How to Use an EBow

If you’re looking to create infinite sustain and make your guitar, take on a new lease of life, you need an EBow!

An EBow is a small, handheld device that is known as a handheld synthesizer. It works by emitting a magnetic pulse which interacts with your guitar string and pickups to create soaring, sustaining notes and synth like tones.

An EBow is powered by a 9v battery so you don’t need to worry about cables or power supplies getting in the way when you’re using one on stage. It’s not the sort of device that you’ll use for every single song you’ll play, but it’s a great addition to your guitar toolkit and a lot of fun to use.

When using an EBow you will want to hold it flat so it is parallel to the pickups. There is a light on one side, this is the “Front” of the EBow and this is the part you should point towards your pickup. This device will work with any pickup, but for the best results you should aim to use the neck pickup with the tone rolled back. The EBow will add brightness and volume when in use so if you apply it to a warmer guitar tone, you get the smoothest results.

Modes of the EBow

The EBow has 2 modes. The normal mode will give you infinite sustain and allows you to create some violin and cello like sounds on the guitar. There is also a harmonic mode which activates an additional harmonic from the note you’re playing, think of this like having an octave up added. This creates a similar sound to a Sustainiac pickup.

Bow Effect

The effect of an EBow is most pronounced when it is above one of the pickups sweet spots, there is a dead spot in the middle where the volume tails off, but the note also does not ring as clear when the EBow is not near the pickup. If you start away from the pickup and slowly move the EBow towards the pickup, you can create some violin bow like sounds.

String Bending

You can sustain a note and also alter its pitch with string bending while using an EBow. To do this you need to tilt the EBow to allow for some clearance for the string to move under it without hitting the sides.

Synthy Sounds

If you sustain a string, you can create some synthy sounds by playing choppy legato with your fretting hand. Use your fretting hand to hammer on a note but instead of pulling it off to an open string, just release the pressure so the string mutes. This creates a choppy synth like sound.

You can also just move around the string while the sustained note rings out for some other synthy sounds.

Tremolo Effects

The sustain from the EBow is created by the magnetic field the unit emits, this works on the units proximity to the string, the closer the unit is to the string the more prominent the effect is. If you move the EBow up and down, taking it further away and closer to the string, you get a tremolo style effect. You can control how choppy, or subtle, this effect is by how far you move from the string.

Check out the linked video for a full guide on how to hold your EBow correctly to see all these EBow techniques in action.

————————————————————————-
About the Author

This article on how to use an EBow 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.

If you’re looking for a guitar teacher in your local area, check out their music teacher database to find your local teacher today. Each teacher has their own local page such as Guitar Lessons Cheltenham. Find your local teacher today!