: |
I wonder HOW all of the great and wonderful, true pioneers of Hawaiian Steel Guitar managed to play without that "ROLLING" bar vibrato?
Hummmmmmmmm? |
Different era, Ray, and a far different bar. Many Hawaiian pioneers used a flat bar (and they don't roll real well). Round bars, when they were used back then, were quite small, on the order of 1/2" to 9/16", and smallish bars don't lend themselves to rolling as easy as the larger ones. In addition, many of the pioneers played only 6 or 8 string steels, and you tend to get more string noise when you're covering more (and larger) strings and sliding the bar.
Also, one last suggestion (made in good nature and with utmost respect) - Stop looking down on everyone who doesn't play like Jerry Byrd or Roy Wiggins. |
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Shaun Swanson
From:
Wisconsin, USA
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 12 Nov 2009 11:00 am
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You get less string noise with a rolling technique, so it works better (for me) on slow passages. The sliding technique works better for really fast vibratos, though. 
Learn both. |
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