# Have you tried the "glissando" guitar technique?



## Chris D (Sep 8, 2006)

I think this got called "glissando guitar" first by Daev Allen from Gong, who as far as I know pioneered this technique. Steve Hillage also used this a lot.

Glissando is the musical term meaning "slide" but glissando guitar isn't "slide guitar" as you know it.

The sound you get is a lush drifty synth/string effect, it sounds cool & is easy to do, although trying to explain it seems complicated, & you do it like this:

Required: A trem arm, removed, pull the plastic tip off too if there is one. Volume or wah pedal, delay. Or also try adding harmony (for example 3rd or 5th, 50/50 mix) with a pitch-shifter if you have one for extra lush/fullness.

Method: Mute the strings towards the nut end of the neck using fretting hand or whatever ( hair-tie / part of a sock etc )
Hold the trem arm at the bend where it would normally exit the trem, "Jiggle" the flat part of the trem arm ( where you'd normally hold it ) on the 1st & 2nd strings at the 12th fret for starters.

The part of the arm in contact with the strings should be parallel to the frets & the jiggle motion should be up & down parallel with the frets.

The correct motion is like a fast really short-stroke ( 20-30mm max ), like trem-picking but with the trem arm stroking the strings up & down, don't fret the strings, just allow the arm to skate over the strings.

This will get the strings ringing & also sustain that ring.

Then swell up the sound with your pedal. Cosmic, man...

Then drift the notes up & down, swelling in & out as your tune requires.
You can go stupidly high as you're able to sound notes from way past the end of the fretboard, as high as your pickups allow.

It's hard to do the 2nd or 3rd string on their own, you'll tend to be sounding just the 1st, 1st&2nd or 1st&2nd&3rd together.

Experiment with different delay rate/repeat settings, different interval settings on your pitch shifter, or tune your unwound strings to different intervals... try it with clean or overdriven tone, different pups etc, hey, experiment!

You can use prettymuch any polished metal object to do this, Daev Allen famously used gyneacological surgical instruments! But it helps to have a bend just above the string contact part so it's out of the way of the other strings.

I'll do a diagram if anyone's puzzled & maybe an audio clip ( or you could just go DL some Gong. )

I did once post about this on Musiciansforums ages ago & got the "it probably isn't worth going out of your way to experiment with this technique" & "glissando means slide you twat" replies.
Hopefully here we're a lot more open minded & either know about this already ( I'm pretty sure Vai has used it before ) or will give it a try, what have you got to lose?

Let us know how you get on.


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## metalfiend666 (Sep 8, 2006)

I know exactly the technique you're on about. I think Vai uses it in his "Live at the Astoria" DVD.


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## giannifive (Sep 8, 2006)

Yeah, I've also seen this technique in the Live at the Astoria Vai DVD. I think the song is "The Animal." Sure does sound cool.


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## ts73 (Sep 11, 2006)

I just dropped by to say Gong rules, Deavid Allen rules, and that Steve Hillage get's nowhere near the respect he deserves for his guitar playing.
Thanks for the post!


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## D-EJ915 (Sep 11, 2006)

if you want to know what it really is, it's a trombone technique \m/


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## Chris D (Sep 11, 2006)

ts73 said:


> Steve Hillage get's nowhere near the respect he deserves for his guitar playing.



Yeah, why is that?
Who else on this board has even heard of him?


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