Fixing Bends & Vibrato After Years of
Wrong Approach & Bad Advice
Henry walked into my teaching studio with an assortment of common playing problems. He was unable to do a proper bend, or get a controlled vibrato. For an electric player, this is fatal. You can't even "get in the door" as a rock guitarist without these essential skills. To assess yourself, try the lick below.
If you cannot make this lick sound like the mp3 I have recorded, then you should make a serious re-assessment of your progress as a guitarist. Like Henry, and like many people, you may be spending your time on "advanced" things like fast scales, when you are really unable to do the most basic and necessary playing actions, such as bends and vibrato. For the full story of Henry's "recovery", click here...
Click here to play |
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| Here is Henry's inadequate
attempt at executing a string bend. |
Now he is pushing with the fingers themselves instead of holding them firm so they transfer the force from forearm rotation. |
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By Jove, I think he's got it!
Now his thumb is working for him. |
With things working this way, Henry will have the control he needs to get a smooth vibrato. |
Copyright ©1999 Jamie Andreas. All rights reserved.
Fundamental aspects of technique, illustrated using classic songs you know and love (according to The Principles, of course!)
Powerful Secrets! to improve your playing!
Important info on reaching with the index or pinky, and its relation to arm position.
These are essential, and basic, techniques for the rock guitarist. Many people do them wrong, find out if you are one of them!
The classical and casual positions with electric, acoustic, and classical guitars.
There are always lots of questions about how to apply The Principles to a standing position. Here are pictures of me standing with an electric, and using different strap lengths.
Pictures of good left hand positions for various playing situations.
Video clips of the Walking Exercises from "The Principles".
Video clip of Foundation Exercise # 10, The 6 note Arpeggio".
See the proper form of this difficult chord.
There is much confusion as to the "correct" left hand position for guitar. That is because there is no such thing as THE correct left hand position for guitar!
Find out why you need to have those distal joints in shape for this chord, and also why you don't!
In 30 years of teaching, I have rarely (perhaps never) seen a left hand that wasn't crippled with bad form in one way or another, especially when it comes to doing major scales. This workshop student was no exception......
A common error in technique for students, and contributing factor to a lot of playing problems.
What does good tone and bad tone on an acoustic guitar sound like anyway?
Often, we must squeeze our fingers into some rather unaccommodating positions on the guitar. We know we are supposed to strive to get our fingers "right behind the fret" as we play, but, like so many things in life, we have to bend the rules sometimes (it ain't a perfect world!).
