In order to get an idea of what things sound like, I will refer you to several different sound clips that are already a part of this web site. To get an idea of a heterodyne vibrato, listen to the song Dream played on an electrostatic Wurlitzer. At the time of this recording, the Wurlitzer's own vibrato was not working. After much experimentation, I found that a heterodyne vibrato sounded most like the original Wurlitzer vibrato. Play the song Dream.

Also, in this same section, play the song My Best to You. This contains a lot of Leslie simulation for most of the background chords, countermelody, etc.

To hear what Wurlitzer's own constant pitch change vibrato sounds like, play this clip, I'm Confessin' Along with an arrangement similar to that for Dream, you'll notice how close this vibrato sounds to the heterodyne vibrato used in Dream. If you know what to listen for, you will notice that in the Wurlitzer vibrato, there is also quite a pronounced amplitude varying tremolo as well. This may possibly be [in my opinion which should not necessarily be construed as proven fact] the way Wurlitzer tried to intensify their maximum vibrato setting because there is only so much that their constant frequency vibrato could accomplish on its own.

Next we have several sound clips of an X66. This will give you an idea of what Hammond two-phase scanner vibrato sounds like, which, if you have heard a Leslie speaker, I think you will agree is quite similar. X66 sound clips are here.

In particular, play the song Rose of Washington Square. In the second part, there is a sustain percussion voice and it is using a stereo tremolo. Notice the nice effect on that and also how different it is from the vibrato in the first part of the tune.

Note: All of these sound clips use Flash for their rendition. If you do not for some reason already have Flash on your computer, it is a free download from Adobe.com Click on "downloads" when you are on their main page, and then over to the right where it has readers and players, you will find Flash player. Click on it and follow the instructions. Not having Flash on a computer is like having a car without windshield wipers. You can still drive, but you will not see everything that is necessary to see when driving. There is so much on the web that requires Flash that there really is no reason not to have it. Most computers shipped today include Flash anyhow, so most likely you'll get the sound clips without any problems.

To hear the vibrato of a traditional Hammond, play the following clips here. The nice background countermelody and final ending chord progression in 12th Street Rag both make use of the traditional Hammond vibrato on the #3 or maximum setting. In the piece In an Eighteenth Century Drawing Room, the melody uses Hammond vibrato on the number one setting.

We hope you have found this exploration of the various types of vibrato interesting and helpful. For the really creative musician, if the equipment is available for his use, then he can obtain even more expressive and individual control over the final musical result if he understands about the different types of vibrato for then he can choose the one that best suits his artistic creativity.

For example, if he wants a big, lush-sounding background, a Leslie speaker or a polyphase vibrato will probably be best. Next best is traditional Hammond vibrato on the #3 setting. For the simulation of a vibraharp or other typical melodic percussion instrument, then either a heterodyne vibrato or a stereo tremolo will probably be most appropriate. Now that you know all this stuff, go and enjoy your music!