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At 11:04 PM +0000 9/18/02, ernesto schnack wrote: >I guess this is why the vibrato bar is mostly referred to as a "tremolo >bar" even though it has nothing to do with tremolo. Even Steinberger >refers to theirs as the Trans-TREM. Funny how names stick. It's probably a good idea to avoid the term "tremolo" altogether because it has several different definitions depending on musical context. Here's a pretty good explication: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. http://www.wikipedia.com/wiki/Tremolo Tremolo is a musical term with two meanings: * A rapid repetition of the same note, or an alternation between two or more notes. * A rapid and repetitive variation in pitch for the duration of a note. This is more usually called vibrato. A fuller discussion of the second sense given above can be found at vibrato. The rest of this article is concerned with the first meaning. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tremolo is the rapid repetition of one note in music or a rapid alternation between two or more notes. It is sometimes called tremolando, especially when referring to a rapid repetition on a bowed string instrument, one of the most commonly seen uses of the technique. Tremolo on a violin or similar instrument is sometimes combined with playing sul ponticello (over the bridge of the instrument), which gives a thin and reedy effect, often perceived to be "ghostly." Another common use of the technique on one note is in the playing of the mandolin. Once a mandolin string is plucked, the note decays very rapidly, and by playing the same note many times very rapidly, the illusion of a sustained note can be created. Tremolo on two or more notes is most frequently seen on the piano or other keyboard instruments. The composer Franz Liszt often calls for the technique to be used in his piano pieces. When used on the piano, tremolo can create a seemingly louder and larger sound, which can be sustained indefinitely. Historically, its use on keyboard instruments can be traced back to a time before the invention of the piano? when harpsichords and similar instruments such as the spinet? were standard. These instruments could not sustain notes for nearly as long as a modern piano, and so tremolo was used to simulate a longer sustain, as well as being used as an independent effect. Here are some other definitions: From Georgia Tech Tremolo The art of performing or singing the same note over and over very quickly, executed most commonly but not exclusively on bowed string instruments. Tremolo may be measured or unmeasured and has the effect of adding motion to the sound. Vibrato The pulsating or vibrating element of some sounds that is produced by a full, resonant quality of tone. Vibrato is a very slight fluctuation of the pitch of a note; it was known as early as the 16th century, but until the 19th century it was used mainly as ornamentation. Since the 19th century, vibrato has been used almost constantly because of its enhancement of tone. From Simon Frasier U. Tremolo A periodic fluctuation or oscillation in the amplitude of a tone, thereby being a type of amplitude modulation, and a limited version of a vibrato. It is used in various forms by instrumentalists but the optimum speed is usually regarded as being seven cycles per second. Tremolo is often heard with the vibraphone and certain types of electronic organ sounds. Vibrato A periodic fluctuation or oscillation in the frequency of a tone, thereby being a type of frequency modulation. It is also usually accompanied by a pulsation of intensity which affects the timbre or colour of the tone. Instrumentalists and singers use the effect to enrich their tone, and usually regulate the speed of the vibrato to the range of seven cycles per second. And here are a few URLs to help you get REALLY confused: http://www.vibroworld.com/magnatone/vibrato.html http://members.iinet.net.au/~nickl/vibrato.html http://www.wfg.woodwind.org/fl_tr3_1.html http://www.wfg.woodwind.org/fl_tr3_2.html http://www.wfg.woodwind.org/fl_tr3_3.html http://www.co-mando.com/techniques/technique/tremolo.htm http://www.jaybuckey.com/Mandolin%20Tremolo.htm http://philiphii.com/articles/tremolo.html http://www.guitarsite.com/tab/Classical/Tarrega/exercise.htm -- ______________________________________________________________ Richard Zvonar, PhD (818) 788-2202 http://www.zvonar.com http://RZCybernetics.com