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Topic: What is a Boo Wah? |
Dale Lee
From:
Down Yonder
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Posted 13 Aug 2007 8:02 pm |
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| I keep seeing references to a Boo Wah pedal. I don't know what it means. Pardon my ignorance, but I would appreciate learning what it is. |
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Rick Abbott
From:
Indiana, USA
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Posted 13 Aug 2007 8:23 pm
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Ditto! Where the heck do you use this "effect"?!!? Can you site some examples on this forum?
_________________
RICK ABBOTT
Sho~Bud D-10 Professional #7962
Remington T-8, Sehy #112
1975 Peavey Pacer |
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Brint Hannay
From:
Maryland, USA
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Posted 13 Aug 2007 8:37 pm
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The Boo Wah pedal is the one that's usually pedal 8 on a double neck steel. (Sometimes pedal 4). It lowers the 10th string of the C6th tuning from C to A, lowers the 9th string to E, and raises the 7th string to C#.
The nickname comes from the effect when you pick the 10th string, then press the pedal. I've seen the invention of the nickname attributed to Jeff Newman, but in one of his books I have (I think "Music To Get C6th By"), he notates the effect under the tab as "Bar-rooom!" |
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Jody Sanders
From:
Magnolia,Texas, R.I.P.
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Posted 13 Aug 2007 8:47 pm
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| Listen to Buddy on "Night Life" and you will hear the "BooWah" Jody. |
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Ken Byng
From:
Southampton, England
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Mike Perlowin
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Posted 15 Aug 2007 9:20 am
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It's when you get booed off the stage and cry "Wah."
Just kidding.
Sometimes when I'm playing a blues tune, I use the boo wah pedal as a tonic and the B pedal for the 4 and 5 chords. It works quite well in that context.
_________________
Please visit my web site and Soundcloud page and listen to the music posted there.
http://www.mikeperlowin.com http://soundcloud.com/mike-perlowin |
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Dave Burr
From:
League City, TX
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Dale Lee
From:
Down Yonder
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Posted 15 Aug 2007 3:50 pm
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| Thanks Dave & Ken. Picture/Sound is worth a thousand words. I could hear it and see it in these clips. Tommy White at 1:41 especially and a couple of other times previous to that. Good job!! |
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basilh
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 16 Aug 2007 2:29 pm
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| And then there's the Do Wah switch, as per Speedy Alvino, Jerry Byrd et al. |
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Archie Nicol R.I.P.
From:
Ayrshire, Scotland
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Posted 16 Aug 2007 5:14 pm
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Zippy-ty Boo-Wah, Zippity....? Surely, having pedal eight, for the sake of pedal placement argument, down and then releasing would give more of a boo-wah sound. The lowering gives a wah-boo sound to me.
Bah-Humbug!
Arch. |
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J D Sauser
From:
Wellington, Florida
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Posted 17 Aug 2007 10:56 am
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There are two types of "Boo-whaa" sounds, as Basil pointed out.
The first one was a tone control boowaah sound, where the bar got slammed on the strings with the control cutting all treble and then moved up whilst at the same time restoring the tone control to a normal treble setting. Some used a switch instead of a pot. This was very popular in the en 40's and 50's notably performed by Western Swing and early steel guitar "Jazz" players. Jerry Byrd performed a more subtle "wha-wha" sound using the same tone control... he could almost get it to talk.
The second one, came only later when the 10 string C6th pedal setup got established. The 8th pedal change turns the whole bank into a VI 7th relative to the bar position. This may have been picked off Jerry Byrd's C6/A7th tuning. However, especially during the 60's and 70's this change became notorious for the "Boowhoa" sound that fit well for some of the popular Jazz sounds of that era because it slamms the already low bottom string down 3 semi tones and lends itself to some easy funky licks.
Sadly, many seem to have gotten so hooked on that exclusive use of that pedal... making it sound rather dated (IMO).
The pedal also makes up for some nice 11th voicings when used together with the 7th pedal.
... J-D. |
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Jay Jessup
From:
Charlottesville, VA, USA
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Posted 17 Aug 2007 11:44 am
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| To me, the main problem with using it onstage is that you are descending into the range of the bass guitar and if he happens to be on the same note you are heading to you when you 'mash' pedal 8 and if you aren't perfect both in your bar placement and tuning of that change then it makes a really nasty noise out in the audience but one that you will most likely not notice from onstage! It's first usage on record by Mr E and others back in the 60's was really cool but in a band setting these days it almost always sounds like a poorly used gimmcik to me YMMV |
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Dale Lee
From:
Down Yonder
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Posted 17 Aug 2007 3:32 pm
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J.D. and Jay,
Thanks for this information about the background of this. I am still a newbie on steel, and it is very rewarding to learn this lore. |
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Colin Mclean
From:
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
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Posted 17 Aug 2007 8:39 pm
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| Dave Burr, who is playing in that clip? |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 19 Aug 2007 10:04 am
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sigh.  |
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Russ Tkac
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Posted 19 Aug 2007 10:31 am
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Edited to say: Now that I play some C6 I get it! 
Last edited by Russ Tkac on 7 Apr 2009 7:53 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Andy Greatrix
From:
Edmonton Alberta
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Posted 19 Aug 2007 12:30 pm
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| At the right time, it makes for a nice dominant seven chord with a sharp nine. |
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Dave Burr
From:
League City, TX
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Posted 20 Aug 2007 8:32 am
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| Colin, That's Buddy Emmons on Ray Price's original recording of "Night Life". |
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