What is this instrument/effect in "Bones" by Soccer Mommy?
March 14, 2023 12:40 PM Subscribe
A few times between 1:29 and 1:59 in the studio version, there is a riff at the end of her vocal phrases with two notes (E-A) with a unique, buzzy/ringing sound. It isn't clear where it's coming from (in live versions, it's a guitar, but it sounds completely different to my ears). Is it a guitar or some other instrument? If it's a guitar effect, what's it called, and what other songs use it?
If we're talking about the same thing, I'm hearing a combination of reverb, chorus and a dash of fuzzbox, a classic Shoegaze flavor.
posted by mhoye at 1:30 PM on March 14, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by mhoye at 1:30 PM on March 14, 2023 [3 favorites]
I agree with everyone else. It's definitely a guitar with a lot of chorus.
what other songs use it
Lots. Chorus is maybe the single most common guitar effect. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is probably the most famous. The thing about guitar effects is that you can get wildly different sounds from the same effects. That's why it sounds different on record and live. On the record, they're probably not playing through a chorus pedal; they're probably adding it digitally. That makes a difference; the guitar and amp makes a difference; other pedals make a difference, etc. Somebody else might be able to give you a specific example, but for me, that exact sound is too specific.
posted by kevinbelt at 1:43 PM on March 14, 2023 [1 favorite]
what other songs use it
Lots. Chorus is maybe the single most common guitar effect. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is probably the most famous. The thing about guitar effects is that you can get wildly different sounds from the same effects. That's why it sounds different on record and live. On the record, they're probably not playing through a chorus pedal; they're probably adding it digitally. That makes a difference; the guitar and amp makes a difference; other pedals make a difference, etc. Somebody else might be able to give you a specific example, but for me, that exact sound is too specific.
posted by kevinbelt at 1:43 PM on March 14, 2023 [1 favorite]
You’re referring to the little bright two-note chime-like sound, right? It sounds like a fairly simple synth doodle to my ears.
posted by Thorzdad at 2:35 PM on March 14, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by Thorzdad at 2:35 PM on March 14, 2023 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: Yes, it’s the two-note “chime” sound. It reminds me of the intro of “Life in Technicolor II” by Coldplay - in that song, it’s a santoor (an Indian instrument). That doesn’t seem to be the case here as far as I can tell.
posted by Seeking Direction at 2:38 PM on March 14, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Seeking Direction at 2:38 PM on March 14, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I agree that it's a guitar, although I'm not really hearing any distortion or fuzz, and I think part of what you're hearing is "shimmer reverb", which adds a sort of "bloom" of notes an octave higher into the reverb sound after you hear the main notes. (This may or may not be an element of the chorus effect people are hearing.)
They're definitely using the shimmer effect in the tune - you can hear it on, like, everything, in the pauses after she sings "I'm not."
Shimmer's kind of the new-ish (as in, about a decade or so) hotness in guitar pedal effects - here's a more-or-less random list of 16 pedals that have the effect, and that's not nearly all of them.
Like others have said, it's a pretty common effect in ambient, shoegaze, and quieter indie pop tunes. Kinda hard to recommend other tunes that might push that button for you, though, as part of why it has such an effect in this tune is because the guitarist is playing a simple chimey part with plenty of space for the effect to be heard. Other tunes that have the effect will have entirely different arrangements and parts and the shimmer might not be as obvious.
posted by soundguy99 at 3:36 PM on March 14, 2023 [5 favorites]
They're definitely using the shimmer effect in the tune - you can hear it on, like, everything, in the pauses after she sings "I'm not."
Shimmer's kind of the new-ish (as in, about a decade or so) hotness in guitar pedal effects - here's a more-or-less random list of 16 pedals that have the effect, and that's not nearly all of them.
Like others have said, it's a pretty common effect in ambient, shoegaze, and quieter indie pop tunes. Kinda hard to recommend other tunes that might push that button for you, though, as part of why it has such an effect in this tune is because the guitarist is playing a simple chimey part with plenty of space for the effect to be heard. Other tunes that have the effect will have entirely different arrangements and parts and the shimmer might not be as obvious.
posted by soundguy99 at 3:36 PM on March 14, 2023 [5 favorites]
Best answer: soundguy99 nailed it. This is e.g. a Strymon BigSky or similar.
posted by billjings at 4:08 PM on March 14, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by billjings at 4:08 PM on March 14, 2023 [3 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Blue Jello Elf at 12:59 PM on March 14, 2023 [3 favorites]