The
3rd bridge is an
extended playing techniqueExtended techniques are performance techniques used in music to describe unconventional, unorthodox or "improper" techniques of singing, or of playing musical instruments....
used on some string instruments (notably the
electric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses pickups to convert the vibration of its steel-cored strings into an electrical current, which is made louder with an instrument amplifier and a speaker. The signal that comes from the guitar is sometimes electronically altered with guitar effects such as...
), which allows a musician to produce distinctive
timbreNot to be confused with timber.In music, timbre is the quality of a musical note or sound or tone that distinguishes different types of sound production, such as voices or musical instruments. The physical characteristics of sound that mediate the perception of timbre include spectrum and envelope...
s and
overtoneAn overtone is a natural resonance of a system. Systems described by overtones are often sound systems, for example, blown pipes or plucked strings.If such a system is excited, a number of tones may be produced along with the fundamental tone...
s which are unavailable on a conventional string instrument with two bridges.
Such instruments can be custom-made (as with guitars designed and played by
Hans ReichelHans Reichel is a German improvisational guitarist, experimental luthier, inventor, and typographer.-Career:Reichel was born in Hagen, Germany. He began to teach himself violin at age 7, playing in the school orchestra until age 15...
); jerry-rigged (as with conventional guitars modified with a pencil or screwdriver under the strings); or may take advantage of design quirks of factory-built instruments (as with the the
Fender JazzmasterThe Fender Jazzmaster is an electric guitar that was first introduced at the 1958 NAMM Show and was designed as a more upmarket instrument than the Fender Stratocaster, which was originally to replace the Telecaster model...
which has
stringsA string is the vibrating element that is the source of vibration in string instruments, such as the guitar, harp, piano, and members of the violin family. They are lengths of a flexible material kept under tension so that they may freely vibrate...
continue from the "standard" bridge to the tremolo piece).
Perhaps the best-known examples of this technique come from rock and roll groups like
Sonic YouthSonic Youth is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Mark Ibold and Steve Shelley ....
and
PlaceboPlacebo are an alternative rock band formed in London in 1994, currently consisting of Brian Molko, Stefan Olsdal and Steve Forrest. To date, they have released six studio albums, six EPs and twenty-seven singles...
.
The
3rd bridge is an
extended playing techniqueExtended techniques are performance techniques used in music to describe unconventional, unorthodox or "improper" techniques of singing, or of playing musical instruments....
used on some string instruments (notably the
electric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses pickups to convert the vibration of its steel-cored strings into an electrical current, which is made louder with an instrument amplifier and a speaker. The signal that comes from the guitar is sometimes electronically altered with guitar effects such as...
), which allows a musician to produce distinctive
timbreNot to be confused with timber.In music, timbre is the quality of a musical note or sound or tone that distinguishes different types of sound production, such as voices or musical instruments. The physical characteristics of sound that mediate the perception of timbre include spectrum and envelope...
s and
overtoneAn overtone is a natural resonance of a system. Systems described by overtones are often sound systems, for example, blown pipes or plucked strings.If such a system is excited, a number of tones may be produced along with the fundamental tone...
s which are unavailable on a conventional string instrument with two bridges.
Such instruments can be custom-made (as with guitars designed and played by
Hans ReichelHans Reichel is a German improvisational guitarist, experimental luthier, inventor, and typographer.-Career:Reichel was born in Hagen, Germany. He began to teach himself violin at age 7, playing in the school orchestra until age 15...
); jerry-rigged (as with conventional guitars modified with a pencil or screwdriver under the strings); or may take advantage of design quirks of factory-built instruments (as with the the
Fender JazzmasterThe Fender Jazzmaster is an electric guitar that was first introduced at the 1958 NAMM Show and was designed as a more upmarket instrument than the Fender Stratocaster, which was originally to replace the Telecaster model...
which has
stringsA string is the vibrating element that is the source of vibration in string instruments, such as the guitar, harp, piano, and members of the violin family. They are lengths of a flexible material kept under tension so that they may freely vibrate...
continue from the "standard" bridge to the tremolo piece).
Perhaps the best-known examples of this technique come from rock and roll groups like
Sonic YouthSonic Youth is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Mark Ibold and Steve Shelley ....
and
PlaceboPlacebo are an alternative rock band formed in London in 1994, currently consisting of Brian Molko, Stefan Olsdal and Steve Forrest. To date, they have released six studio albums, six EPs and twenty-seven singles...
. The 3d bridge technique has a
physicalPhysics is a natural science; it is the study of matter and its motion through spacetime and all that derives from these, such as energy and force...
connection with
PythagorasPythagoras of Samos was an Ionian Greek philosopher and founder of the religious movement called Pythagoreanism. He is often revered as a great mathematician, mystic and scientist; however some have questioned the scope of his contributions to mathematics and natural philosophy...
'
monochordA monochord is an ancient musical and scientific laboratory instrument. The word "monochord" comes from the Greek and means literally "one string." A misconception of the term lies within its name. Often a monochord has more than one string, most of the time two, one open string and a second string...
, because both function with the
scale of harmonicsThe scale of harmonics is a musical scale based on the noded positions of the natural harmonics existing on a string. This musical scale is present on the guqin, regarded as one of the first string instruments with a musical scale . Most fret positions appearing on Non-Western string instruments ...
. Also many non-Western
musical scaleIn music, a scale is a group of musical notes collected in ascending and descending order, that provides material for or is used to conveniently represent part or all of a musical work including melody and/or harmony...
s and
musical instrumentA musical instrument is an object constructed or used for the purpose of making the sounds of music. In principle, anything that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the beginnings of human culture...
s share these
consonantIn articulatory phonetics, a consonant is a speech sound that is articulated with complete or partial closure of the upper vocal tract, the upper vocal tract being defined as that part of the vocal tract that lies above the larynx...
justIn music, just intonation is any musical tuning in which the frequencies of notes are related by ratios of whole numbers. Any interval tuned in this way is called a just interval; in other words, the two notes are members of the same harmonic series....
pitch relations.
Physical explanation and examples
On a standard guitar, the string is held above the soundboard by two nodes: the "nut" (near the headstock) and the "bridge" (near the player's right hand on a standard guitar). When a player sounds a note on a standard guitar, he or she is vibrating only a single portion of the string (such as between the nut and the bridge, or between their fretting finger and the bridge).
In contrast, a third bridge divides the string into two pieces. When played at one part or a string, the opposed part starts to
resonateIn physics, resonance is the tendency of a system to oscillate at larger amplitude at some frequencies than at others. These are known as the system's resonant frequencies . At these frequencies, even small periodic driving forces can produce large amplitude vibrations, because the system...
, depending on a predictable mathematical ratio of the strings' lengths. On
harmonicIn acoustics and telecommunication, a harmonic of a wave is a component frequency of the signal that is an integer multiple of the fundamental frequency. For example, if the fundamental frequency is...
positions the created
multiphonicMultiphonics is an extended technique in instrumental music in which a monophonic instrument is made to produce several notes at once....
tone is
consonantIn articulatory phonetics, a consonant is a speech sound that is articulated with complete or partial closure of the upper vocal tract, the upper vocal tract being defined as that part of the vocal tract that lies above the larynx...
and increases in volume and sustain because of the reciprocal string resonance. The sound is comparable with the sound of bells of clocks.
From the 1930s,
Harry PartchHarry Partch was an American composer and instrument creator. He was one of the first twentieth-century composers to work extensively and systematically with microtonal scales, writing much of his music for custom-made instruments that he built himself, tuned in 11-limit just...
already experimented with this technique on his Kitaras with movable glass rods. From the late 1970s,
Glenn BrancaGlenn Branca is a highly influential avant-garde composer and guitarist known for his use of volume, alternative guitar tunings, repetition, droning, and the harmonic series.-Life and work:...
adopted Partch's theory and used amplified string tables for some of his symphonies . From the late 1960s,
Keith RoweKeith Rowe is an English free improvisation tabletop guitarist and painter. Rowe is a founding member of both the hugely influential AMM in the mid-1960s and M.I.M.E.O. Having trained as a visual artist, Rowe's paintings have been featured on most of his own albums...
made occasional use of third bridge guitars, inspiring a slew of experimental guitarists (notably
Fred FrithFred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best-known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
to use
prepared guitarA prepared guitar is a guitar which has had its timbre altered by placing various objects on or between the instrument's strings, including other extended techniques...
s, inspired by
John CageJohn Milton Cage Jr. was an American composer, philosopher, poet, music theorist, artist, printmaker, and amateur mycologist and mushroom collector. A pioneer of chance music, electronic music and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading figures of the post-war...
's technique of the
prepared pianoA prepared piano is a piano that has had its sound altered by placing objects between or on the strings or on the hammers or dampers....
. Classical guitar duo Elgart & Yates wrote a small book
Prepared Guitar Techniques in which the technique is described and used in the added written musical piece, although not defined with the term 'third bridge' yet. From the 1970s,
Hans ReichelHans Reichel is a German improvisational guitarist, experimental luthier, inventor, and typographer.-Career:Reichel was born in Hagen, Germany. He began to teach himself violin at age 7, playing in the school orchestra until age 15...
's self-made and modified acoustic guitars sometimes featured third bridges.
Sonic YouthSonic Youth is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Mark Ibold and Steve Shelley ....
applied their guitars with screwdrivers, mainly in their early years. On their album
Confusion is SexConfusion Is Sex is Sonic Youth's first full length album, originally released in 1983. It was reissued in 1995 on DGC with extra tracks from the Kill Yr Idols EP. The album features a live cover of the The Stooges' "I Wanna Be Your Dog". The cover image is a sketch by bassist Kim Gordon and...
this technique is often used. Afterwards
Bradford ReedBradford Reed is an American multi-instrumentalist and member of avant-garde band King Missile III. He is proficient at such instruments as drums, guitar, melodica, piano, and synthesizer. In the 1980s he invented the pencilina, a custom-made string instrument....
developed the
PencilinaThe pencilina is a custom-made string instrument invented in the 1980s by Bradford Reed. The instrument is a double neck 3rd bridge guitar.- Description :...
and
Yuri LandmanYuri Landman is a Dutch musical instrument inventor and musicologist who has made several experimental electric string instruments for a list of artists among which Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth, Liars, Jad Fair of Half Japanese and Liam Finn...
the Moodswinger to explore the possibilities of this technique. Reed plays mainly with drumsticks hitting the strings as well, while Landman's technique is partly based on muting the opposed part while striking, causing a sound which is reminiscent of a backwards-recorded sound. Landman published the essay
3rd Bridge Helix - From Experimental Punk to Ancient Chinese Music & the Universal Physical Laws of Consonance in which he clarifies the relation between this prepared guitar technique and the consonant
overtoneAn overtone is a natural resonance of a system. Systems described by overtones are often sound systems, for example, blown pipes or plucked strings.If such a system is excited, a number of tones may be produced along with the fundamental tone...
values present in non-Western scales especially the
musical scaleIn music, a scale is a group of musical notes collected in ascending and descending order, that provides material for or is used to conveniently represent part or all of a musical work including melody and/or harmony...
used on the Ancient Chinese musical instrument the
guqinThe guqin is the modern name for a plucked seven-string Chinese musical instrument of the zither family...
.
Without the 3rd bridge
The sound effect can also be achieved without an additional 3rd bridge or extended tail piece. If the player presses
on a fret (not behind it, as with standard fretting) and strums the string at the head side, the resonance comes also through. Again on harmonic positions the result is much louder and clear than on the inharmonic fret positions. The 5th, 7th, 12th and 19th fret generate low frequency humming overtones along with the complementary tone, which is usually played in the regular way. This playing technique causes a smooth round multiphonic sound. By muting the resonating part and letting it go after the pluck it sounds like an inverse recorded sound. On all other positions the tone is more undefined and comes with higher pitched lower volume overtones. With heavy distortion these tones can also become more clear.
Bowing behind the bridge
The technique is also widely used in many modern classical works on bowing instruments.The extended technique involves in that case bowing the instrument on the short length of string behind the bridge. The tone is very high and squeaky. By playing the instrument at a string part behind the bridge, the opposed part starts to resonate. The tone is louder at harmonic relations of the bridge string length. On violins the tone can be very high, even above our hearing capacity. Depending on the instrument the pitch of the tones may or may not be perceived (
celloThe cello is a bowed string instrument. The word derives from the Italian violoncello. A person who plays a cello is called a cellist. The cello is used as a solo instrument, in chamber music, and as a member of the string section of an orchestra...
s and
double bassThe double bass, also called the upright bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra. The name, "double bass," derives from the early use of the instrument to double—an octave lower where possible—the bass part written...
es are more likely to produce recognizable pitches because of the longer length of their strings). This technique is used extensively in
Krzysztof Penderecki’sKrzysztof Penderecki is a Polish composer and conductor of classical music.-Early years:After taking private composition lessons with Franciszek Skolyszewski, Penderecki studied music at Krakow University and the Academy of Music in Krakow under Artur Malawski and Stanislaw Wiechowicz...
Threnody to the Victims of HiroshimaThrenody to the Victims of Hiroshima is a musical composition for 52 string instruments, composed in 1960 by Krzysztof Penderecki , which took third prize at the Grzegorz Fitelberg Composers' Competition in Katowice in 1960...
. Another example is found in
Ferde Grofé’sFerde Grofé was an American pianist, arranger and composer. During the 1920s and 1930s, he was sometimes billed as Ferdie Grofe....
Grand Canyon SuiteThe Grand Canyon Suite is a suite for orchestra by Ferde Grofé, composed during the period from 1929 to 1931. It consists of 5 parts or movements, each an evocation in tone of a particular scene typical of the Grand Canyon...
where bowing behind the bridge in a
violinThe violin is a bowed string instrument with four strings usually tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest and highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which also includes the viola and cello....
cadenzaIn music, a cadenza is, generically, an improvised or written-out ornamental passage played or sung by a soloist or soloists, usually in a "free" rhythmic style, and often allowing for virtuosic display....
represents a donkey’s braying.
Guitars commonly used for this effect
- Fender Jazzmaster
The Fender Jazzmaster is an electric guitar that was first introduced at the 1958 NAMM Show and was designed as a more upmarket instrument than the Fender Stratocaster, which was originally to replace the Telecaster model...
- Fender Jaguar
The Fender Jaguar is an electric guitar which was introduced in 1962. Whether the designers of the Jaguar had intended the instrument to be used for Surf music, or if it was a further attempt to break into the Jazz guitar market remains a topic of dispute among Jaguar aficionados...
- Teisco
Teisco was a Japanese manufacturer of affordable musical instruments from 1948 until 1969. The company produced guitars as well as keyboard instruments, microphones, amplifiers and even drums. Teisco products were widely exported to the United States and the United Kingdom.- Company history :The...
guitars with tailed bridges
Further reading
- www.ezinearticles.com/?Adding-a-Twist-to-the-Electric-Guitar&id=1610340 - An article describing the technique at ezinearticle.com
External links