Vibrato and sustain, making a note sing

A note that just stops sounds boring. A note that sustains and shakes sounds alive. That is why a single bent-and-vibratoed note from BB King hits harder than 50 notes from a shred guitarist.

Sustain (with overdrive)

• Hold any note in shape 1 of A minor pentatonic.
• Do not release. Let it ring as long as it will. Listen to the tail.
• With overdrive on, that tail sustains longer because the amp compresses the signal. Try dialing distortion up and down. Hear how the note's lifetime changes.

Vibrato (the wide, slow kind, BB King)

1. Fret a note. Pluck it.
2. Slightly bend up, much smaller than a full bend. Maybe a quarter step.
3. Release. Then bend again. Release. Repeat at a steady rhythm.
4. The bend amount should be small. The rhythm should be steady.

BB King's vibrato is wide and slow. It sounds like a wail.

Vibrato (the narrow, fast kind, Hendrix)

Same technique, much smaller motion, much faster pulse. Sounds more like a shimmer than a wail. Watch the videos above to hear the difference.

Practice drill

• Fret note. Sustain it for 4 beats, no vibrato. Listen.
• Same note again. Sustain 4 beats with steady BB-style vibrato. Listen to the difference.
• Same note again. Hendrix-style. Listen.
• Pick whichever feels natural and copy it. Most great players have one or the other; almost nobody has both.

Try it

Combine: play a phrase from A minor pentatonic, end on a long note with vibrato. That is the formula for half the licks you love.

Next: your first solo over a 12-bar blues.