Harmonics and picks

[Haemonculus]

What's the difference between pinched and artificial harmonics?
do you have special trick to do Artificial Harmonics?
Yesterday I found something cool...I was playing with a new pick and I wasn't doing the harmonics that I'm used to do, so I grabed another pick (same brand) but this one was already very worned out, but with it the harmonics were more easier to do and sound alot better!
So my trick is: use used picks [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] Besides, they are better to tremolo picking [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Breadfan]

Re: Harmonics and picks

Pinch harmonics are those you do with your right thumb

Artificial is when you hold a note and tap 12 frets up. For example, if you hold the 5th fret, tap on the 17th
Check out the intro to The Conjuring (Megadeth)

Thats what I think, correct me if I'm wrong

[Breadfan]

Re: Harmonics and picks

natural harmonics are on open strings. 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 12th fret
You can do some cool stuff with harmonics if you have a whammy and distortion [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[Haemonculus]

Re: Harmonics and picks

ye, I do diveboms by doing a natural harmonic in the 3rd fret at the G string

[VitaminG]

Re: Harmonics and picks

Pinched harmonics are sounded by digging in a little and catching the string with your thumb and pick at the same time, or by effectively "pinching" the string between the thumb and pick.

An artificial harmonic is any harmonic that utilises a fretted note for its fundamental, unlike natural harmonics which use the open string. Most of the techniques you use to sound artificial harmonics (tapping, digging in with your picking hand, striking a string and lightly touching it over a node point) can all be used for natural harmonics too. The exception would be trilling with your fretting hand and lightly sliding a finger from your picking hand along the string to create a kind of psychedelic swirl of harmonics. Pete (Twisteramps) has provided a few great examples of this in some of his amp demo clips. Obviously this would be very hard to do without fretting any notes. [img]graemlins/images/icons/wink.gif[/img] Although, by trilling to an open string, I guess you're rapidly combining artificial and natural harmonics.

The technique described by Breadfan is a tapped harmonic, and isn't restricted to 12 frets above the fretted note. You can use any of your normal node points - 12 frets above, 7 frets, 5, etc. Check out Eddie Van Halen's solo in Beat It - early in the solo, he frets the 7th and taps the 14th (7 frets up) and then slides up to the 9th and taps the 14th again (5 frets up). Or you can hold a chord and tap out harmonics, following the chord shape but 5, 7 or 12 frets higher.

So if you refer to the start of my post, tapping can be used to create artificial or natural harmonics.

[Number Of The Priest]

Re: Harmonics and picks

Originally posted by Haemonculus:

So my trick is: use used picks [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] Besides, they are better to tremolo picking [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I TOTALLY, TOTALLY, TOTALLY agree with you. Trem picking comes out smoother and harmonic squeals comes out MUCH MORE PRONOUNCED with your favorite old pick.

[the_drip]

Re: Harmonics and picks

which kind of harmonic is that called when you make the crazy ass squeeling noise a la Wylde and Laiho.

[Number Of The Priest]

Re: Harmonics and picks

I call them pinch harmonics just by the way the picking hand "pinches" the string with the thumb to get that squeal. If I am not mistaken, I believe pinch harmonics are a type of artificial harmonics, based on VitaminG's definition of artificial harmonics. For example, make the G note on the low E string squeal, and you get a harmonic that uses that G note as its fundamental.

[Immortal]

Re: Harmonics and picks

Hey, I've heard that artificial harmonics are things that you play with the skin of your thumb. You use thumb and the pick at the same time and you get that screamy tone.

For naturals I've heard that you play them above the fret just having you finger on the strings. When you hit the strings it vibrates twice - before your finger and in front of the finger.

I've never understand both of them... I know some techniques that are played by other guitarists but I've never know how you name them...

[Haemonculus]

Re: Harmonics and picks

thanks for the help...I allways tought that the crazy harmonics thet wylde does were Artificial! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
[img]graemlins/band.gif[/img]

[Haemonculus]

Re: Harmonics and picks

neither do I... [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] but it squeals [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
I use a little bit of chorus to enhance 'em, but it doesn't compares with wylde's...maybe is from the super overdrive he uses...

[Number Of The Priest]

Re: Harmonics and picks

Honestly, to me, it's the result of the type of pick you have, the pickup(s) you have installed in your guitar, and your pinch-pick technique. I used to only get them accidentally, especially when playing leads on the unwound strings, but now I can summon them whenever I wish, although I'm now working on the attack to make them stand out more.

A painstaking exercise to fret a note and keep it fretted for the duration of the exercise. What you do with your picking hand is try picking that string along its length until you hit a "sweet spot" where pinch harmonics are really pronounced and clear. There could be more than one per fundamental fretted note. Then, repeat the process for as many fret positions as you can cram into your memory. Then you'll be able to summon pinch harmonics from any fretted note because you'd know where the sweet spot for that note is.

[the_drip]

Re: Harmonics and picks

hmmm well, I can't seem to get my harmonics that I make with my thumb to squeel lik ezakk wylde does at all. maybe I need some HArmonic viagra or something [img]graemlins/brow.gif[/img]

[motorbrain3]

Re: Harmonics and picks

right on priest!
imho thats the best way to learn to make them stand out

[Outlander]

Re: Harmonics and picks

Your tone setting has a lot to do with helping them to really squeal. They seem to like the upper mids.