This is a step by step tutorial that explains the basics of how to use a guitar delay (echo) and play the first riff in the song "Bad".
Step 1
Modulation is the amount of chorus-like effect within a delay repeat. Instead of just a plain delay, which repeats the exact note, modulation is like adding chorus to each delayed note. The Edge almost always uses modulated delays (e.g., TC2290, DD20, SDD3000 - all modulated delays). The depth sets the amount of modulation and the frequency or rate is the number of cycles. If you listen carefully, you can hear within a delayed note the "wa-wa-wa". Together they provide a nice smooth chorus like effect within the delay.
Step 2
Modulation is entirely separate from the delay time (ms) between the notes and the beats per minute ("BPM"). A song is played at a certain tempo measured in BPM). You can use MixMiester to determine the BMP of the song. Then you play in tempo with the song (1-2-3-4 or 1&-2&-3&-4&). But, many times, the delayed notes don't land on the quarter notes of the beat (remember, assuming a 4/4 tempo - there are four quarter notes that each represent one beat; 4 beats per measure).
Step 3
The Edge many times uses a dotted 8th note delay. For the purposes of this example (simplification of the calculations) lets assume that Bad (which uses a dotted 8th note) is played at 100 BPM (so the tapping of the beat will equal 100 quarter notes per minute). Use a BPM converter at and you get a result taht says one quarter note delay = 600ms. Where does this come from?
Step 4
1 second = 1,000 milliseconds (ms)
Step 5
1 minute = 60 seconds = 60,000 ms.
Step 6
60,000 ms / 100 quarter note beats = 600ms per beat (or per quarter note)
Step 7
A whole note (one entire measure) = 600ms x 4 = 2400ms.
Step 8
If you set your tempo to 100 BPM (or tap in 100 beats per minute on a delay) and you set the delay to a quarter note, the delayed note will repeat every 600 ms. But the 600ms is meaningless unless you play at a tempo of 100 BPM. This is an important concept to understand because the BPM and delay setting and type of delay note are all related.
Step 9
In other words, if you play just one note, the delayed note will occur 600ms later. If you play one note and then another note 600ms later, you are playing at 100 BPM because 100 BPM means one beat every 600ms (4 beats per measure). If you play this tempo with a quarter note DELAY setting, you will play right on top of the delayed signal and wont hear it.
Step 10
EXAMPLE: Original Note -> repeat at 600ms -> hit 2nd note at 600ms after original note (which will occur right on top of the repeat of the original note)
Step 11
THIS IS IMPORTANT - the DELAY SETTING AND TEMPO ARE TWO SEPARATE THINGS - DON'T MIX THEM UP. This will become clearer in the next step.
Step 12
An 8th note is double as fast as a quarter note. 8th note = 300ms (again, use a delay calculator set at 100 BPM).
Step 13
Set the delay to 8th note. If you strike a single note, the delayed note will occur 300ms later.
Step 14
Now let's take the same steps as above. IF you play at 100 BPM, this means that every QUARTER note beat happens every 600ms (NOT THE DELAY SETTING. I AM REFERENCING THE TEMPO). In other words, tap your foot with the tap light and you have a quarter note beat every 600 ms. If you set the delay to an 8th note and play a string (1-2-3-4) in quarter notes (or 100 BPM) you will hear the delay IN BETWEEN every one of your string picks (the delay occurs twice as fast as your picking of the tempo).
Step 15
Original Note -> repeat at 300ms -> hit next note 300ms after delayed note (or 600ms after original note) and so on……
Step 16
So the above is an 8th note delay setting at 100 BPM (100BMP means you are playing quarter notes every 600ms and the delay is occurring in between the beats or every 300ms).
Step 17
Now, if you pick twice as fast, then you will play right on top of the delay again. WHY? Because YOU HAVE CLANGED THE TEMPO, NOT THE DELAY SETTING. You are now you are playing at 200 BPM.
Step 18
Here is where it gets a little confusing based on how your delay works. If you set your delay to a tempo of 100 BPM and the delay set to an 8th note, then you will get repeats in between your quarter note picks (pick one note for each time the tempo light blinks). In this case, if you double the picking speed, then you are playing at twice the speed of the tempo light on the delay or you have manually moved to 200 BPM, but the Axe is set at an 8th note (300ms if played with the 100 BPM tap light). If you double your picking speed, the 8th note delay is now really a quarter note delay because you are plaing at 200 BPM, not the 100 BPM that the delay is set for.
Step 19
If you have a delay with no tap tempo and you set it for 300ms, and you start playing such that the repeats are in between your picking, then you are playing at 100 BPM (quarter note every 600 ms with repeats in between). But if you double up your tempo and play on top of the delay, then you are now at 200 BPM and the delay is still set at 300 ms - BUT the 300ms delay is now an IMPLIED QUARTER NOTE because you are picking original notes at 300ms each (4 times per measure).
Step 20
This may seem a little circular, but it matters what setting you start with. If you start with tempo, then set the type of note and play to the tempo, not the delay setting. If you start with the delay setting (ms), then you need to find the tempo (quarter note beat) that dictates the type of delay note required for the song (e.g., 8th note, dotted 8th, etc).
Step 21
What do you start with? Delay time or BPM? You can start with either. I like to set BPM in my delay and set the delay to 8th note (using above example). I watch the tempo light and count off (1-2-3-4) with the light. The 8th note will occur right in between my picking notes (assuming I play quarter notes). BUT, you can also just set the delay to 300 ms and THEN figure out how to hit the quarter notes so that the delay occurs right in between the notes (This is what people mean when they say "find the groove" - you have to find the tempo that fits the type of delay note required for the song - KEEP THIS IN MIND FOR "BAD"). Again, if you set the delay to 300ms and play such that the delayed notes come right in between your picked notes, then YOU ARE PLAYING AT 100 BPM.
Step 22
Bad uses a dotted 8th note. What is this? Well, it's an amount of time that falls right in between a quarter note and an 8th note (or 3/4 of a beat or 3/16 of a whole measure).
Step 23
1 quarter note beat = every 600ms (1 beat)
Step 24
1 8th note beat = every 300ms (1/2 a beat) (the & in 1&2&3&4&)
Step 25
1 dotted 8th note = every 450ms (3/4 of a beat)
Step 26
Assume for simplicity that Bad it at 100 BPM (I think the original is 99 and live is 107, based on MixMiester, so close enough).
Step 27
100 BMP is set and we all agree to the TEMPO of the song that the drummer will keep for us (or the tempo light on our delay). We also know that the delay is a dotted 8th. 100 BPM implies that the beat (or every quarter note) occurs every 600ms. Then the dotted 8th will occur 450ms after any picked note.
Step 28
Here is the problem - if you set your tempo (1-2-3-4) to the delay time, then you are not playing at 100BPM, you are playing at about 133 BPM (quarter note = 450ms).
Step 29
This is why Bad is a little difficult to get used to. You must play simple quarter notes (1-2-3-4) at 100 BPM or 600ms apart (I like to follow the tempo light on my delay or use a metronome). Then double up and play 8th notes (300ms apart). THEN LET THE DELAY OCCUR EVERY 450ms. DONT SET YOUR TEMPO TO THE DELAY TIME.
Step 30
YOU PLAY: Original note (beat 1) —> second picked note (first 8th note) 300ms later —> third picked note (beat #2) —> fourth pick (2nd 8th note).
Step 31
The delay will fall in between: Original note (beat one) —> second picked note (first 8th note) 300 ms later —> DELAY OCCURS HERE AT 450ms —> third picked note (beat #2)…... etc. etc.
Step 32
Note that the high E note definitely occurs on the 8th note beat after the 3rd beat.
Step 33
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
Step 34
The numbers should be 600ms apart and the time between the numbers and the "&s" should be 300ms apart (beat and 8th note picking). But the delay will occur 450 ms after ever pick, so it will land right between the 8th notes.
Step 35
What I also figured out is that the note change from D to C# on the D (4th string) (move from 12th to 11th fret) occurs on the "&" after the 2nd beat. If you listen carefully it is definitely not 4 picks for each note. It's 3 8th note picks for the D and 5 8th notes picks for the C#.
Step 36
& 2 & 3 & 4 &
Step 37
D D D C# C# C# C# C#
Step 38
E.
Step 39
Accent the 1 beat and the & after the 2nd beat and you get the amazing Bad groove with a dotted 8th note.
Step 40
Getting the timing is difficult because there is different emphasis on different strings on the 8th note beats (meaning not on the 1234 quarter note beats), while at the same time the delay is occurring between the 8th note beats. It takes time to learn because the pronounced strikes are on 1 and 2& beats, and then the E comes up quickly just two 8th beats later on the 3& beat. They don't line up with the simple 4/4 count. There is a natural tendancy to switch to C# on the 3 beat (and emphasize it), which is not correct.
Step 41
Set your tempo and count: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
Step 42
Then play the open A and the D on the 12th fret (D string) with a muffled right hand. Pick on each 8th beat. IMPORTANT: you lift your finger and go to the C# (11th fret) on the 2& beat (at first, play it simple and don't pronounce anything):
Step 43
& 2 & 3 & 4 &
Step 44
A A A A A A A A.
Step 45
D D D C# C# C# C# C#
Step 46
When you get comfortable with this, then add emphasis to the 1 and 2& beats (strike down a little harder on these two beats (the first beat and when you change to C#)
Step 47
> >
Step 48
& 2 & 3 & 4 &
Step 49
A A A A A A A A.
Step 50
D D D C# C# C# C# C#
Step 51
You can now hear the rhythm of the riff coming together. Without the delay, this is not too difficult. BUT MAKE SURE YOU ARE REALLY COMFORTABLE WITH THE TWO EMPHASIZED NOTES. I humbly believe that this is one spot where many make a mistake with this riff - they change to C# on the 3 beat (too late - perfectly half way through the measure).
Step 52
When you are comfortable with this, now add the high E with a little emphasis (not too much but it should be pronounced).
Step 53
> > >
Step 54
& 2 & 3 & 4 &
Step 55
A A A A A A A.
Step 56
D D D C# C# C# C#
Step 57
E.
Step 58
I miss hitting the A and C# muffled notes on the 3& beat. Obviously you don't strum them all here, so you have to skip them and just quickly hit the E. To learn the above, I actually emphasized the 1, 2& and 3& beats in my head. Again, practice this without the delay until you are very comfortable. I think you will find that it is now starting to sound very close.
Step 59
Throw in the delay now and you can easily lose track of which notes are which. Why? Because the delay should be a dotted 8th and land between the 8th beats. This is why Bad can cause people so much trouble - you have to maintain the tempo and play on the 8th note beats (with the above emphasized notes) and let the delay fill in the rest. Beginners tend to let the delayed notes set the tempo and they end up playing right on top of the delay, turning the delay into an 8th note and not a dotted 8th.
Step 60
When you turn on the delay, be sure to keep counting and remember to continue to pronounce the 1 and 2& beats and then softly hit the muffled notes on the 3 beat, and quickly hit the pronounced E on the 3& beat.
Step 61
If you play everthing above correctly with the delay (with the right tempo), it comes together nicely. It all has to do with the timing of the two pronounced notes on the muffled A and D strings and the perfect timing of the E on the 3& beat, AND then not paying attention to the delay.
Step 62
It's best to have a delay with a tempo light setting or tap tempo and then set the delay to a dotted 8th. Then set your tempo (as described above) to the tap and NOT the time between the delayed notes.
Step 63
I hope this explanation helps articulate the timing issues associated with this riff.
