Here is Guitar Solo Tip #3 - The Importance of Vibrato in Phrasing
Having a well-developed vibrato is one of the signs of a great
guitarist. Vibrato is also one of the most expressive techniques
we have as guitarists, and its importance to our phrasing skills
cannot be overstated. Possessing a strong and controlled vibrato
will give life to even the simplest of phrases, and will make your
best phrases sparkle and shine!

Vibrato tends to be one of the most under-developed skills that
many guitarists have, primarily because little, if any, time is
allotted to it in their practice sessions. In order to work effectively
on vibrato you need to do two things:

1. Practice the physical technique of applying vibrato to your
phrases. We recommend doing this in isolation without any music
playing in the background. Work on everything from hand
positioning to the speed and width of your vibrato. Practice
applying vibrato to your favorite licks. Try adding vibrato to the
end of phrases. Adding vibrato to bent notes is one of the most
expressive things you can do as a guitarist, so make sure and
spend some time doing that. If you aren’t sure of the proper
physical technique and hand positioning of applying vibrato,
seek out an experienced teacher or at the very least watch and
listen to players who do have great vibrato. We recommend
Yngwie Malmsteen, John Sykes, and George Lynch to begin with.

2. Practice applying your vibrato in a real musical situation. This
could be with your band, playing along with a favorite CD or
playing over a backing track. For this example let’s use the
backing track idea. Find a backing track in a style you like and a
key you are familiar with. Then simply begin improvising along
with the track paying special attention to your application of
vibrato. As you do this make sure that your vibrato is in sync with
the music. The pulse of your vibrato should match the pulse of the
music. Also make sure that your vibrato is in tune with the music.
Nothing sounds worse than out of tune vibrato!

Working hard on getting a well-developed vibrato will be time
invested wisely. The benefits to your playing should be obvious
by now and your phrasing skills will begin to have new vitality
and life!