# Best use of guitar tremolo and artificial harmonics **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 16, 2012, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-guitar-tremolo-and-artificial-harmonics/637846 "2012-10-16T03:52:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-guitar-tremolo-and-artificial-harmonics/637846/1 "2012-10-16T03:52:10Z")
Who’s the best at evoking strange, wonderful, painfully loud, awesome tremolo and/or artificial harmonics on electric guitar? I always lean technician on this because they tend to display this technique/trick to it’s extreme example, which I do like. But it can be expressed better too. I know many will fit Beck into this category. Dude is an unreal player. Great vibrato (tremolo). But I am trying to delineate what I am even asking for. Gilmour is one of my favorite guitar players. and his tremolo work is almost constant, but very tasteful and controlled. I guess what I am looking for is technical examples. I submit Joe Satriani as an example of what I mean. This live performance of “Ice Nine” always raises the hair in my gills, which I often refer to as cilia. But seriously electric guitar fans…very distinct stipulation here. What are your most electrifying whammy bar/tremolo/artificial harmonic moments? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ZltY4Hwy7n8/maxresdefault.jpg "Joe Satriani - Ice 9 (Live At The California Theater, San Diego, CA On June 11, 1988)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZltY4Hwy7n8) ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-guitar-tremolo-and-artificial-harmonics/637846/2 "2012-10-16T13:17:59Z")
The two pivotal (pun intended) guys with whammy bars are Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen. They each showed how the whammy could be used to break rules and generate a broader array of sounds. Vai and Brad Gillis of Night Ranger and a few other shredder masters are known for taking Eddie Van Halen’s break-the-rules approach to using a whammy to the next level. Gilmour is a melodic player who uses one basically as it was originally intended, to add accent to a note or chord. Brian Setzer is a master of this approach, too. Beck has always sounded like he replicating a human voice with his slower lead work; his use of harmonics and vibrato in his unique way only accentuates that feel. The work on his instrumental version of Day in the Life fits that… ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Doom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Dr\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Doom)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-guitar-tremolo-and-artificial-harmonics/637846/3 "2012-10-16T15:09:19Z")
[Raining Blood](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8ZqFlw6hYg). Extreme technique at around 2:53. Love me that whole Reign in Blood album. Classic. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-guitar-tremolo-and-artificial-harmonics/637846/4 "2012-10-16T15:12:46Z")
It’s probably not what you’re looking for, but My Bloody Valentine uses tremolo originally and to great artistic purpose (heck, they even have an EP called “Tremolo.”) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-guitar-tremolo-and-artificial-harmonics/637846/5 "2012-10-16T15:15:03Z")
By the way, why in the hell is a whammy bar called a “tremolo bar” sometimes, when it doesn’t produce a tremolo effect? ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-guitar-tremolo-and-artificial-harmonics/637846/6 "2012-10-16T15:18:43Z")
I sense you’re after something totally different, and yet… There are only two people ever whom I would consider masters of artificial harmonics. Chet Atkins - [When You Wish upon a Star](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLejHdOuAgk) Lenny Breau - [Yesterday](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6D8ow1znmk) Check out what he does at about 1:55 if you’re impatient. Here are two excerpts from a master class where Lenny talked about his ‘harp’ harmonics. [Part 1](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGCSgWqg0Fg) and [Part 2](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExGWWzzmNNQ). Like I said, you seem to be more after hitting a high note with a lot of sustain, distortion and EQ behind it and going ‘weedly-weedly’ with the whammy bar, but when you say artificial harmonics, Chet and Lenny are the guys I want to emulate. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-guitar-tremolo-and-artificial-harmonics/637846/7 "2012-10-16T15:36:52Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > By the way, why in the hell is a whammy bar called a “tremolo bar” sometimes, when it doesn’t produce a tremolo effect? This is pretty much Leo Fender’s fault. He called the vibrato bar on the Stratocaster the Synchronized Tremolo when it was introduced in 1954. He then compounded the error when he named an amp with tremolo the Vibroverb in 1963. I think most people (besides Leo) agree that tremolo is a variation in volume and vibrato is a variation in pitch. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-guitar-tremolo-and-artificial-harmonics/637846/8 "2012-10-16T15:39:53Z")
Johnny Marr’s technique on The Smiths’ song “How Soon Is Now?” > [@](#): > > Johnny Marr (from the Guardian newspaper, February 24 2006): “As a kid I was fascinated by Hamilton Bohannon’s ‘Disco Stomp’ and ‘New York Groove’ by Hello, and I wanted to make something with that stomp. The first decent amp I got was the Fender Twin because the Patti Smith Group used it, and it had this amazing tremolo. Later when we’d had a few hits, a review of What Difference Does It Make said I’d written a riff that was instantly recognizable, which fascinated me. One night I was playing for my own pleasure and I suddenly got the riff. It all came together - the tremolo and the stomping groove - for what became How Soon Is Now, although my demo was titled Swamp. Because it was a groove track it originally appeared as an extra track on a 12-inch, but popular clamor forced its single release. I remember when Morrissey first sang: ‘I am the son and the heir…’ [Producer] John Porter went, ‘Ah great, the elements!’ Morrissey continued, ‘…of a shyness that is criminally vulgar.’ I knew he’d hit the bullseye there and then.” (thanks, Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England, for all above) ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-guitar-tremolo-and-artificial-harmonics/637846/9 "2012-10-16T15:43:59Z")
> [@Le Ministre de l'au-delà](#): > > weedly-weedly… Obviously Steve Vai does this all the time. The first time I heard it done was on a flexi-disk of _The Attitude Song_\* that came with a magazine (Guitar World?). That was a real W.T.F. moment. I didn’t know how he made half the noises on that track (I was strictly a Tele player back then). Felt like a fracking dinosaur, went and bought a guitar with a locking trem\*\* and started practising several hours a day. I could still make those noises if I wanted to, I just don’t feel the need any more. - the second lead fill is a 5th fret harmonic which is bent up and down to about seven different notes - find your own youtube link. \*\* Fender Performer, which I still have. Unlike any of the superstrats I went through. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-guitar-tremolo-and-artificial-harmonics/637846/10 "2012-10-16T16:13:12Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > This is pretty much Leo Fender’s fault. He called the vibrato bar on the Stratocaster the Synchronized Tremolo when it was introduced in 1954. He then compounded the error when he named an amp with tremolo the Vibroverb in 1963. I think most people (besides Leo) agree that tremolo is a variation in volume and vibrato is a variation in pitch. Yup. Flippin’ guitarists never get stuff like that straight anyway, so Leo was just playing to the crowd ;)😃 ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-guitar-tremolo-and-artificial-harmonics/637846/11 "2012-10-16T16:41:35Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Yup. Flippin’ guitarists never get stuff like that straight anyway, so Leo was just playing to the crowd ;)😃 [Paul Bigsby](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bigsby_vibrato_tailpiece) got it right, and got there before Leo, too. But you knew that. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-guitar-tremolo-and-artificial-harmonics/637846/12 "2012-10-16T16:55:58Z")
Just to really confuse the issue, ‘tremolo’ existed for years as an articulation term for string players. For violins and other bowed strings, it means the rapid alternation of up- and down- bowings. It can be measured, meaning exact 32nd or 64th notes, or un-measured, which just means as rapid an alternation as possible. [Here’s](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E8rMLHIpag) an interesting demonstration. For guitarists, tremolo is a classical and flamenco technique involving the rapid alternation of RH fingers to produce rapid articulations that create the illusion of a sustained note. Mandoline players get the same effect with double strings and rapidly alternating up- and down- strokes of the pick. Probably the most famous piece featuring guitar tremolo is the Francisco Tarrega ‘[Recuerdos de la Alhambra](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDlQE9djIxE&feature=fvwrel)’. The real fun starts at 2:00. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-guitar-tremolo-and-artificial-harmonics/637846/13 "2012-10-16T17:01:18Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > Johnny Marr’s technique on The Smiths’ song “How Soon Is Now?” Yeah, this is the other one I was going to mention before I got sidetracked. That is what real tremolo sounds like. (ETA: Well, one of two ways. As mentioned above by **Ministre** , there is also the repetition of a note, which is the classical definition.) The My Bloody Valentine/Kevin Shields example is not tremolo (at least not mostly.) It’s a whammy bar technique that slowly bends walls of distorted guitar chords in and out of tune. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-guitar-tremolo-and-artificial-harmonics/637846/14 "2012-10-16T17:39:32Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > [Paul Bigsby](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bigsby_vibrato_tailpiece) got it right, and got there before Leo, too. But you knew that. Bigsby also got the [Stratocaster’s headstock shape correct](http://www.google.com/imgres?q=bigsby+headstock&hl=en&safe=off&sa=X&qscrl=1&rlz=1T4GGLL_enUS388US389&biw=1000&bih=797&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=XbUhc7hR71wqyM:&imgrefurl=http://www.tdpri.com/forum/telecaster-discussion-forum/10475-fwiw-callaham-guitars-headstock-shapes.html&docid=MFLklhst96Q5TM&imgurl=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/jwells393/New%252520Album/Bigsby-StratCompare.jpg&w=383&h=245&ei=qJt9ULqIIubl0QHU3oDgCQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=312&sig=113043002350217202182&page=1&tbnh=104&tbnw=162&start=0&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0,i:76&tx=101&ty=33)years before Leo took a shot…he was a man ahead of his time and not really focused on translating his designs to modern manufacturing approaches like Leo was… ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-guitar-tremolo-and-artificial-harmonics/637846/15 "2012-10-16T17:50:18Z")
This has turned into a very educational thread! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-guitar-tremolo-and-artificial-harmonics/637846/16 "2012-10-16T17:54:52Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > This has turned into a very educational thread! Yeah, if you’re interested, you can hear Johnny Marr talking about the tremolo in “How Soon is Now” here, along with what the signature riff sounds like with and without the tremolo warble. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-guitar-tremolo-and-artificial-harmonics/637846/17 "2012-10-16T17:59:16Z")
Arguably not a technical deliberate shredder in the Vai or Van Halen sense, (if one can also define screwdrivers wedged under headstock strings as “tremolo”) **Lee Ranaldo** of Sonic Youth lives in the world of overdriven harmonics. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-guitar-tremolo-and-artificial-harmonics/637846/18 "2012-10-17T15:19:57Z")
Any thread about tremolo should include mention of [Adrian Belew.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian_Belew) His second solo album was even called _Twang Bar King._ ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-guitar-tremolo-and-artificial-harmonics/637846/19 "2012-10-17T16:28:41Z")
> [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > … > Chet Atkins - [When You Wish upon a Star](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLejHdOuAgk) > … OMFG, that is without a doubt the most virtuoso guitar playing I have ever seen. Tasteful, subtle…and absolutely un-f\*ing-believable. I could practice for 300 years and not be able to do that. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-guitar-tremolo-and-artificial-harmonics/637846/20 "2012-10-17T17:07:50Z")
> [@NoCoolUserName](#): > > OMFG, that is without a doubt the most virtuoso guitar playing I have ever seen. Tasteful, subtle…and absolutely un-f\*ing-believable. I could practice for 300 years and not be able to do that. Chet is pretty much the man. He referred to himself and anyone he deemed worthy as a “Certified Guitar Player” - comes across as cocky, but he was so good and so respected by other guitar players that it was viewed only as the highest of praise. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-guitar-tremolo-and-artificial-harmonics/637846.md?page=2)