"Dynamite" - Trombone Shorty

SONG: “Dynamite” (PDF)
ALBUM: Orleans & Claiborne
ARTIST: Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews & Orleans Avenue
YEAR: 2005
LABEL: Treme Records

The studio effect on this version an electronic "wah" filter that simulates the enveloping acoustic sound of a plunger mute. Commonly used on the electric guitar, the “wah” is controlled manually through a foot pedal that shapes the sound based on the angle of the rolling pedal. Trombonists like Mark Mullins of Bonerama have utilized this effect in live performance by running the clip-on mic’s signal through foot pedals. However, Shorty’s performance on this recording is being effected by an “auto-wah” that is controlled by the audio dynamics, reacting to the staccato phrasing and peaks in volume. Listen for the sixteenth-note “wahs” that would otherwise require an overly active foot to manipulate the effect manually with a pedal.

Here’s a YouTube video of Trombone Shorty playing this tune freely without any foot pedals or studio effects: