Plini Shows You How to Use Your Vibrato Bar Creatively and Tastefully

From Guitar World November 2018 VOL. 39, NO. 11
Prog-Gnosis by Plini
Exonerating the Whammy
Using your vibrato bar creatively and tastefully
In this lesson, the amazing Plini offers some great examples of tasteful and highly musical ways in which to employ your guitar's whammy bar.

[@avoqado89]

"Sounds like a bunch of whales having a party." lmao i will never get that out of my head listening to Plini

[@josephdanny6956]

I dont mean to be so off topic but does any of you know of a way to get back into an instagram account..? I was stupid lost my login password. I appreciate any help you can offer me.

[@kendrickreign8560]

@Joseph Danny instablaster :)

[@josephdanny6956]

@Kendrick Reign thanks for your reply. I found the site thru google and Im in the hacking process atm. I see it takes a while so I will reply here later with my results.

[@avoqado89]

Fucking bots

[@josephdanny6956]

@Kendrick Reign it did the trick and I actually got access to my account again. I am so happy:D Thank you so much, you saved my account !

[@Mist_R]

his use of the whammy definitely is one of the most important elements that I liked about his music. And he's so clean with it.

[@razeshbudhathoki]

his use of whammy is almost simillar like what holdsworth does

[@johnny_b_dude]

His sound reminds me so much of Steve Vai.. Creative and tasteful indeed!

[@musicman700]

Vai must me his #1 influence, definitely :)

[@worstghosthunting3466]

Funnily enough while Plini is a fan of Vai, Vai is a fan of Plini

[@RodrigoVelizGTR]

To me sounds closer to Jason Becker's whammy bar

[@Steinerman333]

Dude keeping the sound alive.

[@mathitis93]

@@RodrigoVelizGTR That's what I was thinking. Jason's whammy technique sounded like the guitar was alive

[@wayfaerer320]

Plini is a brilliant musician, but he always looks like he just spent 5 years as a castaway on a remote island.

[@elliotdurden2429]

thats what happens when you master something i guess

[@dwellerinblack7816]

Maybe that's just his style, bro.

[@AlanW]

Well, he *did* grow up on the Australia island!

[@NeroTheIncredible]

He’s australian, so that’s a bit true

[@undertheradar5863]

It's got to be the relatively remote island of Prog Rock & Metal

[@CrazyCalabrese78]

What he describes from 4:35 onwards is Satriani’s “lizard down the throat” technique. And the chorus on his cleans is very Satch too. It’s great that there are players coming through with those influences and not just shredding but also writing and playing with great feel and tone 👌🏻

[@shubham6288]

6:30, You broke my heart.

[@HasseC]

Plini is from another universe!! Just amazing ... LOVE every note ...

[@AlexPriceMusician]

Plini is gonna make chorus cool again

[@leonardsullivan]

It never wasn't cool lol

[@AlexPriceMusician]

@@leonardsullivan Dude, I've ALWAYS loved chorus. Some people hate it unreasonably hahah

[@leonardsullivan]

@@AlexPriceMusician Honestly, I have never met a person who doesn't like chorus lol What kind of of treasonous degenerates are you associating with sir?!

[@AlexPriceMusician]

Leonard Majere those would be referred to as BLUES DADS. Haha. People that associate chorus with the 80s and wish it would’ve been left there.

[@kensmechanicalaffair]

What!?

[@YassineSouabni]

Shawn LANE was the absolute master of using the vivrato/whammy bar to give the melody great feeling Great video PLINI - your sound is quite unique and inspiring !

[@ricardofigueiredo2567]

"Become the world's greatest guitar player... With no pants" 😂😂

[@g.o.a.t5975]

In other words Stevie T

[@garylaverty6607]

The gargling sound you refer to is used in Hordes of locusts by Joe Satriani. He calls it the "lizard down the throat" technique. Good video. I love my Floyd Rose.

[@avoqado89]

Good morning great to wake up to Plini!!

[@davidevans1723]

Lol the whammy bar makes the world a beautiful place 😂

[@ryzorzen]

He explains everything so articulately

[@adam872]

Whammy doesn't have to be tasteless. Listen to Jeff Beck, Allan Holdsworth or Alex Lifeson to hear how it can be used in a beautiful and expressive way.

[@chrisfaraday3924]

Scott Henderson is really the best I've heard, above most others particularly on blues The guy kills on every solo

[@rickfeith6372]

David Gilmour...he's okay I suppose...a little shreddy for some though. I also heard of this Steven Vi fella. I saw him use a bar at some kid's birthday party. I know of this third guy named Petrooch or something, but he's just a nobody, so he doesn't count.

[@adam872]

@@rickfeith6372 They're OK I guess :-)

[@rickfeith6372]

Check this...I just some cheesy 80s video of a dude in neon tights named "Diamond Darrell" totally doing what this guy said to avoid. Almost to the letter. 🎵 Most folk'll never Getcha Pull 🎵 But then again some shall 🎵 Like 🎵 "Diamond Darrell" and his Dean from Hell* (*Some pointy guitar with a child's rendition of a lightning bolt painted and a sticker of 4 clowns in face paint) Edit: So this dude is now calling himself 'Diambag Diamond Abbott' or something like that (like a drug reference is gonna all of a sudden make you cool or something...call me Rickey Drugs). I just saw a more recent video, and he ditched the Spandex, and opted for a PINK goatee instead!!! CRAZY...thats for GIRLS "Diam" (If thats even his real name) He was okay at guitar I guess, but he was just waxin that bar so hard it made me giggles till I shat. Some folk'll never learn I reckon. In all seriousness...RIP my brothers from an Abbott mother.

[@dinifabio]

Lifeson is a fucking God to me...

[@stuartmercer3096]

I "play" my Standberg Plini ( you sold me) and love your music...but honestly I love your interview persona... you're so ...

[@chrisnurse6430]

Does anyone else feel like Australian music is in the safe, humble and respectful hands of greatness - albeit not wearing pants?

[@palidiciovermingagurainia1760]

thank god Plini has a sense of humor- we all geek over guitar but really few realize how silly we can be with over serious attitudes- l yuk it up whenever he speaks- he’s the Julia Child’s of u tube guitar!

[@marike1100]

Whales throw the best parties and they never invite me. Great clinic, thanks.

[@paolo-1283]

Plini's chord progression is underrated, beautiful chords and melodies.. By the way Allan Holdsworth, Jeff Beck and Steve Lukather use all whammy tricks Plini demonstrated here, scooping the notes with a bar.

[@DeanMetalAngel666]

Whale party, 'ey? I might just be stoked that Gojira are coming to my city in August, but I immediately pictured Joe Duplantier popping up in the background hollering "NOW I CAN SEE THE WHALES!"

[@user-oy7gz5bf2h]

The conclusion was gold.

[@richmckeemusic]

one of my all time favourite songs - incredible ending, such expression

[@morningdottimesthree]

Whale. Party. Lesson learned. Moving on.

[@CarlosDaniel-cz5oj]

Beautiful harmonic and melody

[@oisinmcphillips2090]

Great tone, sounds so great

[@thebigjuggalobowski]

Prog-gnosis is an amazing pun and sold me on this video immediately.

[@chrisdaviesguitar]

I can hear the Vai in this. Best demo use of a whammy I have seen. Thank you.

[@sjsphotog]

awesome techniques. Plini is AMAZING! Best guitarist

[@KOME11]

'Donkey Kong Country - Aquatic Ambiance' would be perfect for this technique.

[@ned_the_nod]

I've never heard anything like this guy it's so refreshing!!

[@aniketacharya512]

Watch Mateus Asato to know how beautifully you can use a whammy without distortion

[@Larry30102]

“Whales having a party” Perfect funny analogy. Great lesson. Many thanks.

[@DD-ls5pi]

Vai school of lead playing....🤘

[@sdiabr6792]

Just as i read the title That sick dive( of electric sunrise around 2:10 of the song not the video) Popped into my head lol

[@garythomas4431]

Tasteful whammy techniques goes way back to the 1950s with Hank Marvin and the Shadows, guys like Sick Dick Dale, then comes Jeff Beck, probably the best in my opinion as a creator of ethereal sounds with the tremolo on songs such as Nadia, Never Alone, and a biggie, Where Were You. I do agree that the eighties took it into the acrobatics stage, but there was a lot of adrenaline in the eighties. Listen to Akira Takasaki of loudness at the end of the song Heavy Chains. So I totally agree with everything Plini is talking about here. My pinky or index finger is never far from the whammy whether I'm playing a strat, or a Charvel.

[@vishalnagabhushan3537]

Ive just started to play with wammy. It's very educative. Thank you!

[@antemorph66]

Love the tone so much. I want

[@DavidHedriana]

4:20 lol "it almost sounds like a bunch of whales having a party" 🤣

[@jsmallsawe]

Some of that stuff really reminds me of Reb Beach's playing. Really beautiful!

[@mattsrick6041]

PLINI Ft. GUTHIRE GOVAN! PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEE I need to feel them on my skin 😥

[@ryanhoole4227]

you need help

[@thatellipsisguy8984]

Ryan Hoole no, he needs pants...

[@mandanglelow1442]

Jesus dude calm down or go get a room.

[@MoonWalkerTexsRanger]

The closest you can go is Selenium Forest. The two intro solos scream Guthrie

[@itsdaddyandme]

he definitely has the coolest guitar i have ever seen! omg.

[@JiNKA]

This man has the best approach to playing. I would like to see him and Benny greb and Jordan rudess hang out and make something

[@zeppelinmexicano]

Nice use of the whammy.

[@shubhamannamwar2857]

Brilliant

[@codybell371]

“I’m far from perfect” Me: *laughs in Neural DSP*

[@ryanvanhazen2997]

🤗 such a great plugin

[@codybell371]

@@ryanvanhazen2997 literally the first plug-in I buy when I put together my home recording setup🤤🤤

[@TheHallberger]

"this little guy is your friend, and can be used in lot of different ways"... that's what she said!

[@joenamredla]

Yo I was trying to learn this section yesterday and I was sat there with my fixed bridge wondering how he plays all these crazy bends lmao, never once occured to me that it was subtle whammy tricks.

[@billmillmine3106]

My new hero.

[@palidiciovermingagurainia1760]

what a great lesson- being a full 2 way bender and thinking l’m no Beck l learned so much - l put the “bar” to rest many years ago ( maybe because of the fender bridge ) ...maybe...l will...try again...

[@TheKrou]

Pause at 0:05.

[@alyusdickey9561]

Radoslaw Dlugowski lmfaoooo! Thats a good screenshot right there

[@TheKrou]

"Plurni shows you how to vibrurdur creatively"

[@masterofsloths]

Mood

[@mido3ontheway]

Radoslaw Dlugowski bloni

[@andreacaloiaro6038]

Plini's approach reminds me of Vai a lot.

[@mrabihnaboulsi79]

very inspirational... indeed...

[@leafclover8891]

Whammy bar is a stairway to heaven

[@elliotjimenez1854]

4:21

[@chief4615]

Reminds me of Shawn lane tunes Allan holdsworth (specifically the metal fatigue solo)

[@undertheradar5863]

Cool Another interesting guy who uses it in a creative way is Adrian Belew

[@eatingtrees9077]

This HAS to exonerate the whammy bar considering this could well be the best lead riff I've ever heard.

[@TheScheckig]

If you want a fixed bridge master class in pre-bending strings Johnny Hiland is probably the guy.

[@Ocelot911]

GW really saving these videos

[@john564holloway]

Great lesson, Plini! Thanks for the tips. I love whammy bars. Floyd Rose or Bigsby will both work great...

[@i4m3rr0r]

Shit, now I need to buy a guitar with a trem. Maybe even a Strandberg Plini?

[@borgan1964]

realy nice👍

[@brotendo]

The kick light behind him come from below eyeline is distracting to me haha. It's like... lighting up his earlobes and his sweater in weird places. It's better to place that at an angle above eyeline somewhere camera left or right.

[@ezcomeezgo9215]

can´t unsee it now

[@joashbritto]

Yo! I thought I was the only one who noticed 😂 definitely a weird place to keep such a sharp light. Makes him look a little 'dreamier' 😂😂

[@adilO.o]

I think I am officially a guitar studio nerd 😄🤓, I just started the video and was immediately thinking I could add some highs and presence to Plini’s voice 😝🤪

[@redberry3852]

Taste is a matter of opinion

[@bootlegapples]

F*cking around instead of "practicing" has it's benefits.I found all of this on my own but now it's learned in a tutorial instead of through self discovery.People who rely heavily on instruction from others will gain more ground faster,this is true.These musicians have thier place as well,of course.But what I find is they are reliably behind in innovation.Jeff Beck doesn't stand out because he relied on others to teach him some standardized approach and that's why he was light years ahead of all these guys making tutorials on "how to do this...".It takes a rare person to avoid pursuing what influences them and opt to find a world to call their own.If you're such a person don't incorporate too much from this,there is something yet not discovered,look for it instead.

[@ericvalverderosado2046]

this is a.problem when you play Metal :'''V...going Drop C with a Floyd Rose is not a good option...setting up it is very difficult, im blocking it :''''(

[@joshmazany1590]

If you cant set up a Floyd rose by yourself either learn or take it to a professional for restringing

[@benjaminfernando9781]

I used to play a Floyd in drop c, just use heavy ass strings and add some extra springs man :P

[@jaysap5844]

I have an sg. No whammy. But cmon its plini. Lmao im here for the lesson

[@nethbt]

Ahh... I missed the world famous Plini....

[@MrGrowleyP]

I like this guy :)

[@viociarnau1670]

Hey at what fret did your guitar is starting the fanned fret ? Which fret is the “zero/perpendicular” fret (like a normal guitar…) Thank you

[@ablacon64]

Steve Vai started doing those "tricks" more than 30 years ago and we still try to master them. n/

[@GarrettAbbey]

@Col Douglas I'm sure Steve Vai listens to Plini and appreciates his playing. Stop being a gatekeeper.

[@ieb994]

Steve Vai literally thinks Plini is the future of guitar

[@GarrettAbbey]

Literally the second sentence on his wikipedia page: Plini Roessler-Holgate is an Australian guitarist. Steve Vai named him "the future of exceptional guitar playing"

[@tracker54]

@@GarrettAbbey it's not so much about gatekeeping, than it's about showing younger people that there are tons fo players that have been doing this for 40 years now. I get that lots of young guitarists are growing up to the current youtube/instagram-generation of guitarists, and probably imagine that Plini and Asato are doing groundbreaking stuff; it's not gatekeeping to inform them that these guys are standing on the shoulder of giants, and that the wheel is not being reinvented.

[@gh2568]

If you are interested in "whammy" virtuoso well then Jeff Beck and Jason Becker are well worth the watch

[@jonschningpoulsen460]

boys are beck in town?

[@_733t]

I learned to pick the wrong way so i can't really access my whammy while picking.. i just used it for low open end divebombs and use my fret have to dive it

[@NONE2NONE]

Why no tuners on the headstock? Does this make a difference in the tone?

[@sonicsaviouryouwillnotgetm6678]

oh great. now my whammy bar is depressed more often.

[@viociarnau1670]

What model is your guitar and what tremolo bridge are you using on this one? I am very curious if I can buy just the bridge...-maybe for the 7 strings

[@kietchu2761]

anyone knows the song in the intro?

[@jeshely]

Johnson and Beck where doing tasteful use of the vibrato in the 80’s, sadly most people association the vibrato bar sound with the glam metal bands of the period.

[@christianpucciarelli]

Jeff beck knows something about whammy bar ;)

[@jeshpaul7385]

To all the whammy bar haters...I got this to say... *Jeff* *Beck*- *Nadia*

[@Grecki_Bog_Domestos]

To all metalheads thinking whammy bar is useless- listen to some jeff beck, steve lukather or Scott Henderson. Cheers

[@johnvincent1823]

metalheads suck dick at guitar

[@alyusdickey9561]

bla3912 *Steve Vai*, *Joe Satriani*, *John Petrucci*

[@Grecki_Bog_Domestos]

nah

[@ooferrell]

Jeff beck is a god!!!

[@jacobswaim449]

Holdsworth anybody?

[@galenstapley4950]

Great vid. Pause at 0:05 tho

[@gingataff]

So basically Vai with a bit of Satriani’s ‘Lizard down the throat’ technique.

[@taunoctua245]

I was one of the guys in the early 80's who went Gibson, because the whammy bar was the trendy thing, and I've never been much of follower, though Jeff Beck, Frank Zappa, and Adrian Belew made me kind of want to get into it.

[@theindigovibe.williamwyatt5563]

what guitar is that. looks to be a more stylish version of a Steinberger. does the whammy pull up on that too or only push down like a stein?

[@MilkwalkerOwO]

They're called Strandbergs! Much nicer than Steinberger in my opinion, check then out!

[@EDWINPIERCE168]

The term “whammy bar” is kind of a pejorative to start with. It’s not a tremolo bar either. It’s a vibrato bar, and that’s kind of the point here - it’s not just a whammy, it produces an interesting vibrato

[@alejandrocaroca8486]

how is the intro song called?

[@AlexPriceMusician]

Props to Guitar World for not advertising the anti-woke guitarist propaganda and calling it what it really does - vibrato

[@AlexPriceMusician]

@Dave Males Leo Fender called it tremolo when he designed it but he was incorrect. Tremolo is a rapid iteration of the same note, vibrato is rapid variance in pitch.

[@Ignore14]

@@AlexPriceMusician yeah it actually makes no sense that it's called a "tremolo bar" it should just be called a vibrato bar

[@Ignore14]

@Dave Males And what the hell does that have to do with what I just said? I don't care if companies call it a tremolo bar. It's stupid.

[@Ignore14]

@Dave Males Okay, I'm gonna pretend this conversation never happened, because I can feel my brain cells rapidly decaying with every second I read your comments. See ya.

[@gryg666]

B-E-A-utiful :) But I prefer crazy mode like Mattias IA Eklundh is doing :)

[@rifabahrulilmirosyid8367]

What the type and brand of guitar he wear in this video?

[@CharLessMajor7Music]

.strandberg*

[@AyushVerma-qr3dc]

Yeah !! But when I do it my guitar gets out of tune !

[@RohannvanRensburg]

I think all you have to do is listen to people like Plini, Guthrie, Loomis, and Akesson to realize it's not just a "trick" bar.

[@Rushtallica]

Uli Roth is the first one I noticed in my early playing whom used the bar quite a bit for vibratto as well as the more Hendrix-ish dive bombs, etc, i.e. kzbin.info/www/bejne/j2q7gY2jZ5ehkLM and kzbin.info/www/bejne/fqTbfYmvocZ_fq8

[@razeshbudhathoki]

His wammy style always reminds me of Holdsworth

[@dayuhanspace]

"disservicing the melody" hmm i like that description

[@thestuffmikedoes2309]

this dude is brilliant. off topic note: that guitar is absurd looking

[@MateoBakija]

Plini always look like he lacks adrenaline XD great musician though, love his music.

[@dermilos.6930]

As if I could afford a well set up guitar with a whammy