Ways To Improve Your Whammy Bar Skills: Getting Started
Ways To Improve Your Whammy Bar Skills: Getting Started
Ways To Improve Your Whammy Bar Skills: Getting Started
5 ways to
improve your
whammy bar skills
getting started C major scale
EssEntial tEchniquEs
1. using the whammy bar. Operating a whammy bar is easy: play a 2. Vibrato. Vibrato is the effect you get when you wobble a string as a 3. holding your pick. Sometimes youll need to pick the strings and
note, grip the bar, then dip it down towards the strings to lower the note rings out. You can use your fretting fingers or simply wobble the use the bar in rapid succession. Keep your pick by the strings and use
pitch. use small movements at first. whammy bar. your free fingers to move the bar.
72 summer2016
START PLAYING NOW!
~~~~~~~~~ w/bar
C Am G
w~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
q =75
Scoop
w/bar
& 44
& 44
Scoop
Scoop Scoop
w/bar Doop
Scoop Doop
Doop Doop
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~
Scoop
w/bar w/bar
Scoop Scoop Scoop Scoop
B B
A scoop is when you dip the whammy bar before you play a note. The weirdly-nAmed doop is the opposite of a scoop. This time
Quickly raise the bar back to its resting position as the note rings out you dip the bar immediately after a note for a quick drop in pitch;
for a fluid, vocal effect as you bend into each note. The toughest picking is made easier thanks to the brief moment you gain between
part is picking the string and using the whammy bar at the same pick stroke and whammy bar motion. Weve played the same line
time, but there is a trick you can employ: the hammer-on from again here so listen carefully to the audio to hear how doops sound
nowhere. The idea is to tap (ie, hammer on) the string with a fretting different to scoops. If you have one, a wah wah pedal sounds great
finger to sound the note instead of using your pick. with these techniques perfect for Steve Vai-style crying effects.
.
qw/bar
=75
w/bar
& 44
.
w/bar
& 44
w/bar w/bar
J
w/bar ~~~~
w/bar
w/bar ~~~~
w/bar
w/bar ~~~~~~
w/bar NH
w/bar w/bar
T T
A 7 (5) (7) 9 (7) (9) 12 (9) (12 )
A 5 (-2 ) (-0 ) 7 (-2 ) (-0 )
B B
whereAs scoops and doops are based on feel, using the were TAking the Jeff Beck approach to harmonics here with a lick
whammy bar to target specific notes needs precision and lots of that takes precision and control as you change from note to note. To
practice. In this example weve started with a two-fret whammy bar play a harmonic simply touch the third string over the 5th fret (bar 1)
bend. The tab tells you to play the 7th fret (a D note), dip the bar and the 7th fret (bar 2) without pressing down. You should get a
down so you get the pitch of a 5th fret C note then go back up to D. sweet chiming sound as you pick the string. Once the harmonic is
Bar 2 is a bigger three-fret dip from G down to E so take your time ringing out, play a two-fret dip with the whammy bar. Try scooping
getting used to how hard to press the whammy bar. and dooping the harmonics for a Dimebag Darrell vibe.
& 44 .
w/bar w/bar w/bar w/bar w/bar w/bar w/bar: 16th note w/bar: 16th note
..
. #
w/bar
j
n. #
w/bar ~~~~~
w/bar
w/bar ~~~~~
w/bar
w/bar ~~~~~
w/bar
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
w/bar: 16th note
~~~~~~~~~
w/bar: 16th note
T
A 5 5 [5 ] w/bar
B 3 (2) (3) 5 7
5 (4) (5) 3 (2) (3)
3 [3 ] 7
5
[7 ]
[5 ]
5
3
The firsT three notes include a one-fret dip from the 3rd fret down to the 2nd and back again, before finishing with the wobble of light vibrato.
Make sure youve got this down because the phrase is repeated twice in bar 2, but using different notes. For the vibrato in bars 3 and 4 gently tap
your bar with a steady rhythmic pulse. The arrows at the end of bar 4 indicate a divebomb so dip your bar hard so the pitch goes way down low.
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