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- Newsgroups: alt.guitar
- Path: sparky!uunet!destroyer!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!news.unomaha.edu!cwis.unomaha.edu!fprince
- From: fprince@cwis.unomaha.edu (Frank E. Prince)
- Subject: Re: Artificial harmonics
- Message-ID: <1993Jan28.053106.23867@news.unomaha.edu>
- Sender: news@news.unomaha.edu (UNO Network News Server)
- Organization: University of Nebraska at Omaha
- References: <schultz.24@stpaul.ncr.com>
- Distribution: usa
- Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 05:31:06 GMT
- Lines: 61
-
- schultz@stpaul.ncr.com writes:
- > In article <1993Jan26.052922.28334@leland.Stanford.EDU> termite@leland.Stanford.EDU (David Paik) writes:
- >
- > >I haven't read any responses on this thread yet where anyone does what I
- > >sometimes do.
- >
- > >For harmonics ala Billy Gibbons (ZZTop) I usually choke up and use my thumb
- > >like everyone else but when I want to hit definite harmonics and not just
- > >random harmonics I do something different.
- >
- > >I hold the pick between my thumb and middle finger leaving my index finger
- > >free. I then put my index finger down where the harmonic will ring and pck
- > >with my thumb and middle finger. I usually only do the 2nd harmonic with
- > >this technique because it gets too hard otherwise.
- >
- > >The trick is to play a line with your left hand and instead of picking
- > >regularly you hit the 2nd harmonic. Here's an example:
- >
- > >Left hand Right hand index finger
- > >2nd fret 14th fret
- > >5th fret 17th fret
- > >7th fret 19th fret
- >
- > >OK, did I confuse everyone? Does anyone else out there do this?
- >
- > >Dave
- >
- > The late Lenny Breau, jazz guitarist from Canada hailed as a genius by the
- > likes of Atkins, others, used this particular technique, and was considered
- > the master. I don't know which of his recordings survive/are available.
- >
- > Others may wish to comment....you can get some interesting melodic effects
- > with this technique. It takes patience at first holding the pick between
- > the thumb and middle finger. I suggest just holding the pick this way and
- > practicing familiar melodies, then gradually adding the damping/touching of
- > the first finger. Also, when you touch the first finger, make sure you are
- > above the fret, not behind it.
- >
- > Any other comments?
- >
- > Steve Schultz
- > NCR NPD
- > steve.schultz@stpaul.ncr.com
- > Steve Schultz, Mktg Product Manager
- > NCR NPD, St.Paul, MN
- > eMail: steve.schultz@stpaul.ncr.com
-
- An interesting extension of this technique is to fret a note with the first
- finger of the left hand and reach with the pinky to catch the 2nd octave
- harmonic while picking normally.(it can be a stretch depending on where you
- are on the neck).
- For instance, play C on the 5th fret, third(G) string. Now as you
- pick it, touch directly above the 10th fret with the pinky. This should
- sound a G harmonic 2 octaves above the original note. Then try the 9th fret
- for 2 octaves and a third, 8th fret for 2 octaves and a 5th, and so on.
- Also, if you are using heavy distortion and sustain, you can touch the
- harmonic point sometime after picking the string, and it will create a
- "pseudo feedback effect" as the note modulates from the fundamental to
- the harmonic. This is a great metal effect.
- Frank
- (always looking for something new!)
-