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The task is to create a presentation on computer effects and tremolo is listed as on of them

Kiki
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  • Not worthy of an answer in itself, which has already been adequately provided - but extreme tremolo [it doesn't often go almost to silence, this is quite a high setting] is exemplified in the opening of The Smiths - How Soon Is Now? - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnpILIIo9ek – Tetsujin Oct 01 '22 at 16:13
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    Back in the 'surf' era, early 60's, it would be used far more subtly - eg The Shadows, Apache - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzgbcyfJgfQ - is almost too subtle to really hear, but it's there. There's also a lot of spring reverb on the lead guitar sound & some use of the mis-named "tremolo arm" [qv Tim's answer](https://music.stackexchange.com/a/125208/12556), also known as a whammy/wangy bar – Tetsujin Oct 01 '22 at 16:28
  • @Tetsujin Or [this AfroCelt Sound System track](https://youtu.be/A53577mJXXE), in which the comments inevitably mention "How Soon" – Andy Bonner Oct 03 '22 at 17:53

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Proper tremolo is the exact same pitch rhythmically going louder and quieter, which is available on all synths, and probably computer programs too.

However, Leo Fender muddied the waters incredibly when he coined the term tremolo arm, aka 'wangy bar' which he provided on his Strats back in the 50s (and still does), which changed the pitch of the notes played, by changing the tension of the strings. Thus most guitarists think that that is tremolo, quite erroneously. Worth bearing in mind: tremolo to guitarists is usually regarded as what the rest of the world knows as vibrato, so you could have fun with that...

Tim
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    Eager to respond to the criticism of his tremolo terminology, Fender went on to develop the Vibrolux amplifiers. After all, if you play vibrato on a tremolo system into a vibrato amp producing tremolo, the end result is both vibrato and tremolo, so who cares what produces which! – leftaroundabout Sep 30 '22 at 23:14
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    Didn't think I could get to my age & discover a new term for a bit of a guitar - *wangy bar* is completely new to me, it was always a *whammy bar* to me. Guitar fandom lists both terms - https://guitar.fandom.com/wiki/Whammy_bar – Tetsujin Oct 01 '22 at 07:38
  • @leftaroundabout- I, for one. Not only as a pedant, but I believe most guitarists, particularly in the '60s, would use one *or* the other, can't think of anything which used both simultaneously! But good point about Leo getting totally confused. – Tim Oct 01 '22 at 07:48
  • The classic *tremolo* on guitar is done by rapidly plucking the same string with index-, middle- and ring-finger of the right hand. See for example the piece *Recuerdos de la Alhambra* by Francesco Tarrega (as by his own admission in the undertitle a "Tremolo-Etude") or the *Nocturne "Reverie"* op. 19 by Giulio Regondi. – bakunin Oct 01 '22 at 15:47
  • @bakunin - yes, with the modern equivalent being carried out with rapid picking using the plectrum or pick – Doktor Mayhem Oct 01 '22 at 16:13
  • Classical tremolo is indeed using two, more often three fingers to repeatedly play notes. On electric or acoustic guitars, though, as the good Doktor states, plectrum is pretty well always used, to the same effect. – Tim Oct 01 '22 at 16:33
  • @BruceWayne - I mean wangy bar, which is why I wrote wangy bar, Others may also call it whammy bar, as Tetsujin harks to. – Tim Oct 01 '22 at 19:00
  • @Tetsujin same here. I tried to compare usage, but [NGram](https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=Whammy+bar%2C+wangy+bar&year_start=1800&year_end=2019&corpus=en-2019&smoothing=3) didn't find anything for "wangy bar"? Perhaps I used the search incorrectly? – BruceWayne Oct 01 '22 at 21:05
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    @BruceWayne - maybe it's not in general use, particularly on Mars. It's been used in England for many decades, perhaps just amongst a small community. But every time it is used, there's no doubt what's in mind. – Tim Oct 02 '22 at 06:40
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    @BruceWayne - search for "twangy guitar" you will find that Duane Eddy named a Gretsch with Bigsby vibrato arm and is derived from the surf sound "twang" witch is an onomatopoeia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vibrato_systems_for_guitar – Jürgen Oct 05 '22 at 06:18
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Tremolo as a computer effect is a regular rhythmic change in volume. This change is going to be modeled as some sort of wave with time on the x axis and volume on the y axis. Tremolo effects will use square waves, sin waves, triangle waves, etc. This produces a sort of pulsing sound. If you are looking at a tremolo plugin then this is the effect it is referring to. The first song I always think of when I think of tremolo is Bang Bang.

On guitars specifically there is the tremolo bar. It looks like @Tim already explained this is not tremolo. There is also Tremolo Picking, which is rapidly attacking a note. You hear this in surf and metal alot. On classical guitar there is a finger-picked tremolo usually just called Tremolo. It produces a similar effect as electric tremolo picking but uses the fingers.

Tremolo goes back a long time. Wikipedia says the 1600s is when it was first introduced.

Awalrod
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  • The Wikipedia "tremolo" article is talking about bowed-string tremolo technique, which is rather different, but there's a direct corollary to the computer effect in the ["tremulant" device of pipe organs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tremulant), which use some kind of baffle or box to increase or decrease the flow of air. There's evidence of them as early as 1582; see [my dissertatation](https://libres.uncg.edu/ir/uncg/f/Bonner_uncg_0154D_11176.pdf) p 122 and following, and the sources cited there. – Andy Bonner Oct 03 '22 at 18:00