Newbie Question; Vibrato

[Em Tee]

Do y'all have any tips or good resources for learning to do a good/sweet sounding vibrato on the mandolin? I am self taught and my vibrato just doesn't sound good.

[A-board]

Don't believe I've heard anyone attempting serious vibrato on mandolin. With short strings/high tension, it might be a challenge to accomplish. I've not found the topic addressed in any classes or books.

[DavidKOS]

You can try a classical guitar type vibrato but it isn't common on mandolin.

On balalaika and some other Central Asian stringed instruments, you use the heel of your hand behind the bridge to get a vibrato:

[Kevin Stueve]

did you mean tremolo?

[Charlie Bernstein]

Put your middle finger on the note and put your forefinger one fret down (toward the headstock).

Hit the note, then quickly lift your forefinger, hammer it down, and pull it off several times rapidly.

Or install a Floyd Rose!

[Em Tee]

No, not tremolo. I meant vibrato. And I have heard players use it on the mandolin, it's adds a sweet sounding lilt to the notes.

[Charlie Bernstein]

. . . On balalaika and some other Central Asian stringed instruments, you use the heel of your hand behind the bridge to get a vibrato:

Telecaster players have some interesting ways to compensate for lack of a whammy bar:

- Bend the neck itself.
- Press the string above the nut
- Twiddle with the string's tuner. (Not for the faint-hearted!)
- Play slide.

For mando, only slide works - a la Sam Bush.

[Charlie Bernstein]

No, not tremolo. I meant vibrato. And I have heard players use it on the mandolin, it's adds a sweet sounding lilt to the notes.

I'll stand by my two-finger method. If I can do it, anyone can do it!

[Em Tee]

I am gonna give your method a shot, Charlie. I have been trying to bend the notes into a vibrato and even with my callouses it's been killing my fingers. Thank you for this!

[Em Tee]

Put your middle finger on the note and put your forefinger one fret down (toward the headstock).

Hit the note, then quickly lift your forefinger, hammer it down, and pull it off several times rapidly.

Or install a Floyd Rose!

Oh damn. This worked really well! Thanks a ton!!

[colorado_al]

I gently fret the note with my first or middle finger, then press down while pulling the string towards my palm, then back to the gentle unbent fretting position. Simultaneously shifting axially and radially. Practice it until you can quickly and smoothly repeat. I can get close to a 1/4 tone shift, which I prefer vs 1/2 tone for vibrato, depending on where on the fretboard the note is. You will be able to bend more easily near the middle of the string, than near the nut.

[DavidKOS]

Put your middle finger on the note and put your forefinger one fret down (toward the headstock).

Hit the note, then quickly lift your forefinger, hammer it down, and pull it off several times rapidly.

Or install a Floyd Rose!

That's a trill, not a vibrato.

[Em Tee]

That's a trill, not a vibrato.

I think it's meant to be a reverse trill. Rather than two distinct notes you are vibrating the strings from above the note you are playing. I could be mistaken though

[Bob Visentin]

No not a trill. The middle finger does not come up. The index finger BEHIND the middle finger presses on the strings and makes the note slightly sharper. I have just tries it and it does not work for me.

[pops1]

I was playing guitar and thought of this and tried it. Worked well, you really don't need to take the moving finger off the string, I just pressed hard and relaxed with both fingers for the best result. It bends the string over the fret and doing if fast gives a nice effect. Worked better for me to push both fingers tho.

[Charlie Bernstein]

Oh damn. This worked really well! Thanks a ton!!

Your welcome!

One artist who does occasionally bend mando strings is Rich DelGrosso, the mando blues exemplar. Haven't noticed him do vibrato that way, though, he just bends up for some bluesy sharpening.

[soliver]

I've kinda unintentionally gotten in the habit of bending notes a little and have worn my frets probably more than they should been worn since I started playing.

[Charlie Bernstein]

I think it's meant to be a reverse trill. Rather than two distinct notes you are vibrating the strings from above the note you are playing. I could be mistaken though

I do it from below.

As I undertand it, vibrato is a quavering pitch change. By that definition, a pull-off/hammer-on qualifies. No?

[Em Tee]

I do it from below.

As I undertand it, vibrato is a quavering pitch change. By that definition, a pull-off/hammer-on qualifies. No?

If you are going back and forth between two notes that is indeed a trill. I tried it the reverse, hammering from above the fretted note and that does work as vibrato.

[T.D.Nydn]

I'm with Colorado al,you can get a somewhat normal vibrato out of a mandolin,sounds very sweet,maybe not the longest sustain,but it's there,,perhaps stronger fingers help,I can get a vibrato using any of my 1st 3 fingers but the pinkie forget about it,,does anyone vibrato using a pinkie?...

[Simon DS]

THANK you very much DavidKos!
Darn it, now I want to buy a balalaika

[David L]

I do it from below.

As I undertand it, vibrato is a quavering pitch change. By that definition, a pull-off/hammer-on qualifies. No?

I would call a pull-off/hammer-on a type of slur, but not a vibrato.