Slicker Whammy Bar Playing

Give your whammy a spin to inject some dive-bombs, scoops and gargles to your arsenal

Guitars with whammy bars (more correctly known as a vibrato) have been around since the 1930s. The idea is simple enough: the whammy bar (aka vibrato arm) alters string tension, allowing players to manipulate pitch in creative and indeed weird, whacky ways. It’s no mere novelty, though – countless players have given their whammy a whirl on record.

Rock ’n’ roll pioneers Duane Eddy and Cliff Gallup used Bigsby-loaded Gretsch guitars; Strat-toting legend of psychedelia Jimi Hendrix brought fiery, distorted vibrato sounds to the world; and Eddie Van Halen was an early user of the Floyd Rose locking system which helped keep the guitar in tune under even the most vigorous use.

Your main challenge is managing the move from picking to using the bar. Players often operate the bar with their third and fourth fingers, but more involved techniques will require a firmer grip. Read on as we look at some whammy bar techniques of the greats.