Outside the BOx
DOUBLE WHAMMY
Robin Henderson demonstrates how to extract amazing sound effects from your guitar just by using the whammy bar...
There are heaps of unique sounds you can make with an electric guitar and as the decades have progressed from the 50’s to the present day, technology and techniques used on electric guitars have evolved to a level the original 1950s pioneers could never have dreamed of.
Wot is a Whammy? A tremolo system or ‘Whammy bar’ is a spring system at the bridge of a guitar which enables you to quickly vary the tension of the strings and change the pitch, creating vibrato effects. Before so-called ‘locking’ vibrato systems became widely available in the mid 1980s, every whammy-mad guitarist from Hendrix to Eddie Van Halen experienced tuning problems caused by heavy whammy abuse. Locking systems like the Floyd Rose use a clamp arrangement in pace of a conventional top nut that stops the guitar going out of tune no matter how deep you dive! It seems crazy to think that a device originally created to add natural vibrato is now famous for making motor cycle effects and other insane sounds! In this month’s column, we’ll explore the ‘whammy bar’ and look at different ways to recreate the amazing vibrato effects used by legends from Hank Marvin through to Steve Vai.
Ex1: This is a great effect for creating ghostly sounds using A shaped chords. Hold down the E minor chord and pre bend the tremolo arm down. Release slowly and quickly change to the D and B chords. The riff finishes with a quick Em – D – Em sequence and then a trem dip and release on the E minor chord. Creepy!!
Ex1: Using a tremelo dip and release over a minor chord gives a spooky sound 1
Em : D4 4 c : D4 4
Ex1: Using a tremelo dip and release over a minor chord gives a spooky sound 1
cUU D
Ex2: Dip the tremolo in 8th notes over harmonic chords, ending with a Dive Bomb 5
Harm.
( ( (
: D4 D
4 cUU
Ex2: Dip the tremolo in 8th notes over harmonic chords, ending with a Dive Bomb 5
DDD-1 -1
( ( (
Ex3: Steve Vai has a world of Whammy tricks up his sleeve. This one is in the style of ‘For The Love Of God.’ Start on the 7th fret B minor pentatonic, play a full bend with your 3rd/4th finger on the 10th fret B string. As the bend reaches pitch quickly pull the trem bar backwards. Hear the pitch suddenly shoot up with an electrifying bolt! After the 2nd normal bend repeat the lightning effect and finish with a B minor swept arpeggio.
-1
Ex3: B minor lick using bends, tremelo and sweep picking 9
UU Harm. DD
( ( (
-1 -1 DDfull B
Ex4: E minor lick using a 'tremotrill' 12
? "% "# B full ?
Robin Henderson has over ten years experience in teaching guitar and band coaching. His students have gone on to win national awards: XFM Rockschool 2005 and 2007, Vodafone Live Music Awards Best Live Unsigned Act 2007, Kerrademy Award Best Unsigned Band 2008. Realistic Rock Academy is based in
Epsom, Surrey and can be contacted on - 01372 740300,
www.realisticrock.com.
Ex4: E minor lick using a 'tremotrill' 12
"% "# "# "& "# B B
B L
B
B L
B B
Ex 5: Aeolian lick with tremelo flutter 15
Ex4: "%
? F full "# "# Q "& ? @ "#
B L
& B ) B & "& "# B )
Ex4: The ‘Tremolo flutter’. Quickly flick whammy bar in an upward motion. This causes the bridge to vibrate rapidly, making a crazy fluttering noise. My example uses an A Aeolian scale, start around the 5th fret and play the run using all 4 fingers, as you get to the flutter you’ll notice the pause giving time to strike the whammy and finish on ‘A’ with a penultimate legato run. full
full "# "& ? @ * "#
ZZZ ZZZ B
B ( "# -1 "& B 1 B -1 & "& B ( "# B -1 ) "& "# B -1 "& B 1 B & "# B -1 ' "& B -1 & "# B -1 "& B 1 "# "&
B L
( "# B -1 "& B 1 "& A -1 & -1/2 54 3pickup "# -1 "& "# -1 "& "# -1 "& "# -1 "& "# -1 "& "# -1 "& "# -1 "& "# 1
trem flutter "#
"# -1 "& 1 "# -1 "& 1 "# -1 "& B B B B B B & ' & ( & ( 1 "# -1 "& 1 "# -1 "& B B B & % & 1 "# "& 1
ZZZZZZZZZZZZ A
"# -1 Page 1/2 "&
B ZZZZZZZZZZZZ
-1 ( Page 1/2 B full "#
B L
"& B ? @ B "# B L ( "& B "# B "! B
B L
-1
Ex3: B minor lick using bends, tremelo and sweep picking 9
full
Ex4: E minor lick using a 'tremotrill' 12
B *
B L
B ( B B "!
B L
ZZZ ZZZ B
ZZZ ZZZ B
"# -1 DF B B "! "& ? 1 B ?B full"# 3 "! 1 -1 3
bend string and pull tremelo back "!
B B A 1 "& full"# "! 1 B ?B "& -1 @ B 1 B @ B 1 "# full"& "! -1 1 B ? B 3 "!
B B
* B -1 -1 ( B -1 "! -1
B L
-1
& & &
UU -1 -1 full bend string and pull tremelo back ? DF B "! -1 full 3 "! A
-1 -1 full
? ? @ -1 "! B -1 full ? 3 B 1 "! B -1 full ? 3
( ( (
"! B B -1 -1 B -1 -1
B L
-1 C-1 -1 DF B A B -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 D-1 -1 UU
ZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZ B
B -1 full -1 -1
ZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZ B
? -1 full
ZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZ B
"" 1 "#full"& "! -1 1 "# "& -1 B B B B B B ? 1 "# "& "" 1 "# -1
B minor arpeggio"% "#
"! B B BB B 1 "# "& "! "% -1 1 "! "# ""
B minor arpeggio "!
"# -1 -1 B B -1 "% -1 B "! & B "# B B "" B "" 1 "# "& "# B full "#
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ A
? -6 full B B B B B B B B B ? "# 1 1 1 "& "#full "& "" 1 -1 1 1 "& B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B
Page 1/2 -1
"# "& "! "#-1 1 -1"# -1 -1 -1
Ex3: B minor lick using bends, tremelo and sweep picking 9
Harm.
( ) * * (
-1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1
( ) * * (
( ( ( &
% % % #
-1
& & &
-1 AAAA BBBB
& & &
CL UU BBBB BBB DAAA -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 BBB -1 BBBB -1 -1
( ) * * (
bend string and pull tremelo back
( ( (
D UU
( ( (
-1 -1 Em
( ) * * (
C Em UU
( ) * * (
( ( ( &
D B
% % % #
H Em
( ) * * (
UU AAAA Em
( ) * * (
-1 AAAA BBBB BBBB Em
BBBB L
Em
( ) * * (
Ex2: Motley Crue‘s ‘Dr Feelgood’ style harmonics with 8th note trem dips. Mick Mars likes to delve with the Whammy in his solos, and harmonics are high pitched and bend well with the trem bar. Play the harmonic chord across the D, G & B strings and dip the whammy bar in 8th notes. I’ve finished with a dive on an E harmonic over the C chord to add extra thrill!
Ex2: Dip the tremolo in 8th notes over harmonic chords, ending with a Dive Bomb 5
BBBB L
D BBB DAAA D B
% % % #
BBB BBB Em
( ) * * (
BBBB
( ) * * (
-1 D
( ( ( &
BBB
( ( ( &
BBB Q D
( ( ( &
BBB Q -1 -1
( ( ( &
-1 -1 B minor arpeggio B B -1 -1 -1 B -1
BBBB L
Em
( ) * * (
BBBB L
( ) * * (
B C U & C U & C B U B P Em
( ) * * (
BBBB
( ) * * (
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ A
-1
B ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
-6
B ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ A
B?B B B B B B B B B B B B? B B B
B ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
-1
( ) * * (
BBBB
( ) * * (
-6 D BBB
( ( ( &
B DAAA BBB H H Em BBBB
Ex1: Using a tremelo dip and release over a minor chord gives a spooky sound 1
Em
( ) * * (
BBBB Em BBBB Em
( ) * * (
BBBB D BBB D
( ( ( &
D BBB Q D
( ( ( &
Em
BBBB L
Em
( ) * * (
P P Em BBBB Em
( ) * * (
BBBB -1 BBBB
( ) * * (
BBBB
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www.staggmusic.com
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