Using the Wammy Bar

[Dragos]

This lesson should hopefully teach you the proper use of a wammy bar.

Vibrato
The easiest technique is the Vibrato. To create a Vibrato effect with your wammy bar, you just pick a note and then move your wammy bar up and down.
An example of this technique can be heard in the intro of "Satch Boogie" by Satriani (at about 0:18 when he plays harmonics).

Example:

~ vibrato


E |------10--8~--12-8-10-8-----------------------|
B |--------------------------10------------17~---|
G |-----------------------------12/16------------|
D |-5~---------------------------------14~-------|
A |----------------------------------------------|
E |----------------------------------------------|



Diving
This is probably the most popular use of a wammy bar. You pick a note and push your wammy bar towards the body, significantly lowering the pitch.
An example of a dive can be heard in "Eruption" by Van Halen.

Example:

/ dive

E |--------10p8h10-12p10h12----------------------------------------|
B |----------------------------------------------------------------|
G |------------------------------14(/)-------12(/)--------------9/-|
D |-0(/)-----------------------------------------------------------|
A |------------------------------------------------0(/)------------|
E |----------------------------------------------------------------|


Release
The opposite of a dive. First you press you wammy bar, then pick and note and then raise your wammy bar.

Example:

^ release
/ dive

E |--------12------------------------------------------|
B |-----------12--------------------12--12-------------|
G |-0(^)---------12p11-14(^)-9(^)----------12h14--9\---|
D |----------------------------------------------------|
A |----------------------------------------------------|
E |----------------------------------------------------|



Dipping
This one might be abit harder and tricky. Basicly, the wammy bar is just quickly pressed. You don't have to pick a note in order to hear it when doing dipping. Why? Because when you perform this technique you cause the strings to vibrate, making the note ring.

Example:

d dipping

E |---------------------------------------------------------------|
B |-12(d)h15p12-12(d)h15p12--10-10--------------------------------|
G |------------------------------------9(d)--7--(d)--9(d)--10(d)--|
D |---------------------------------------------------------------|
A |---------------------------------------------------------------|
E |---------------------------------------------------------------|

Hope this lesson gave you some basics of wammy bar use.