How to Gargle

[ubtguitarist]

I was looking at a metal lesson from Guitar Techniques 151, And King Diamond's Example 8 has some sort sound called a gargle. I didn't really understand the brief explanation of how to make the gargle so I tried looking on the internet for a video with no luck. Would anyone care to explain how to make this sound, or point me to a website? Thanks

[SimonJohnOwen]

The Gargle is also known as the ' tremelo flick ' and you pull it off using the whammy bar. Turn the bar so it points backwards , towards the end strap button of the guitar. Then push down on the bar and you have to try and flick your hand off the end to make the sound.

Steve Vai uses this trick in ' For The Love of God ' , bars 87-88 if you can find a transcription.

[dafuzz]

I discovered by accident you can karate chop the (floating) bridge to get that effect, but its hit and miss and could possibly knock your tuning out if you hit the pegs.

Generally I place my palm back near the elbow of the whammy by the bridge and swipe my hand across its length (it needs to be pointing at the headstock) very quickly. As you get to the V part of the arm it forces the arm down a tad and as your hand falls of the end it springs back up and makes the bridge wobble.

Hope that makes sense.

I love that sound - its one of my favourite techniques. Jeff Beck does it fantastically on the intro to Justice In The Barrel off Jon Bon Jovi's Young Guns II album. It gave me goosebumps when I first heard it.

Good luck

[ubtguitarist]

Yeah I really like the way it sounds, but unfortunately for me i don't have a floating bridge or a whammy bar so i won't be able to do it. I'll try it next time i play a start

[JaseMorris]

It's also a great way of breaking strings.

[tenstrings]

If you have an FX unit with pitch altering capabilities they often come with several whammy tricks programmed in.

J