Help with whammy tricks

zEr0 · #1 09-28-2003, 06:55 PM

Hey, I was wondering if anyone could try to explain what exactly is it that Satriani does on Surfing with the Alien from 2:49 to 3:00. I know he is using the tremolo bar because I've seen him on the Live in SF DVD but although I try recreating his motion I just can't get that weird sound he does... I can't even understand if he is picking the notes or not...

Anyway does anybody know any site where all of these weird whammy techniques are explainded cuz when I seem to nail down one of them another one comes along that leaves me without a clue of what to do

Thx for the help

davester1234 · #2 09-28-2003, 09:33 PM

Tighten up the whammy bar so it stays where you put it.

Play the notes, but don't use the pick...your right hand has to be banging the whammy bar ferociously.
(you might be able to pick the first note in the entire sequence...after that you have to learn to get those notes out loud and clear by using ONLY your left hand.) Eventually you'll get so use to hitting on the whammy bar that it starts to replace the pick. You can actually use the force of the whammy bar to help the notes ring out. You have to hit it hard, clean, usually with your palm or wrist, and keep doing it to get the desired effect.

Its tough until you get the hang of it. Its only a 4 note sequence. The trick is getting the feel.

MAKE SURE YOU'RE BAR IS TIGHT...MUCH EASIER.

zEr0 · #3 09-29-2003, 02:51 PM

I see, do I need to hammer the notes with my left hand too or I just have to fret them while smashing the bar???

davester1234 · #4 09-29-2003, 04:24 PM

No hammering in the traditional sense.

You just have to hit each note hard enough with the left hand so that you don't have to pick it....i suppose you could call that a hammer-on, or whatever.

Either that, or you get so used to hitting the bar that you barely even have to hit the note with your left hand to get it to ring.

Like I said, the force of your hand hitting on the bar will make the notes you fret resonate clearly. But that takes some time, and some getting comfortable with the whammy bar...undertstanding exactly what you can get out of it, if you will.

There's no real tricks or anything here, besides taking the time to do it right.

Just learn to fret notes while hitting on the bar.

zEr0 · #5 09-30-2003, 09:43 AM

Ok, I'll be honest: I'm not getting anywhere close to that sound.

I'm hitting the bar as hard as I can (pretty hard...

) but all the other strings start resonating and all I can hear is a mess. Do you also stop the other strings with your left hand while fretting the notes??? I don't mean to get dense with this thing but I'm not getting it. Besides I think my tremolo arm is not tight enough and of course my dealer doesn't have new arm washers so I'm stuck with a loose arm.

Thanks for the help.

davester1234 · #6 09-30-2003, 10:15 AM

no problem asking questions dude....its all good.

Yes, you'll want to try your best to mute the other strings at the same time. However, you WILL get to the point that you'll have enough controle so that you'll only need to mute the string above and below.

You have to find the 'sweet spot' with your left hand, I guess you could say. How to position it to get all things that need to be done, done!

[by the way, you don't really have to KILL the whammy bar, hit it good, but don't hurt the axe dude

]

Chud · #7 10-11-2003, 07:18 PM

I hate hitting the whammy.
I'd piss myself if someone asked me to hit the whammy on my precious!

...and also the fact that theres two giant chips each side of the trem