Tremolo effect

A periodic rise and fall in volume, creating a pulsing or throbbing rhythm rather than a change in pitch.

In guitar equipment the effect is produced by modulating the signal's amplitude at a set rate and depth, and it is often paired with a shape control that moves between a smooth sine and a square-edged chop. Depth set high with a fast rate produces a stuttering, percussive effect; slower and shallower, it adds a gentle sway to a chord. It is a different effect from vibrato, which modulates pitch, although the two words are still muddled together on many amplifiers.

Example: a medium-depth tremolo on a sustained clean chord gives the swaying pulse of a lot of early surf and rockabilly guitar.

Tremolo effect

See also