In music,
tremolo (Italian pronunciation:
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), or
tremolando (
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), is a trembling effect. There are two types of tremolo.
The first is a rapid reiteration:
- of a single
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, particularly used on
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, by rapidly moving the bow back and forth; plucked strings such as on a
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, where it is called
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(Italian pronunciation:
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) or "whispering"; and
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, in which a single note is repeated extremely rapidly with a
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(or "pick") on traditionally plucked string instruments such as guitar (although a pick is not necessary to execute a tremolo), mandolin, etc.
- between two notes or chords in alternation, an imitation (not to be confused with a
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) of the preceding that is more common on
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. Mallet instruments such as the
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are capable of either method.
- a
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on any
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, whether tuned or untuned.
A second type of tremolo is a variation in
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:
- as produced on organs by
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- using electronic effects in guitar amplifiers and effects pedals which rapidly turn the volume of a signal up and down, creating a "shuddering" effect
- an imitation of the same by strings in which pulsations are taken in the same bow direction
- a
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involving a wide or slow
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, not to be confused with the
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or "Monteverdi trill"
Some
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use a (misnamed) lever called a "tremolo arm" or "
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" that allows a performer to lower or (usually, to some extent) raise the pitch of a note or chord, an effect properly termed
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or "pitch bend". This non-standard use of the term "tremolo" refers to pitch rather than amplitude. However, the term "trem" or "tremolo" is still used to refer to a
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built for a whammy bar, or the bar itself. True tremolo for an electric guitar,
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, or any electronic signal would normally be produced by a simple
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. Electronic tremolo effects were available on many early
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. Tremolo effects pedals are also widely used to achieve this effect. In acoustic instruments, for e.g. guitar, tremolo effect provides the sustenance of sound for a longer span.