Another use for the whammy bar as shown by JP

[Warthog]

Found this pic... don't know if it has been shown here before... looks like JP is doing a different whammy bar technique... I wonder what it sounds like?

 

[PeteDuBaldo]

Great pic! I saw him do that at the BB King's LTE show. It sounded something like a slide, but if I remember the section of the song correctly, he was using it more to make strange sound effects than anything else.

 

[DrGonzo5150]

It sounded something like a slide... using it more to make strange sound effects than anything else.

+1

Vai uses it a fair bit... Used it live during the random breakdown part in Erotic Nightmares last few times i've seen him... Might even be layered faintly on the original recording...

You can make it sound like a slide or bounce it around and go for something different.. Try it, it's fun

 

[koogie2k]

At first I thought - He pulled the bar out the trem and was like WTF?!?!?!?

Now, I see he is using it similar to a slide or fluttering the bar to get the strings to vibrate. It actually gives a cool sound...more effect of course...but...cool none the less.

LOL...just noticed....take a look at the person in the background to the right of his elbow....maybe they're wondering the same thing we are...lol

 

[leftyguitarblue]

maybe he just picked so fast, the bar cauterized right to his skin.

 

[Warthog]

I am a "fan" of Petrucci on Facebook and this was in the photo section...

He DOES take the bar out of the trem... see???

 

[Air-Time]

A fellow G3 artist, Steve Vai, has used whammy for stunts like that. Maybe John picked it up from touring with him ...
The sounds... It depends whether one taps it against the strings or just slides it over the strings. Can be quite cool and when added with effects, well then...

 

[wolfbone07]

Yes, this is a cool technique. If it's what I'm thinking then you can do it with a pencil or a drumstick too. Use it to "slap" the strings all at once when playing chords. You get a really cool percussive sound different from strumming the strings, plus with a little bit of trying you can strike all six string simultaneously. Give it a try!

 

[JohnnyD19]

maybe he's doing the pacman noise!!!!
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1sOP0TemVM]YouTube - Herman Li Guitar Lesson:How To Play Pacman On Guitar[/ame]

 

[73h Nils]

You can use that technique to do the awesome "wolf-whistle" sound. It's awesome.