Players of many instruments, including the human voice, use vibrato to help add expression to sustained notes. Vibrato is performed in two major ways, the first by rapidly bending the string back and forth, causing a modulation in pitch;
therefore, all of the information above about bending applies here, except it is performed faster or more prolonged. Or it can be performed in a 'classical' style where one applies pressure parallel to the string towards the neck then towards
the bridge repeatedly, which allows one to achieve vibrato upward and downward in pitch, albeit with a smaller change. A small, subtle vibrato might not require the assistance of other fingers; the fretting finger should be sufficient.
However, for sustained vibrato or vibrato on the first or second frets, using multiple fingers for bending is a good idea.
Showing posts with label Bending. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bending. Show all posts
Friday, November 13, 2009
Bend and Release
The ideas of bending and pre-bending can be combined for a "bend and release", that is, striking a note, bending it up, then releasing it as you would with a pre-bend. This will often be perceived as a "bounce" in pitch, especially if played
quickly. The reverse is also possible: pre-bend, release, and bend. Repeatedly and steadily bending and releasing is called vibrato.
quickly. The reverse is also possible: pre-bend, release, and bend. Repeatedly and steadily bending and releasing is called vibrato.
Pre-bending
Bending, whether by pushing or pulling the string, raises the tension in the vibrating portion of the string, and thus always raises the pitch of the note. This means it is easier to slide up rather than down in pitch. To create the impression of
bending down, the guitarist uses a technique called pre-bending, that is, bending before the string is struck, then releasing the bend (either gradually or quickly, depending on the intended effect).
bending down, the guitarist uses a technique called pre-bending, that is, bending before the string is struck, then releasing the bend (either gradually or quickly, depending on the intended effect).
Bending
Bending is exactly as it sounds: bending the string to the side by pushing it (towards the sixth string) or pulling it (towards the first string), often while a fretted note is ringing. The first three strings are normally pushed, and the others are
normally pulled. This is particularly important on the first and sixth strings, as you do not want the string to fall off the fretboard. Whether the string is pushed or pulled, the note will be raised in pitch.
Many aspiring guitarists cannot bend properly. The sound of a bend is more important than how it is actually executed or how it looks, but a bad bending technique usually leads to a bad sound. Your favorite guitarist might bend using just
his or her fingertips and you might be inclined to copy this — don't! Your hands can sound every bit as good as your hero's without copying his or her technique. There are two keys to bending properly: proper thumb positioning, and
bending with the proper muscles. Do not keep your thumb behind the neck, where it usually is, but bring it up perpendicular to the neck (a position that is normally incorrect, but not in the case of bending). Keep the fingers firm. Do not bend
your fingers, but push or pull with your forearm. You will hardly see your forearm move, possibly just see a couple of muscles flex. It will feel awkward at first, but if you can bend with the thumb in the proper position and without bending
the fingers, you are probably doing it correctly.
Many guitarists will have trouble bending more than 1/4 step (half a semitone) or perhaps 1/2 step (one semitone) with only one finger, especially on frets close to the nut and on the thinner strings. It is much easier to bend with more than
one finger, for instance, with the index finger on the first or second fret and the ring finger on the third, and pushing or pulling with both fingers in order to bend at the third fret. More fingers may be used if this is not enough. It should be
possible to bend at least a full step (the pitch difference of two frets) this way.
normally pulled. This is particularly important on the first and sixth strings, as you do not want the string to fall off the fretboard. Whether the string is pushed or pulled, the note will be raised in pitch.
Many aspiring guitarists cannot bend properly. The sound of a bend is more important than how it is actually executed or how it looks, but a bad bending technique usually leads to a bad sound. Your favorite guitarist might bend using just
his or her fingertips and you might be inclined to copy this — don't! Your hands can sound every bit as good as your hero's without copying his or her technique. There are two keys to bending properly: proper thumb positioning, and
bending with the proper muscles. Do not keep your thumb behind the neck, where it usually is, but bring it up perpendicular to the neck (a position that is normally incorrect, but not in the case of bending). Keep the fingers firm. Do not bend
your fingers, but push or pull with your forearm. You will hardly see your forearm move, possibly just see a couple of muscles flex. It will feel awkward at first, but if you can bend with the thumb in the proper position and without bending
the fingers, you are probably doing it correctly.
Many guitarists will have trouble bending more than 1/4 step (half a semitone) or perhaps 1/2 step (one semitone) with only one finger, especially on frets close to the nut and on the thinner strings. It is much easier to bend with more than
one finger, for instance, with the index finger on the first or second fret and the ring finger on the third, and pushing or pulling with both fingers in order to bend at the third fret. More fingers may be used if this is not enough. It should be
possible to bend at least a full step (the pitch difference of two frets) this way.
Bending and vibrato
Bending and vibrato are two related effects which help give extra "life" to notes, especially sustained notes, by changing their pitch. The techniques are not commonly used on the acoustic guitar or general rhythm playing. However, they
are extremely important to many styles involving distorted guitar, e.g., rock or metal, even when playing rhythm (though, in that case, bends and vibratos are usually embellishments). Bending or an equivalent effect is not possible on all
instruments; the piano, for example, cannot have notes that change in pitch. This is one reason why it is important to know how to bend: because you can!
This section deals with bending and vibrato using your fingers, not the different technique of using the vibrato bar. The two techniques do the same basic thing, but using the vibrato bar as a substitute for fretting-hand bending is not good
practice; it is best used for very heavy bends or heavy vibratos, not slight embellishments like finger bending. It is more difficult to be subtle with a vibrato bar, and it is usually a bit out of the way for the picking hand to reach, making it
harder to use. In short, while in some cases which style of bending or vibrato is used is a matter of taste, the two techniques are not interchangeable and are used for different effects.
are extremely important to many styles involving distorted guitar, e.g., rock or metal, even when playing rhythm (though, in that case, bends and vibratos are usually embellishments). Bending or an equivalent effect is not possible on all
instruments; the piano, for example, cannot have notes that change in pitch. This is one reason why it is important to know how to bend: because you can!
This section deals with bending and vibrato using your fingers, not the different technique of using the vibrato bar. The two techniques do the same basic thing, but using the vibrato bar as a substitute for fretting-hand bending is not good
practice; it is best used for very heavy bends or heavy vibratos, not slight embellishments like finger bending. It is more difficult to be subtle with a vibrato bar, and it is usually a bit out of the way for the picking hand to reach, making it
harder to use. In short, while in some cases which style of bending or vibrato is used is a matter of taste, the two techniques are not interchangeable and are used for different effects.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
The trill
A trill is two alternating notes, such as an A and A#. Only the first note is struck; the rest are rapidly hammered-on and pulled off
The pull-off
The pull-off is the opposite of the hammer-on. Again, using the E string, hold it at the third fret. Strike the string and while the note is still ringing, release the fretting finger. If done properly, the G should be followed by an open E. If the note doesn't ring out properly, try hitting the G harder and releasing faster.
Like the hammer-on, the second note tends to be less loud than the first. To help alleviate this, a slight sideways motion of the fretting finger while pulling off will add extra vibration to the string, and give you some extra volume. Often it is hard for a beginner to accomplish, and the sideways movement helps greatly.
A pull-off looks like this:
D---7p5--5p4--4p2--2p0--
Like the hammer-on, the second note tends to be less loud than the first. To help alleviate this, a slight sideways motion of the fretting finger while pulling off will add extra vibration to the string, and give you some extra volume. Often it is hard for a beginner to accomplish, and the sideways movement helps greatly.
A pull-off looks like this:
D---7p5--5p4--4p2--2p0--
Pull-offs, and Trills
Hammer-ons can be done anywhere on the fretboard, but for the beginner it is easiest using an open string. To quickly learn, strike an open E on the first string. While the note is still ringing, quickly and firmly press a finger on the third fret. If done properly, a G note should be sounding.
Quickly pressing your finger down and raising the note without hitting the string again is called "hammering on". Without electric amplification, the hammer-on tends to be quieter than regularly struck notes, especially if you haven't practiced it! Because the strings are closer to the fretboard, hammer-ons are easier to execute on an electric guitar. However, this doesn't make them less common on an acoustic guitar, where they are used frequently to embellish open chords
The hammer-on can just as easily be played with fretted notes: just play the note normally and hammer onto another (higher-numbered) fret on the same string. If you practice hammer-ons, eventually you will be able to move each finger smoothly and independently.
The hammer-on can just as easily be played with fretted notes: just play the note normally and hammer onto another (higher-numbered) fret on the same string. If you practice hammer-ons, eventually you will be able to move each finger smoothly and independently.
Quickly pressing your finger down and raising the note without hitting the string again is called "hammering on". Without electric amplification, the hammer-on tends to be quieter than regularly struck notes, especially if you haven't practiced it! Because the strings are closer to the fretboard, hammer-ons are easier to execute on an electric guitar. However, this doesn't make them less common on an acoustic guitar, where they are used frequently to embellish open chords
The hammer-on can just as easily be played with fretted notes: just play the note normally and hammer onto another (higher-numbered) fret on the same string. If you practice hammer-ons, eventually you will be able to move each finger smoothly and independently.
The hammer-on can just as easily be played with fretted notes: just play the note normally and hammer onto another (higher-numbered) fret on the same string. If you practice hammer-ons, eventually you will be able to move each finger smoothly and independently.
guitar- slides
The slide is one of the simplest guitar techniques. There are two kinds of slides: shift slides and legato slides. In a shift slide, a note is fretted, then the fretting finger slides up or down to a different fret, and the string is struck again. A legato slide differs in that the string is struck only for the first note.
Sweep picking
Sweep picking is a more specialized technique, occurring most often in metal. It involves playing a fast arpeggio with a special technique: when switching from one string to the next, mute the note currently ringing by lifting the fretting finger. A sweep can become a rake if notes are muted incorrectly. Rakes can sound nice, but they are not sweeps. Remember only 1 note can ring out at a time or it won't sound good. It takes practice and it helps to start slow and build up speed.
arpeggio
The word arpeggio (ar-peh-jee-oh) is Italian for, roughly, "like a harp", as it is a common technique for playing chords on the harp. To play an arpeggiated chord on the guitar, simply strum or pick the chord slowly, one string at a time, such that the ringing of each string is distinct. Arpeggios occur in all kinds of music, from classical to metal.
Guitar/Chord Types
A chord is three or more different notes played simultaneously. Chords derive their name from the root note. The interval relationship between the root note and the other notes determine whether it is a major, minor, augmented or diminished
chord. Chords may be strummed in entirety or the notes picked individually. Beginners find strumming much easier. The more advanced technique of picking is examined in the Picking and Plucking chapter. Power chords are intervals
because they consist of only two notes but they are usually treated as chords when described.
While chords are primarily used for rhythm guitar, basic chord knowledge is important for lead playing as well. The lead parts of many songs often require the use of chords, and in certain styles of playing, chords can make up the lead part
entirely. Additionally, many lead patterns revolve around arpeggios, which are chords with their notes played in sequence, rather than together. For more information on arpeggios, see the Arpeggio and Sweep Picking.
Chords are easy to play, but to understand why they sound how they do and why certain chords work better together than others, it is important to understand scales. While it is not necessary to have prior knowledge of scales to find this section useful, prior understanding of scales will definitely improve one's understanding of chords. It is recommended that before reading this section, one should familiarise themselves with general music theory first.
There are two main ways of playing chords, using open chords, which are the fundamental and often easiest chords for the guitar. Learning these chords is important, because it sets the stage for learning all other chords. Barre Chords are chords you make while pressing all (or most) of the strings down with your first finger. Barre chords are special, because they can be moved up and down the neck of the guitar, and the shape of the chord remains the same, although all the notes change. Barring is an important technique and greatly opens up the depth of the instrument.
chord. Chords may be strummed in entirety or the notes picked individually. Beginners find strumming much easier. The more advanced technique of picking is examined in the Picking and Plucking chapter. Power chords are intervals
because they consist of only two notes but they are usually treated as chords when described.
While chords are primarily used for rhythm guitar, basic chord knowledge is important for lead playing as well. The lead parts of many songs often require the use of chords, and in certain styles of playing, chords can make up the lead part
entirely. Additionally, many lead patterns revolve around arpeggios, which are chords with their notes played in sequence, rather than together. For more information on arpeggios, see the Arpeggio and Sweep Picking.
Chords are easy to play, but to understand why they sound how they do and why certain chords work better together than others, it is important to understand scales. While it is not necessary to have prior knowledge of scales to find this section useful, prior understanding of scales will definitely improve one's understanding of chords. It is recommended that before reading this section, one should familiarise themselves with general music theory first.
There are two main ways of playing chords, using open chords, which are the fundamental and often easiest chords for the guitar. Learning these chords is important, because it sets the stage for learning all other chords. Barre Chords are chords you make while pressing all (or most) of the strings down with your first finger. Barre chords are special, because they can be moved up and down the neck of the guitar, and the shape of the chord remains the same, although all the notes change. Barring is an important technique and greatly opens up the depth of the instrument.
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