Pinch Harmonics

Robin_Gast

Hi all,

As the topic suggested, I can't do it, it's freaking' impossible. Can anyone help me out on this?
Fanks! =3

DonovanB

how are you holding the pick? I find the less of the pick you "show" the easier it becomes.

Some say High gain is necessary but I don't think so. when I do it I just adjust my grip on the pick slightly. I grip it a little harder and move it in a bit so my thumb can touch the string at the same time.

Robin_Gast

Donovan Banks wrote: how are you holding the pick? I find the less of the pick you "show" the easier it becomes.

Some say High gain is necessary but I don't think so. when I do it I just adjust my grip on the pick slightly. I grip it a little harder and move it in a bit so my thumb can touch the string at the same time.

Holding it so that about 1mm of the tip shows, trying to get it without a distortion pedal.

Vick

I can do it on a clean guitar,sounds stupid thou....were you left hand is fretting is also important
Like don explained and a guy I use to play with uses his middle finger to get some skin on the string instead of his thumb....

But I kinda have to mention,I played guitar for like 2 year before I could do it,I tried ding it for like ever,and it just didint happen....I stop trying and then it just happened by accident one day and now its a instinct thing.....

ActionArnie

Found this link, maybe this well help you:

http://www.cyberfret.com/techniques/harmonics/pinch/index.php

Robin_Gast

ActionArnie wrote: Found this link, maybe this well help you:

http://www.cyberfret.com/techniques/harmonics/pinch/index.php

Thanks for the link, I've been playing for close on 4 years now. So I've no excuse!

Keira-WitherKay

hi robin . .... i suggest you find a tutor or someone else who can do it to show you how to do it ..........it's dead simple....ONCE YOU KNOW HOW ? and like with most things in guitar playing once you crack it you can't believe how easy it is...... good luck i'm positive once you seen it up close once or twice you'll crack it just get someone to show you and sit with you till you nail it ......

Seventhson

I practised for weeks to get it right and I have?

Just make sure your picks edge is very close to your thumb so your thumb actually lightly touches the string as soon as you pick the string?

And I agree with keira it is dead simple once you know how to.

Robin_Gast

Thanks, Ill ask my guitar teacher, Christiaan Hattangh, if he can help.

Aldertguitarist

Switching to bridge pickup helps alot! And plenty gain

Seventhson

Aldertguitarist wrote: Switching to bridge pickup helps alot! And plenty gain

Depends. When I switch to my bridge pick up it has less of a "squeal" sound.

Keira-WitherKay

Aldertguitarist wrote: Switching to bridge pickup helps alot! And plenty gain

? the trick is to be able to do it even on an acoustic so forget the pickup switching( not that it may not make it easier) but just nail the technique........

killafo

Another thing that helps is finding the right spot between your bridge and neck pups.

When i was learning how to get a pinched harmonic i found it easier to try on the "G" string with a lot of gain and such, just to get comfortable and find the right spot ?.
Then i just applied the same technique on the other strings, then on acoustic.

On acoustic i didn't find it that interesting, but maybe its just not the right thing to use for my amateur acoustic playing.

V8

Robin_Gast wrote: Hi all,

As the topic suggested, I can't do it, it's freaking' impossible. Can anyone help me out on this?
Fanks! =3

I'm a big fan of pinch harmonics - I use the technique a lot, more for tone reasons & less as an effect? My ears tell me that getting flesh on both ends of the string is a good thing... ?

Most importantly :: Fit New strings,
Then use any pickup but the neck (bridge is easiest),
Add some gain,
Use a stiff pick with *just the right amount of flesh* hitting the string
And find that sweet spot between pickups all help a lot.
Add a bit of vibrato and it's sounding good.

Oddly enough I prefer the 'pinch' sound with less gain, and I've used it musically on a steel acoustic (but not a nylon). My ears tell me that the blues masters (Muddy, Buddy, Howling, Elmore, John Lee) got a lot of picking hand flesh on the strings to get 'that' tone.

greets,

V8

SvR65

the trick is to be able to do it even on an acoustic so forget the pickup switching( not that it may not make it easier) but just nail the technique........

Check out Monte Montgomery - He uses this technique to its full potential on acoustic guitar... and in a sense shows you how IT REALLY SHOULD BE DONE! ?

But the technique is very useful, whether on acoustic or electric!

Maybe you must keep on practicing the technique, but not 'worry' so much about 'getting' it... Don't over-think it. ?

Moonshine

Listen to some zakk wylde or Billy Gibbons stuff for some great pinches,i am currently trying to get rid of my pinch addiction,especially for an worlds biggest ZZ Top and Black label society Fan

Jack-Flash-Jr

Moonshine wrote: Listen to some zakk wylde or Billy Gibbons stuff for some great pinches,i am currently trying to get rid of my pinch addiction,especially for an worlds biggest ZZ Top and Black label society Fan

That Zakk pinch and squeal is quite something!

Seventhson

I only use it for the slayer solos 8)

darxx

If holding the pick with your thumb and index finger, rotate your hand so that when the pick hits the string, your thumb follows almost simultaneously. Also try combining some tremolo with the former mentioned technique. Always makes it a bit easier.