According to Zakk Wylde, there’s no simple way for anyone to learn how to have a good vibrato, but, at the same time, it’s also one of the most recognizable aspects of one’s musicianship.
It’s no secret that the electric guitar is an incredibly expressive instrument. But a huge part of the expressiveness really lies in the player. Vibrato itself is not what makes a great guitarist, but it could be an indicator of one’s skills. But, more importantly, it’s a personal stamp and you can often recognize a guitar player thanks to their vibrato.
One of the most recognizable vibratos is that of Zakk Wylde. So it was obvious that Ultimate Guitar asked him about what makes a great vibrato during the recent edition of their podcast On the Record. However, the answer is far from a straightforward one. He replied:
“The beautiful thing about vibrato whether you’re listening to Angus Young and Paul Kossoff, they have very similar vibratos. And then you listen to John Sykes whose vibrato is very wide.”
“Then you have Yngwie, his vibrato is flawless and his pitch and everything like that. Yngwie, Tosin, Nuno and Father Steve, they could do just vibrato and they don’t even have to play shredding licks.”
“You know who everybody is just by their vibrato alone between King Edward, St. Rhodes, Jimi Hendrix, Robin Trower, Frank Marino,” he argued. And this is, according to Zakk, one of the most recognizable elements in everyone’s playing.
“Like all the guys I just mentioned, their vibrato is amazing,” the metal guitar legend continued. “It’s your calling card. I don’t know. I think you can teach somebody the technique of how to bend a string, but I think the rest of it is gonna fall on you. You know what I mean?”
With that said, Zakk also pointed out how this is entirely different compared to what your average guitar player thinks of as “learning.” It’s not like you can go and look up someone’s tabs or sheet music, learn it all note-for-note and then expect to conquer the fine art of vibrato. However, it still involves a lot of repetition. He continued:
“So I can’t just say ‘Learn how to play blues licks’ or, ‘Learn how to play ‘Red House” or whatever. Because it’s not so much that you have to learn how to play blues or rock or anything like that. It’s just a matter of practicing.”
“I think from looking at anyone that’s a beginner, as their playing matures, it’s just a matter of repetition and doing it over and over and over.”
“Obviously, you’re usually emulating your favorite players, whether it’s David Gilmour, Angus Young, Tony Iommi, Jimmy Page, or any of the guys you love and any other players that move you.”
Therefore, the only way to really understand someone else’s vibrato, or just understand yours, it to play. As boring as it may sound, there’s no secret or any mystique about getting a good vibrato. Zakk added:
“So you just practice it and try and emulate it and then I think, no matter what, at the end of the day, regardless, you’re going to have your own sound, which is a beautiful thing, because that’s what everyone wants. At the end of the day, that’s what you want to achieve, is have your own voice.”
Of course, despite having a unique vibrato of his own, Zakk is now in a position where he has to play parts of another guitar giant. In the current incarnation of Pantera, he’s taking a position that once belonged to the late Dimebag Darrell. And we all know how his parts are often incredibly difficult to replicate.
But this isn’t the first time that he’s playing someone else’s music since he also played in Ozzy Osbourne’s band where he performed pieces originally done by Jake E. Lee and Randy Rhoads. He offered:
“I still do it when I’m learning Dime’s [parts]. I’ve got to learn all Dime’s licks. And even back when I was starting to play with Ozz, whether it’s Randy or Jake [E. Lee], Jake has amazing vibrato and he’s very aggressive. I think with everybody though, just making sure everything’s in pitch when you’re bending notes and everything like that.”
Photo: MrPanyGoff (Black Label Society 2015, Sofia 10)
