Pinch harmonics

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dunder XIII
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Dunder XIII

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I create pinch harmonics by touching the outward side of the thumb while picking. Unfortunatly I can't seem to do it consistently! I tried and tried but cannot find *the way* to do it everytime. Some times I get an harmonic, sometimes I get a faint harmonic that dies quickly, sometimes I just get a muff and sometimes I get what I really want, a screaming harmonic overtone.
I just don't grasp how to redo it again, consistently. Are there techniques or exercises that would help? Special thumb movement, other ways? Perhaps more concentration :P ? Drugs?

Thanks
 
It seems to have something to do with where you're picking the string and where you're fretting notes. If you're playing around the 5th fret, you can do farther away from the bridge than you can if you're playing around 9th fret.
 
The best advice is to keep practicing. You’ll soon get to the point where you don’t even have to think about doing it.

There are a few different spots over the pickup where they sound best – try right in front, or about ¼ up on the neck hum bucker pickup. Every string is different, so you’ll need to move where you are picking the note, either up or down on the pickup depending on which string you are using.

Keep experimenting and see what place above the pickup sounds best. Rock and roll!

Cheers, Justin
 
64firebird's got the right idea - the easiest way to start is to split the difference between the fretted note and the bridge in half and pinch the string at that point (just like playing a harmonic at the 12th fret - it's exactly 1/2 way between the nut and the bridge - or should be... :) )
I do it all the time - rarely miss one.

Once you have that down pat, try thirds and quarters - that gets a bit tougher.

If you play in certain positions, you learn to quickly figure out where you have to play to get the harmonic you want.

mike
 
The firebird is correct. Also, what helps me is a Very heavy, hard pick. Something like a 1mm Pickboy and I can find the harmonics much easier.
 
Yep... I figure when you calculate the spacing for the right as well as the left hand, both are operating at one of the nodes of the string where a certain harmonic will be allowed to ring. Move a quarter of an inch off with either hand, and it's gone.
 
I never paid attention to the distance and fretted notes unless I was going for that Billy Gibbons effect. The way I learned to play them consistently was to spend about 6 hours straight with my amp cranked to 10 and a compressor and a nickle for a pick. You should be able to nail an aritificial where ever you are on the neck and pick position. It also helps to really dig in with the fleshy part of the thumb and really pinch. (that sentence sounds really bad). I also spent quite a bit of time learning to nail them on an acoustic. After that, the electric was cake.
 
FYI, I got it ;-) Fixed both thumb/angle position and right hand position over the strings and it works great ;-) Still need to practice changes but that's normal.

Thanks
 
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