Grateful Dead Music Forum

Any tips on doing a good vibrato? Everytime I try, it sounds like a sound effect from an old Bugs Bunny cartoon of a rubber band or spring snapping back and forth.

for a slow vibrato you can apply harder and lighter pressure on the string. for a fast, bb king-like vibrato, use your finger tip as a pivot point an kind of just wiggle your hand. its hard to explain, but youll get it. you an use combinations of the 2 to find just what youre looking for

put the cradle of your hand (where the thumb meets the index) against the bottom of the neck. pick a finger (your ring finger is easier to start with) when you play the note throw the ball of your hand backward and let it pull itself back into place repetedly. thats the best description I can give

Also try bending down (toward the floor for righties) on the bottom five strings, instead of up. For some reason get the Bugs Bunny / rubber band sound a lot less often that way.