[TFKRawks!]

Ok....i am a MAJOR hard rock fan....Skillet, Disciple, Thousand Foot Krutch, Demon Hunter....whoever....lol....

so....Disciple is like....my fav band ever besides Thousand Foot Krutch (as my name implies)....and i notice they hit a TON of harmonics....esp. on the Southern Hospitality....i also listen to other bands....like....Bullet For My Valentine (yes i know they aren't Christian....and i'm not proud to say i listen to them....but they ROCK)....and they also hit a LOT of harmonics....

could somebody explain to me the best way to do harmonics and incorporate them smoothly into your playing????....my friend showed me....to slide the pick underneath your thumb....and then hit the string with both the pick and your thumb at like the same time....and i've tried that....and i've hit a few....but it just feels....so clunky.....i keep smacking the other strings while i'm flailing around trying to hit the stupid harmonic....lol....and i rarely hit them on the first try....plus....when i'm moving along and jamming....i have to stop to adjust the pick (slide it under my thumb) to hit the harmonic....and this (obviously) TOTALLY destroys the flow of the song....i don't know how to incorporate them quickly and efficiently....i didn't know if anybody had any tips!!!

thanks!!!!

also....are there different KINDS of harmonics???....like....i've heard of a "pinch" harmonic....what is that???....and how is it different from a normal one???....

[Rainer.]

What you are describing is a pinch harmonic.

Here's a post I did a while back describing all sorts of harmonics...



_________



Harmonics

Harmonics are notes played by placing a finger on a "harmonic node" while playing a note to make a different note sound out, a technique used commonly in both acoustic and electric guitar styles. There are four major kinds of harmonics: Natural harmonics, artificial harmonics, pinch harmonics, and tap harmonics.

Natural Harmonics

A natural harmonic is simply a note played on a string without fretting it. Try
this: Place your index finger on the twelfth fret of the low E string, but
don’t press down. Pluck the string with a pick, then take your finger off the string and let it ring out. The result should be a bell like ringing tone one octave above the low E. Harmonics can be found all the way up the fret board. Some commonly used natural harmonics are at the 12th fret, 5th fret, 4th fret, 9th fret, and the 7th fret.

Try this riff from “Summer Song” by Joe Satriani
e-----------------------------------------------
B-----------------------------------------------
G-------------[5]-------------------------------
D---------[5]-----[5]----------------play 2x----
A—[5]-[4]-------------[4]-[5]-------------------
E-----------------------------------------------
[5] means play a natural harmonic on the fifth fret

To follow up, here is a list of the stronger natural harmonics on the fretboard on the first 12 frets...

Octave "0" is the octave of the open string. 1 would be over a full octave above the open tone, and 2 is over 2 octaves above, etc. The roman numerals are the interval from the open tone.

Fret - interval - Octave

0 - octave - 0
2 - second - 3
2 1/3 - octave- 3
2 2/3 - major seventh - 3
3 - fifth - 3
4 - third - 2
5 - octave - 2
5 1/2 - augmented fifth - 3
6 - third - 3
7 - fifth - 1
8 - root - 3
9 - third - 2
9 1/2 - fifth - 3
10 - major seventh - 3
10 1/2 - augmented fifth - 3
11 - sixth - 3
12 - octave - 1

Each of the above has the same node mirroring it measured from the bridge towards the nut, if these are measured from the nut towards the bridge.


Artificial Harmonics

Artificial harmonics are similar to natural harmonics, except your left hand
(or right hand, if you’re a lefty) is fretting a string, and your picking hand
is producing the harmonic. Try this: Fret the third fret of the low E string with your left hand. Then, place your middle or index finger on the fifteenth fret, and then pluck the string. The result should be a high G and octave above the fretted note. This technique is used to create a harmonic practically anywhere on the fret board.

Pinch Harmonics

Pinch harmonics are a technique used in electric guitars with lots of distortion. This is how many rock and metal players make their guitars squeal
during a solo. Try this: Fret a note on the 17th fret on the high E string. Now you will use your thumb on your picking hand to play the harmonic. Place your pick between your fingers so that only a little bit of your pick sticks out (this may be uncomfortable at first). Making sure your thumb hits the string lightly when you pluck the string, search the string for a strong harmonic around the pickups. This may be hard to find at first, but eventually you will find it. When you play that, a high note should sound out. With distortion, it should sound like your guitar is squealing.

Tap (Harp) Harmonics

Tap harmonics, or harp harmonics, are similar to artificial harmonics,
except you tap the string. Try this: Fret the third fret of the low E string
with your left hand. Then quickly tap the fifteenth fret against the fret board with the index or middle finger of your picking hand. The result should be a harp-like sound. This technique is often used on full barre chords to give a harp-like tone.

Try playing this:
e--3-----------------------3(17)--------------------
B--3-------------------3(17)------------------------
G--4---------------4(16)----------------------------
D--5-----------5(17)--------------------------------
A—-5-------5(17)------------------------------------
E--3---3(15)----------------------------------------
The first number is the fretted note, and the numbers in parentheses are the frets you tap.

[Jay Tea]

I'm hardly an expert on pinch harmonics, but I tend to hold my pick fairly close to the point anyway. I then find that I can sort of roll my thumb a little down the pick (rather than trying to slide it) and roll my wrist back toward my body a little, and that gets me in the position I need.

[Guitarbite1985]

When you perform a pinch harmonic (like explained above) try placing your pick on different positions on the string (i.e. near the bridge, between the first and second pickup, near the neck, etc.) if you get your guitar to squeal then you just hit what is called a node. There are several nodes on a guitar string that sound differently. This just takes a lot of practice to find them, but once you get the technique down you can sound a lot of different nodes across one note. Like Rainer explained you have to have a lot of distortion and gain to pull this off, so crank those babies up(just adjust your volume so you don't blow your ear drums out...safety first)!!!

[LC7rock]

Originally Posted by Guitarbite1985

When you perform a pinch harmonic (like explained above) try placing your pick on different positions on the string (i.e. near the bridge, between the first and second pickup, near the neck, etc.) if you get your guitar to squeal then you just hit what is called a node. There are several nodes on a guitar string that sound differently. This just takes a lot of practice to find them, but once you get the technique down you can sound a lot of different nodes across one note. Like Rainer explained you have to have a lot of distortion and gain to pull this off, so crank those babies up(just adjust your volume so you don't blow your ear drums out...safety first)!!!

Amen! Pinch harmonics are like my secret sauce! I use them all the time. Here's the thing, you have to practice till you get them ingrained in your muscle memory and then you can pop them off at any moment!

[mulletman]

Pinch harmonics can sound cool. But please, let's not go all Zakk Wylde and try to squeal out every other freaking note we play. It just get's lame. When used effectively, they can be ever so awesome. Overused, they're more lame than anything else.

[LC7rock]

Use them expressively...

[mstahlmann]

I agree with LC7 practice them over and over till it's second nature. There is no shortcuts to learning guitar technique. You have to drill everything over and over.