Delay: Dotted 8th Note Delay

Hillsong United uses the dotted 8th note delay alot, and I've incorporated this delay into many posts, without a proper explanation about how it works. I hope this post clears up all your queries.

Delay effects repeat the note or chord you played after a specified timing. Because the band's tempo may change, it is highly advisable that you key in the tempo using a tap tempo, which is a button on your delay pedal that allows you to tap the tempo in with your foot (or finger). I use the digital delay a lot because it does not colour the repeated note much.

I set my delay settings to: time = dotted 8th note (see picture on the right), feedback = 20%, mix = 47%. There's no hard and fast rule for this though, it depends alot on your playing style and personal preference.

While delays are often used to make a solo sound bigger, or to create an airy effect, setting the delay at this tempo repeats the note at regular intervals such that it sounds as if you're alternate picking rapidly, as demonstrated in 'the time has come' and 'an introduction'.



In the video above, I played palm mutes and single notes with the metronome, with and without delay. I then played 'an introduction' and 'take it all' with and without delay. The delay changes the feel of the guitar riff by constantly repeating the notes, making it sound as if I'm picking rapidly - I did not do any alternate picking here, but did leisurely downstrokes instead.

To get an idea of what's happening, refer to the following diagram:

The above represents one bar, or four beats (quarter notes). The picked notes (topmost row) come in on the beats 1 & 2 & 3 &... (the 8th notes) while the metronome ticks at 1, 2, 3, 4 (the quarter notes).

The delay notes come in 3/4 of a beat after the note is played - it appears right after the next note is played. For example, once the note is picked at '1', its delay comes in right between the notes played on '1&' and '2'. The delay causes the '*' notes to come in between the '^' notes, making it sound as if you are alternate picking.

31 comments:

Unknown said...

Dude, I love your blog. You've definitely some awesome stuff here.

And thanks for posting that 8th note delay tip! Since I've a basic pedal that doesn't have digital delay I have to do fast alternate picking in those songs like the time has come, but as soon as I get my pod xtlive I'll now know how to get that effect!

God bless,

Abraham

Anonymous said...

So what is the number of ms (milliseconds) in a dottede eighth note? Is it 500 ms, the same as 120 bps (beats per minute)?

Anonymous said...

so how do i the tap tempo function to tap these dotted eigths into a pedal like the line 6 DL4?

Anonymous said...

dotted eighth for 120bpm is 375ms

if you are doing it with a DL4 or something else that you have to tap in the delay manually, you need to count out the full measure....

1-e-and-A, 2-e-and-a, 3-E-and-a, 4-e-and-A.

Watch this guy's video, it's easier to hear:
http://matthuber.wordpress.com/2008/03/10/dotted-18th-on-a-line-6-dl4/

Anonymous said...

On the DL4, set it to rythmic delay and turn the Tweak (or maybe Tweez, one of the two anyway) knob all the way to the right. Then tap as normal, and the DL4 will calculate the correct timing.

Anonymous said...

So what's the difference between digital delay, dotted delay and regular(?) delay?

Anonymous said...

What do you think about the
Boss ME-50
I was thinking about itt
but also in the pod live
put is too much expensivee :/

Jay-Ar said...

what about if i have a ZOOM G1X? how can I play the dotted 8th? G1x has a tap tempo, but does not have a setting for the notes like dotted 8th.
so, how is it done?

pleading for your replies.

Greg said...

The location of the video for the Line6 DL4 mentioned by Chris Eisenbach has moved to http://themonobox.com/?p=22

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John said...

As far as delay goes I have found the Boss DD-20 (Giga Delay) absolutely invaluble. The ME-50 is great but the Delay could be better (XT delay is much better) but if you can get hold of the DD-20 I would really recomend it, it is a truly fantastic pedal.

Jonathan Dumlao said...

I have a Boss GT-8. How can i set it to a dotted 8th note?

user said...

try the forum? I'm not sure..

keegan said...

if you get tired of using delays, see if you can make you're own delay with your pick by picking the notes lighter and lighter after you hit them the first time... its a challenge but its awesome once you get it down.

Anonymous said...

how do u set the dd-20 to a dotted 8th note for a song like hosssanna

Your Host said...

The only delays that I've found that make this easy is the Line 6 echo park and the POD (specifically, I use the XT Live). Hope this saves you from buying all the delay pedals I have to find the one you want.

Anonymous said...

I have a DeltaLab multi-effects delay. How do you set the dotted 8th note delay on that?

tornadoman said...

Hey I have a gnx3 but don't know how to set it up to get a dotted eighth. I have tap tempo but no dotted eighth note setting.

yash bart said...

For boss gt-8 users, I figured out how to set the delay to have the dotted 8th tap tempo effect. I'll post a video about it soon. God Bless You!

chris said...

Gday yash bart, I will be very interested in your video/reply because I happen to have a GT-8 myself but have no idea how to tap into a dotted 8th tempo! cheers for the help bro! :)

chris said...

hey guys, I have solved the mystery for the dotted 8th delay on the GT-8! I was praying about it last night and God showed me the answer :D

at the delay menu, roll the delay WAY up past 1800ms, when it has passed that, the unit will enter a special menu, and one of the options will be a quaver with a dot. that will be your dotted 8th delay!!! a quaver looks like this:
http://www.clipartguide.com/_small/0808-0710-3112-3855.jpg

and now, set the CTL pedal to delay time (Master BPM) and voila! PTL

myself said...

if you don't have the choice of a dotted 8th delay, you can tap the rhythm in, takes some practice but can be done, an example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nyekAQYj4E

Guitar1969 said...

I got a new Zoom G2.1nu pedal that has dotted 8th delay and just bought an external Boss foot pedal to use as tap tempo(instead of using the finger button on the Zoom). Obviously, the use of dotted eight is gong to depend on your drummer keeping in time after you tap it in. In a live situation, what is the the practical use - Do you find yourself sometimes having to retap tempo it in during the song(We all know drummers dont keep perfect time). Any tips

chris said...

Usually close enough is good enough. You should be fine as long as the tempo doesnt change too much that the delays are significantly out of place

Unknown said...

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Unknown said...

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Unknown said...

I would be flattened if all websites gave articles like that.
unbiased

WorshipGuitarTips said...

If u take 45 divided by the tempo of a song it gives u the ms setting for dotted eight delay. 90 by tempo gives u eighth note delay.

Unknown said...

I have a boss ME-70 and I need help on how to do a dotted 8th delay to play songs by hillsong. Any help would appreciate it

Unknown said...

I also saw someone ask about re-tapping, and I am constantly doing that during songs. Sometimes it is because I got the tempo wrong to begin with. I frankly have a hard time tapping the exact tempo of the click track...