wah-wah

noun

ˈwä-ˌwä 

plural wah-wahs

1

: a fluctuating muted effect produced on a brass instrument by use of a mute (see mute entry 2 sense 1) or on an electric guitar by use of a pedal (see pedal entry 1 sense 1b) connected to an amplifier

[Elizabeth] Start uses a lot of "effects"—trumpet wah-wahs, … glissandi galore.

—John Y. Lawrence

… begins with funk guitar wah-wahs …

—Philip Brandes

—often used before another noun

a wah-wah effect

In 1931, [American jazz trumpeter Clyde McCoy] recorded "Sugar Blues," utilizing his muted wah-wah sound, which became his theme song.

—William F. Lee

2

: a mute or pedal that is used to produce a wah-wah

He [Miles Davis] began to play his trumpet through the wah-wah, which Jimi [Hendrix] had used, trying to sound like Jimi.

—Yunus Momoniat

When the … grinnin' bluesman kicks on a wah-wah during a band performance, it's almost too cool to bear.

—Guitar Player

—often used before another noun

A saxophonist clicks his keys; … a trumpeter manipulates a wah-wah mute; …

—Alex Ross

The wah-wah pedal can be heard clearly at 2:15 during the third eight-bar section of Hendrix's longest guitar solo on this recording ["All Along the Watchtower"].

—Timothy Rice and Dave Wilson

Examples of wah-wah in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

All the whining wah-wah’s and fuzz tones accentuated her arch, knowing tone. —Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2025

For example, Walter substituted the trumpet part with a wah-wah guitar. —Devon Ivie, Vulture, 19 Feb. 2025

Hudson plays this wild little clavinet part throughout, running the keyboard through a wah-wah pedal. —Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2025

Much of that otherworldliness derives from Jimi Hendrix venturing forward into unknown sonic territory, blending a stately harpsichord with a plucked guitar, running his vocals through a phaser, and taking his new wah-wah pedal for a test run. —Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2024

The sonic effects — all the stereo panning, the way the drums shimmer, that omnipresent wah-wah guitar — are placed with wizardly detail. —Vulture Editors, Vulture, 20 Apr. 2024

The funky wah-wah guitar, one of the very uses of a guitar talk box, and just a groove that lasts all day long. —Peter Larsen, Orange County Register, 29 May 2024

Patterson Mill girls basketball An inclined guitar riff bellows, shook by this legendary song’s wah-wah pedal as the Huskies storm the court. —Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 29 Jan. 2024

Cobain keeps the Arabic scale employed by Dutch psych-rockers Shocking Blue in their 1969 original, but replaces the sitar-heavy riff with a wah-wah pedal and a Boss delay. —Ana Leorne, Spin, 21 Sep. 2023

Word History

Etymology

imitative

First Known Use

1924, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for wah-wah

• kawa