pinch harmonics/guitar screams

[unholyernest]

help.. i been doing songs like stratovarius and those metal rhythm guitars.

i'm sure u all should have heard of those pinch harmonics done on guitars that i would call them guitar screams..

its usually done on the 5th and the 7th fret..or somewhere around there..
usually on the A and D string..
they also do it on the higher E string..but it won't sound as cool as the lower ones..the lower one just sounded so cool..fat tone and stuff..

actually i aren't that sure whether is it pinch harmonics or not..thats what everyone tells me..i can get the harmonics..but not all the time..

so anyone know how to perfect my pinch harmonics?

 

[Hydrofly]

pinch harmonics can be done on any fret. you just gotta find the sweet spot somewhere over/between the pickups, varies from guitar to guitar, you don't exactly have to pinch the string, i find it easier to touch the string lightly with my thumb after the pick leaves the string. there should be more than one sweet spot, differing in terms of how high pitched the note produced. Pinch harmonics are NOT done by touching the string lightly over the 5th and 7th fret, those two are natural harmonics.

 

[unholyernest]

yup..i'm doing it like..holding the pick with my thumb slightly out..so that my thumb gets to touch the string after picking..
i hold down with my left hand on the 5th fret..then pinch it..can get it..but not all the time..as for natural harmonics..i got no problem with that..
just the pinch one..not all the time i get it..i think there's like a sweet spot or something..nothing wrong with my pinching..just the place i pinch that matters..haha..too bad..i can't put liquid paper on the string or something..haha..

 

[Hydrofly]

heres what i do to get the sweet spot, i remember exactly which part of the bridge i rest my palm on and how i pick it, you should be able to feel exactly where your palm was when you do the harmonic, then keep your picking very consistent and you should be able to get the harmonic every time.

 

[Yanovic]

ya might wanna try different types of vibrato alongside e pinched harmonics on different length of e strings...roll up e trebles on ur amp or guitar tone control to an appropiate amount...they might lead to somethin nasty...

regarding e pinched harmonics on e high E string,same thing juz find e g-spot...ya can also use alternatives to piched harmonics by using tapped harmonics while ur leftie is applyin vibrato to a note...if im not mistaken harmonics n e notes/pitch to it hv got somethin to do wif maths but im no mathematician so wont go to e extent of doin math equations or formulas...

maybe e intro to attitude song by stevie vai or alot of other vai stuff might help ya find somethin for ur nds...also check out stuff by van halen,mattias ia ekhlund,viv campbell etc...those might also help since they use alot of different harmonic techniques n leave their stamp on em...

hope those help ya in some ways bro... \m/

 

[Hideto]

pinch harmonic can be done anywhere.... u may wan to slowly start from the 1st fret... then slowly go down the fretboard ... u pt of the pinch to get the harmonic will also go down towards the bridge...

u can create 3 or more diff harmonic just by a single fret note.. just got to slowly find it... one way to remember is to take the pickup as a guildline...

 

[unholyernest]

YES! exactly.those were what i was trying to ask..about the sweet spot for pinching the harmonics..different position gets different pitch..thats y..i'm trying to get the lower strings one..which are much harder...

i have no problem with higher E string..but the problem is lower E A and D string..its hard to get the harmonics out..but usually lower E pinch harmonics is the fattest tone..the one that i'm looking for..

so is there a different way to get that fat tone on the lower E? or perhaps i just got to practise like how i play higher E string pinch harmonics?

if u all dunno what i need..haha..try looking for zakk wylde's band..black label society..the song is "destruction overdrive".. heres the link to youtube..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5RHJV_zweo&mode=related&search=

the video's quite a funny one..but anyway..i have been trying to get the pinch harmonics intro out..its done on the 2nd fret of lower E string..

thanks a lot if u all can help me..

 

[Hideto]

the sweet spot on the low is totally the same as the high E.... only thing the brushing off from ur thumb is diff... need to go more into the string and release fast... dont really know how to explain it... sorry... but.. practise make perfect eh... just got to slowly try...

 

[widdly]

The sweet spots are all fractions. Try half way between the fret and the bridge, then 1/3 or 2/3, then 1/4 or 3/4 etc.

Another way to get the sound it is to do touch harmonics. Play a note on say the 5th fret but touch the 17th fret with your right hand index finger when you pick it. The tricky part is lightly touching and picking at the same time. If you hold the pick between your thumb and middle finger you can hold your hand like you are pointing and touch with the index finger. The rule for touch harmonics is to touch either 12 frets,7 frets (or 19) or 5 frets (or 17) above the original note. If you want to get the ladies you can use your nose or tongue instead.

 

[Impromptu]

up the gain you will get your guitar screaming in every fret and every string

 

[kerplunk182]

up the gain you will get your guitar screaming in every fret and every string

ouch. Lol. Practice makes perfect dude. Try finding the sweet spots and practice