Distortion Simulates Screaming
Anyone who is familiar with a guitar amplifier knows that there are two different knobs – one usually called the “pre-amp” or “gain” and the other called “post-amp” or simply, “volume.” The pre-amp is the knob that creates the distortion or the fuzziness of the guitar sound, and the post-amp creates the actual loudness of the overall sound.
Now, think about a human being screaming. There is an initial push of the throat that creates a horrible, scary, dissonant sound. The tone of the scream is defined by this first push, and then, if the person screaming intends for others who are far away to hear he or she will add volume. Notice the similarities between the way the amp and the person release their respective noises.
Many people believe that human beings, historically speaking, created other instruments to imitate the human voice, and it is easy to see how the sounds of some instruments can convey certain emotions better than others. For example, a sliding instrument such as a trombone can convey humor and a bell can convey the stimulation to become alert.
So when you use a distorted guitar in your music, be sure that the emotion you want to deliver is one that is usually accompanied by a human scream – something along the lines of anger, or fear, or alarm. These are not exactly Christian-centered emotions, but there will be times when to be true to the human-ness of your art you will want to communicate these emotions.
Likewise if you are trying to produce a song that is about peace and harmony, it might be wise to eliminate a distorted instrument altogether. It would send a mixed message to wish peace for your neighbor while screaming it in his ear.
Feb 22nd, 2008 at 8:32 am
Thank you for blogging
Keep up the good work 
God Bless you 
Feb 22nd, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Sounds like another way of saying “Rock is of the devil.” This line has been used for decades and has no more credence than the government’s old belief that hot dogs cause Leukemia. Music styles are just that: styles. They are a collection of sounds organized to a specific pattern. One style of music (by music, I mean the instrumentation, not the lyrics) is no more evil than another, and all forms can glorify God and be used in ministry.
Those opposed to ‘rock’ music are often unopposed to country music (full of drunkenness, adultery, vengeance, etc.), classical music (many of Bach’s operas were deemed too vulgar for public showing), or pianos and organs in church. However, they forget that Zwingli declared any instrument used in church as evil, Luther played the guitar, and when the piano and organ were first introduced, the church declared them too secular and, hence, evil for church. Now those “evil” pianos and organs are staples in church.
Whether the instrument is a distorted guitar, acoustic guitar, flute, piano, or human voice, it can be used for God’s glory or to promote sin. Music can bring out various emotions, including anger, fear, and alarm (which are not anti-Christian emotions, but it’s what you do with those emotions that’s wrong). They can also bring out love, joy, and peace. When talking about Jesus’ death, minor keys are a good choice. When talking about his resurrection, major keys are good.
My point: it’s not the musical style or the instrument used, it’s how the style and instrument is used. Musical styles are just styles and not inherently evil as some believe.
Feb 22nd, 2008 at 9:01 pm
No, I’m not saying that rock is the Devil. I agree that all music can be used for God’s glory. I’m just saying that the expression “screaming guitar” has a little truth behind it. You can use any one of a million tones for your music, and a distorted guitar has a particular similarity to a person pushing out sound quickly as when afraid or angry.
Feb 24th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
Bro. Burke,
That makes more sense. I seem to have misunderstood something in the article. On the imitation of a human scream, I’d be curious of those who discovered the ability to distort a guitar sound were attempting to imitate human vocals or simply came across a new sound, liked it, so kept it. Also, the phrase “screaming guitar” refers not to the distortion, but to the sound made with the thumb is placed gently on the string when it is picked (work better on an electric guitar, best when distorted). The resulting sounds is a high-pitched ‘harmonic’ that sounds like a human scream. This differs from a ‘dive’ (when a cord or note is played then the whammy bar is pressed downward, lowering the note downward) or from a ‘crunch’ (when the palm of the picking hand rest gently on the strings of a distorted guitar as the strings are struck quickly, resulting in a quick, but not complete, muting, often on the lower strings). So, the terms “scream,” “dive” (also called a “power dive”), and “crunch” are terms used to specific sounds made by a specific style of playing. They can all be played on an electric or acoustic, distorted or “clean” (not distorted), though a distorted electric is best for achieving optimal results.