How do I play the intro riff from Collective Soul's song Heavy?
This question got me all jazzed up about Collective Soul again, so I was spinning through my iTunes library and I hit "Heavy" off Dosage. I have always wondered how to play the beginning riff of that song. I have tried many times to figure it out, but to no avail. I think he's using a kill switch, pinky volume knob voodoo, or perhaps some studio trickery. It's not a tremolo--I have a Diamond, which will do almost any trem sound possible, and I still can't emulate it properly.
Has anyone figured that one out or is there a reputable article out there with some tips? Internet tablature does not count as a reputable source unless you can convince me otherwise.
(3)3 Comments
Sorted by latest first Latest Oldest Best
I use whats called a slicer on my BOSS GT10, and it works just fine. Very close without the studio dressings of course.
Here it is live, but that part seems to have been sampled for the performance.
Collective Soul- Heavy Live
The intro tone sounds like Tremolo with studio editing.
Edit: Tried it out on my Line 6 Flextone Plus. It's definitely a fast Tremolo and you alternate open E with 12th fret E I cant write tab very well so I'll put a little note and if someone wants to edit go ahead
0 12 12 0 12 12 0 12 12 0 And you have to time it with the tremolo. the trem has to be fast, I didn't get the BPM, but I set the trem to be quite fast. Live, if you watch the vids, they play it as a sample, so it may be something they cant replicate too easily then go into the rest of the song.
I have a trem on my old Zoom 4040 which sounds very like that, it's almost a square wave trem, but with a very slight slope on the verticals. Most tremolo pedals are too gently with the slope.
I'll try to replicate it on my Line-6 - if I can I'll pop the settings up here this weekend.
p.s. Delighted to have been introduced to a band I hadn't heard of. Need to choose which of their works to buy now :-)
Terms of Use Privacy policy Contact About Cancellation policy © freshhoot.com2025 All Rights reserved.