[guitargeek6298]

Hello all. I'm having trouble playing tapped harmonics ala EVH. I can play the octave and fifth above the octave just fine, but the second octave and major third above I just can't get to sound clearly. I've been practicing this technique for years now, and use the octave harmonic frequently in my playing, but the higher ones continue to elude me. I've messed about with different tapping fingers, different pressure, pickup height, different guitars, etc, but pretty much to no avail. The only thing that helps is increasing the gain, but I know that is just a coverup for poor technique. Can anyone here play these cleanly? I would really like to be able to play the intro to "Mean Street"

[gtrdave]

No offense meant, but it might be something in your technique...or your pickups.
I can play tapped harmonics...octave, 3rd, 5th, etc...on an unplugged electric guitar.
Make sure that your tap is hard, fast, solid and your finger hits precisely on the string just behind the fret. Not on the fret and not back between the frets.
If you've got the technique down, any decent pickup should reproduce the harmonics w/o too much gain on the amp.
Bridge pickups will probably do a better job than neck pickups, but a decent neck pickup should give similar results.

Yeah, more gain is not a cure-all solution. In the early days EVH used basic Gibson PAF pickups, which are medium output at best, and old Marshall amps, which had more overall volume than gain. He was able to pull off the tapped harmonics via great technique, a good pickup and a LOT of volume.

What guitar and amp are you using?

[guitargeek6298]

Oh, I'm sure its my technique. Thats why I posted. When you say just behind the fret, does that mean closer to the nut, or the bridge? So in other words, what side of the fret should I be tapping on? I've been tapping ON the fret this whole time but with light pressure so as to not actually tap the note.

I'm using a Hamer Diablo USA through either an old JCM800 or a homebuilt amp that is essentially a 5W JCM800 with more gain. My bridge pickup is a Dimarzio Breed neck model, so it's hotter than the old PAF's that Eddie would have used (and still too hot for me). This guitar doesn't resonate all the well though so for a while I thought maybe it was the floating Floyd Rose killing the resonance and that's why it was so quiet. But I can't do it on any other guitar, either, so it's got to be my technique.

Thanks for the help!

[gtrdave]

See if the attached pick helps.
My left hand is fretting the 2nd fret on the G string (A note) and my right hand is tapping the 14th fret.
For the 3rd I'd tap the 18th fret and for the 5th I'd tap the 21st fret.
It just takes a lot of practice due to the fact that the frets are all mashed together up there, but do it enough and your aim will improve and you should hear the harmonics clearly.

[guitargeek6298]

Thanks for all your help. I've never tried tapping those harmonics at those positions. I can get those to ring clearly for the most part. I usually try to tap them out closer to the fretted note, so of I were fretting that same A, I would tap the ninth and seventh frets for a fifth and two octaves. But tapping the sixth fret and fifth I can't get to ring clearly.

I wouldn't even think those harmonics were possible if it weren't for the fact that I've seen other players use them and they ring out just as strongly as any other. At this point I'm wondering if I just need to tap harder but I just don't have any more strength in my tapping fingers.