Changes

This initially looks like a slide down to the first fret, but you can see that it's followed by an upward slide to nothing. This actually represents a quick whole step dip by pushing the bar downwards. So in the above example, you'd pick the 5th fret note, dip a whole step then whole+half step, pick the note again, then pull up on the bar to raise the pitch a whole then whole+half step.

== Techniques ==

=== Dive-Bomb ===

The classic whammy bar technique is called a '''dive-bomb'''. It involves simply pressing the bar down further and further until the strings becomes slack. Any notes that were sustaining when the dive-bomb begins will drop further and further in pitch until they turn into low frequency noise.

This technique is simple: just keep pushing on the bar! The only thing to watch out for is that open strings will start ringing as you add more slack. I like to mute those strings with my left-hand before starting the dive. However, in some cases, that open-string ringing may be a desirable part of the effect, especially once the strings are completely slacked.

=== Vibrato ===

The whammy bar makes an excellent means to get vibrato. It's probably the best or only way to do so for chords and the least noisy way to do so for notes that are sustaining until they completely decay. It's also helpful to apply vibrato while sustaining a bend, in order to hold the bend at the target pitch. See [[Vibrato]].

=== Eastern Instruments ===

One of the characteristic sounds of Eastern stringed instruments is the the downward pitch shift during the attack of a note. This can be simulated by pulling up on the whammy bar while picking a note but instantly releasing the bar. It may not be necessary to pick the string, but instead use a hammer-on, or pull-off/slide from an existing note. Sliding down into a note while using this technique can take it a step further.

=== Synth ===

* [[Bending]]

* [[Shred]]

[[Category:Guitar]]