Universal Guitar LOGO width=198 height=110 UniGTR+ Navbar width=14 height=88

  

 

 

 

 

Advertise Your Guitar Site

 

 

Pinched Harmonics

Pinched Harmonics are a great way to add to your pallette of sounds on the guitar. You can hear them in all styles of music from Rock to ... well Rock I s'pose :). Actually no it's found in many different styles of music - one top example comes to mind in the form of Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top for example. The technique for making Pinched Harmonics sound, is a bit like riding a bicycle - once you get the hang of it the first time, it's easy enough after that!

Uni+ Musician E-Zine width=159 height=104

Sign up for your free (for now) Uni Musicians E-Zine In the near future this exclusive listing will be a paid only membership - now's your chance to get in for free.

 

 

  

  

  

  

  

 

Amazon Buy UK Flag width=16 height=11 Find at Amazon UK

*

 USA flag width=16 height=16

*

Online UK Music Store width=119 height=113

Pinched Harmonics Technique
Fret a note with the left hand at the B string 10th fret to start things off. The right hand holds the pick at a slight angle to the string by bending the thumb in. Now, while picking between the middle and bridge area (eg on a Strat), let your thumb slightly touch the string just after the pick - it's almost at the same time but a millisecond later, and then immediately remove all right-hand contact with the string. Sort of sque-e-e-ze the note out of the guitar.
 
It's best to start learning this technique by using a distorted guitar sound - it makes it a whole lot easier. Use the Bridge pickup with lots of distortion, and experiment with moving your picking spot along the string between the bridge and middle pickup until you hear the "ping". This is the easiest place to start. When you get used to it you can use a cleaner sound too and move the picking spot around.

Here's a demo of the note picked in this way on the B string 10th fret. First on the demo you hear the note played as "normal", then pinched, then pinched as the picking hand is moved along the string (you can hear the harmonics changing but basically the note stays the same), and then a pinch/bend up, and finally a bend up string first/pick + pinch/then let down bend.

Music Note width=32 height=32  Pinched Note Demo

There are lots of possibilities and new sounds to be discovered using this technique, and it really opens up the fret board to a whole new range. Start using a whammy-bar to "drop" these pinched notes and you're into "dive-bomb" territory!

Here's a short atmospheric demo using a few Pinched Harmonics in the style of guitar maestro Jeff Beck. A clean sound is used here with some delay, reverb and compression. The pinched harmonics are most noticeable with these effects.

Music Note width=32 height=32 Feel the Pinch

Hope you enjoyed it - don't forget, experiment, have fun, and don't fall off that bicycle :)!

 

 

 

 

Acoustic Guitar - Affiliate Online Opp - Affiliate Club - Alternate Tuning - Amp Guide - Amp Resources - Blues Music - Beginner's Blues - Beyond the Pentatonic - Buy Guitar Guide - Chord Basics - Chain FX - Covers Band Money Tips - Covers / Equipment Tips - Covers Tips 2 - Creative & Song-Writing ESSENTIALS - Creative Tips - Creative Ideas - Electric Guitar - Effects + Pedals - Fender Guitars - Chord Chart - B Chords - Guitar Lessons - FX - Gibson - Guitar CD - Guitar Music - Recording - Resources - Major Pentatonic - Homepage - Home Studio -  Vintage Keys - Studio Setups - Ibanez + Peavey - Legal - Midi Guitar Synths - Midi Studio - Modal Madness - Modes - 1PLs [ #1Payday.Loans ] / $5000 Installment Loan at 1PLs Co - Record Company - Recording Studio - Studio Recording - Tab - Tab Resource - Tuning - Tuning Resources - Tuning Tips -  Tubes - Working with PC's - Legal Disclaimer ;-() MP3 Site Audio Recordings / Backing Tracks Guitar Effects Pinched Harmonics

... Pinched Harmonics ... Guitar Tone ... Secrets of Sound ...

 

 

www.Universal-Total-Guitar-Plus-Center.com © 2024