How to Do Flanger Effects for the Electric Guitar

The flanger, a common effect for electric guitar, does interesting things to the notes, essentially bending the tone into a kind of cyclical electronic drone that can be a great complement to several genres. Getting flanger effects onto your play has to do with controlling an "effects pedal" (or other similar device) that will "flange" your guitar's sound.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Plug in your flanger pedal in a loop between the guitar and the amplifier. Experts suggest you plug your flanger pedal in "before" a distortion pedal to get maximum effect. The pedal will be connected to the guitar and the amp through different cables. Plugs on the pedal will tell you how to hook it up.

2. Turn on guitar and amp, set your volume at a reasonable level, and test the effect by playing a fairly static note or riff. Strum one note repeatedly to get a consistent sound and listen for a wavering effect, a tone rising and descending slowly.

3. Change the width, regeneration, and time dials on the pedal, as well as the volume settings on the amp if you don't hear anything. The pedal dials will modify the length of the flanger cycle, as well as the intensity of the effect. Try turning the pedal up to full effect and listen again.

4. Play notes, chords, and scales to hear how the flanger operates on various play styles.

5. Experiment with adding flanger to a riff by making space for the effect, holding one note for a long time in between rapidly changing notes or chord progressions. Try double stops, bends, or other harmonious constructs within the riff, and listen to the flanger at work.