Artificial Harmonics

Me, I love em. I love hearing them, I couldn't play guitar without them. I find that modern players (those who did not get a chance to live with music from 1980 to 1993). Grunge pretty much killed them, and they are non-existent in new-metal.

However, when you play guitar in a guitar shop, and hit those pinch harmonics like a squealing pig, I find people stop and listen and look. So, I will go on to say that not only to I LOVE them to death, they are infact a necessary musical skill that awakens a basic animal urge in all listeners..... :)
 
I just realized that I've got more to say. Yeah, they do get attention...I posted a recording of "Music for a Found Harmonium" here on St. Patty's Day, and a close guitar player friend of mine only said one thing: "Do you know how long it's been since I played a pinch harmonic?"

There were only two in the song. Two notes out of probably 500. That's saying something.

Haha, if not about the pinch harmonics, then maybe about everything else!
 
i like them, but there are plenty of bands that over-use them (ie, killswitch engage) and then it's kind of annoying.
 
amra said:
This is not aimed specifically at thunder33, or anyone else here, but this is something I have noticed over the years: Pinch harmonics are most commonly bashed by people who can't do them (or at least can't do them RIGHT).
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I have been doing them for over a decade. :)





mx_mx said:
Do you have to have the gain on 11 for em to work or what?
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I can do them on an acoustic guitar :)



Good conversation. Personally, when I played metal, I was all about it. Then I stopped for a while. Then a good friend of mine started hating them. I mean, he would literally cringe and get really angry when he heard them. So anytime he saw my band live, I would make sure to do at least 5 or 6 per song.
 
savageblues said:
I always liked vintage Billy Gibbons harmonic pinches (ala Deguello...)
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amra said:
Anyway, the point is, that Pinch/Artificial harmonics are used by everyone from ZZ Top to Stevie Ray Vaughn to Zakk Wylde to add emphasis to a song.
Not every song or style of music calls for them, but there are tons of people out there that love them.
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Thank you for at least mentioning Billy Gibbons / ZZ Top... That's the first person that came to mind at first glance of the topic. :eek:
 
A time and a place

I remember hitting a pinch harmonic kind of offhandedly when the band I'm in first started playing together. The other guitar player, who is a little greener than I am, looked in my direction and was like "what the hell was that." I then proceeded to teach him how to do it, and it was fun watching how he would incorporate the technique into some of our new songs. There is a time and place for everything, and I think pinch harmonics are definitely good to have in the bag of tricks, even if you only use it once every so often.
 
Like most flashy guitar bits, they are best used in moderation where it benefits the song, adds a bit of tension where needed.
I think I read that Roy Buchanan was maybe the first to actually record a pinch harmonic by accident, he was embarrassed and wanted to redo the take. Everyone loved it and wouldn't let him, so he then had to recreate it as he was not sure what caused it....the rest is history :D
 
scrubs said:
I refuse to answer, since there is no poll.
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If there was a poll, I'd say scrubs has a nice ass..... :D :D

All my harmonics are accidents...kind of like all my music.
 
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