| The whammy bar is one of the most interesting | | | | If you want to change up the music a little bit and get |
| aspects of a guitar, but often the most underused. The | | | | more creative then instead of pointing it towards the |
| whammy bar is known by many different names. It | | | | head stock you should trying playing a note and taking |
| can be called the tremolo bar, the twang bar, the | | | | the whammy bar and pointing it towards the bottom of |
| tremolo arm and the vibrato bar. The whammy bar | | | | the guitar. When you press down with medium |
| has so many ways it can be used that have already | | | | pressure the pitch of the note will go up making for a |
| been discovered, and still some that have not even | | | | nice technique. This works well on high notes during a |
| been tried yet. In case you don't already know, it is a | | | | solo. |
| tool that guitar players use to make a vibrato sort of | | | | If you do want to do it both with low notes and high |
| sound on the guitar and is located on the bridge of the | | | | notes you can simply start by pressing it down |
| guitar. If you have it then you should already be familiar | | | | towards the head stock and then turn the bar in a |
| with how to use it, but here are some more ways. | | | | circle over and over again to make the pitch variate |
| The most effective way to use the whammy bar is to | | | | which gives a more eclectic and interesting sound. If |
| press it down towards the guitar with the whammy | | | | you are playing the high notes and you have already |
| bar pointing towards the head stock. You don't want | | | | made the pitch go up and you get to a lower note, |
| to press it down too hard or it will change the sound. If | | | | instead of making it go up again you should lower it for |
| you do it with the right pressure then you will notice | | | | just a moment and variate that rather than making it |
| that the sound of the note that you are playing will get | | | | higher yet again. |
| deeper. Most professionals agree that it is most | | | | You should never be afraid to use the whammy bar. In |
| effective when you use it only on one note rather than | | | | fact, many of the most famous guitarists in history |
| an entire chord which can make your solos sound | | | | have used them such as Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen |
| unbelievably great as well as quite unique. If you do | | | | and Steve Vai just to name a few. The best thing to |
| want to use the whammy bar for a chord you can do | | | | do is to practice with it as much as you can and use |
| it, but it must be done with a light pressure. If you press | | | | your imagination on how you want it to sound. By |
| the whammy bar slowly it can give you a nice melody | | | | moving it different ways and on different notes you |
| effect. You never want to do it too quickly with a | | | | are sure to come up with your own unique sound. |
| chord because it can get sloppy with the chords. | | | | |