Yet despite the significant volume of research dedicated to guitar acoustics, there appears to be a paucity of research concerning the physics of electric guitar playing and the underlying physical principles of the distinct techniques which influence the instrument's unmistakeable tonality. As guitars provide a tangible example of the many important physical principles, some literature on the subject is dedicated to the pedagogical advantages of using guitars as demonstrations of crucial acoustic principles such as standing waves. Other research has examined the challenge of digitally simulating the tonal quality of electric guitars in syntheised instruments –. As a consequence, some research pertaining explicitly to the electric guitar has concentrated on the mechanical-electrical properties of electric guitar pick-ups. Such analysis is understandably critical for acoustic instruments, but perhaps less for electric guitars which rely on suitable valve or solid-state amplifiers to project their sound. Similarly, other research has examined the acoustics of classical guitars and the effect of bridge design on top plate vibrations. Considerable investigation has been undertaken on the mechanics of acoustic guitar construction and resonances, , as well as analysis into the tonal effects of removable back-plates. Much of this work is concerns the mechano-acoustic properties of vibrating plates and applications of Chladni's Law. There has been considerable analysis of the physics of violins, practically all of which is equally applicable to guitar. These are but some examples - An accomplished guitarist's tone and vibrato can be so intrinsic to that player that their idiosyncratic sound is as distinctive as a vocalist's to a trained ear.įrom a physical perspective, the basic acoustics of string instruments have been well studied for centuries. Eric Clapton's thick guitar tone and use of vibrato is referred to by guitarists as the “woman tone”, which he famously contributed to the Beatles's classic “While my guitar gently weeps”. Coupled with the huge array of amplification, effects and distortion options, the electric guitar can yield a vocal-like quality in lead playing, allusions to which are often made in popular culture in Dire Strait's 1979 debut single “Sultans of swing”, songwriter Mark Knopfler refers to a jazz guitarist as being “strictly rhythm, he doesn't want to make it cry or sing”. Radial pitch shifting or string-bending, the application of force to bend a string from its equilibrium position, and has become an integral part of electric guitar lead playing. The ability to explore micro-tonality and segue between pitches in a continuous manner is one element of guitar playing that sets it apart from other popular instruments where pitch is discrete. The implications of these findings on the configuration and design of guitars is also discussed. ![]() The string-bending model is experimentally validated using a variety of strings and vibrato dynamics are simulated. ![]() In this work, models for these processes are derived and the implications for guitar and string design discussed. While the mechano-acoustics of stringed instruments and vibrating strings are well studied, there has been comparatively little work dedicated to the underlying physics of unique electric guitar techniques and strings, nor the mechanical factors influencing vibrato, string-bending, fretting force and whammy-bar dynamics. Similarly, a wide variety of techniques unique to the electric guitar have emerged. Unlike other more quantised instruments where pitch is a discrete function, guitarists can incorporate micro-tonality and, as a result, vibrato and sting-bending are idiosyncratic hallmarks of a player. ![]() In the hands of an experienced player, electric guitars can sound as expressive and distinct as a human voice. Electric guitar playing is ubiquitous in practically all modern music genres.
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