4 Ways to Use Chorus
Chorus is an effect that a lot of guitar players have a love/hate relationship with. Chorus is an effect type that some consider to be fairly dated due to it’s heavy use in the 80s and 90s.
If you’ve ever been curious about what chorus can do for your guitar tone, then keep reading. In this lesson we’re going to check out 4 ways that you can use chorus in your signal.
In the video the chorus is coming from the Blackstar Amped 2 which has 3 main controls:
- Time – The speed of the modulation effect
- Depth – How intense the modulation effect moves
- Level – The level of the effect
Create Shimmering Clean Tones
When paired with a clean tone, a subtle to moderate chorus effect can create movement and shimmer in a clean part.
To make your clean parts shimmer, you don’t want to use a fast chorus. This will sound too intense and extreme. Instead, opt for a slower speed but with more depth. This gives the tone movement and shimmer as you play.
Thicken Up Overdriven Parts
If you’re recording guitar tracks, or you play in a single guitar player band, you can use chorus to thicken up an overdriven guitar tone and create a fake double tracked guitar sound.
To do this, you need to use as very subtle chorus as shown by the settings used here. The goal is to make the chorus almost inaudible, but it creates a slight detuning effect which almost mimics the natural chorusing that happens between two guitars played together.
Soaring 80s Guitar Solo Tones
Chorus can also be used to give some width to rock guitar tones when playing lead guitar. This was a technique used in the 80s. While this approach is somewhat dated, it still sounds great.
Add a slower speed and high depth to your lead tones and blend it with the level control to taste. It makes lead lines feel fluid and fatter and the modulation movement can also add emphasis to certain notes as the modulation wave moves.
Fake Leslie Speaker Sounds
If you’ve ever needed a Leslie Rotary Speaker sound but not had the budget or even space to own a real Leslie, a chorus can get you out of trouble.
Set your depth and level to full and the speed to taste. This won’t sound exactly like a real Leslie, but in a band mix it will give you that vibe.
The speed can be set to taste. If you set the speed on full you get those early 90s Soundgarden style rotary tones. Back off the speed for more retro, slower rotary speaker vibes.
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About the Author
This article on how to use chorus in your guitar tone was written by Leigh Fuge. Leigh is a professional guitarist and content creator and also works alongside musicteacher.com to create guitar focused, educational and entertainment content.
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