How to Use Electric Guitar Feedback

Electric guitar feedback occurs when the sound from the amplifier "feeds back" to the still vibrating strings. This effect produces more sound through the amplifier and continues the cycle. Feedback is considered undesirable in most genres, but it is intentionally generated and controlled in hard rock and heavy metal. The following steps will show how to use electric guitar feedback.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Listen to some well-known examples of feedback. The first commercial use of feedback may have been on the Beatles' opening of "I Feel Fine" in 1964. Jimi Hendrix and Pete Townshend used feedback extensively in their live performances.
2. Use tube amps in preference to solid amps. Tube amps are a more primitive technology and more prone to audio "defects" such as feedback. The feedback sound in heavy metal is traditionally produced by a big stack of Marshall amps. High sustain pickups also are helpful.
3. Generate feedback of any type before attempting to use it musically. The specific conditions required for feedback are highly variable according to hardware. The amplifier must be turned up very loud and the guitar held extremely close to the amp.
4. Experiment with position and angle of the guitar. These factors are used to "tune" the feedback, but the variables are highly unpredictable and not even Hendrix could intentionally play feedback the same way twice.
5. Play with devices specifically designed to produce controllable feedback. Today, an ebow (bow for electric instruments) or sonic transducer normally is used instead of attempting to produce feedback manually.