When you tune your guitar, your hit of the string ("attack") sets the tuner's needle "right on" when the string is in tune. But you notice that needle hold for a few seconds and then slowly drift downward as the sound dies out, called "decay".
It's easy to control decay length with guitar pedals or even amp settings. But we often record live guitar straight into the computer as a "clean" guitar, to give us full control for later changes.
Here's an easy way to lengthen your final live guitar note (or notes) even in a clean recording:
1. Leave yourself "headroom" on your guitar to move the volume knob upward.
2. After you hit the final note, as the note's sound begins to decay, gradually turn your volume knob up until the note is as long as you want.
3. Then just lower the volume control knob at whatever speed gives you the sound you want.
That's all there is to it... an easy way to let your guitar "cry" or "scream" or whatever much longer than the note(s) would last with a single hit and nothing else.
Much joy in making your guitar sing... or scream:)
©2018, 2011 DianaDee Osborne
An updated version published 27 February 2018/
