Pings In Chromatix: Artifical Harmonics

Introduction:
There are two ways of Harmonics, the Natural and the Artificial(Pings, Pinch, False etc.. whatever we call it) Harmonics, but this lesson only focus on the Artificial side. Artificial harmonics can be produced on any note by lightly and quickly touching the string as it is being picked.

I highly suggests doing this in clean tone, no distortion just plain ole guitar through the amp.. I have two ways of nailing this tech. The first way I do it is as I hold the pick between my thumb and index fingers so only a little bit of the pick is sticking out. When I want a ping to happen, I don't only hit the string with my pick, I also hit it with a little bit of the front bit of the nail on my index picking hand. So it happens that my index finger hits the string a second after I hit it with my pick.. The next is as you pick, let your thumb lightly touch the string, move away after picking or you will deaden the string. Its all up to yah what makes you feel comfy most.. The angle of the way you hold the pick also responsible, and oh, as Zakk Wylde says, "Strictly use downstrokes if you want them nailed right".

P.H. = Pinch Harmonics

Example #1

  P.H.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -|
e|-----------------------------------------1-2-3-4---------------|
B|---------------------------------1-2-3-4-----------Ascending---|
G|-------------------------1-2-3-4--------------------all the----|
D|-----------------1-2-3-4--------------------------way-through--|
A|---------1-2-3-4------------------------------------the-neck---|
E|-1-2-3-4-------------------------------------------------------|

Example #2

 P.H. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -|
e|---------------------------------------------------------1-2-3-4-|
B|-----------------------------------------1-2-3-4-----------------|
G|-------------------------1-2-3-4-----------------1-2-3-4---------|
D|---------1-2-3-4-----------------1-2-3-4-------------------------|
A|-----------------1-2-3-4-----------------------------------------|
E|-1-2-3-4---------------------------------------------------------|

You can find many more exercises in the net, try it through diffferent Key, Modes, Major Scale, Minor Scales, Licks, Riffs, just experiment out. Don't know what you'll stumble unto.

- Choo Nerez ([e-mail])

Comments

[ratiug567]

first...

[wasted guitarst]

second

[skwerl066]

im not following

[skwerl066]

HElP!!!

[cffrmw]

skwerl all your doing is lightly touching the string at the indicated fret, just like barely touch it when you pick the string and it'll make a really high pitched sound, once you get the feel for it its really easy

[skwerl066]

im talking about pinch harmonics!!!!!!!!!1

[skwerl066]

HELP AGAIN!!!!!!!

[CvPrEpKiLLaH]

To get a pinch harmonic, it's a lot better to use distortion. The G string works best, also around the 7th fret is clearest.

[CvPrEpKiLLaH]

Also, what's a natural harmonic? I always thought it was a harmonic above the fretboard, not pinched. Are they BOTH artificial?

[SlayerIIV]

Technically, they r both natural. They both are used by hitting a sweet spot on the string that doesnt need to be pressed to hard to ring clearly. It happens on certain fractions of the string, like on the 5th fret and 12th are regs. For PH, it changes depending on how u change the length of the string (the fret ur finger is on).

[jetman_james]

half of you are talking about natural harmonics like the 4th, 5th, 7th, 9th(same pitch as 4th), 12th frets. an artificial harm. is produced by pressing at the fret like you were going to play the note and let it ring out. personally i found that if you hold the pick normally and you angle it so that you can place the pick on the underside of the string and your index fingernail on the topside, as if you were going to kind of pinch the string with the pick and your nail, and then keep it at that angle and downstroke the string so that your fingernail taps the string after you strike it-you will produce this harmonic while fretting the string rather than open stringed-frethand(natural
) harmonics. it is best to practice this with the bridge pick-up and lots of reverb or lots of pre-gain. e-mail me for help if this is still too confusing and i'll do my best to get back to you because i'm lazy and always forget to check my e-mail.

[Spanner]

You people really need to practice, the way to do this is to place youre finger lightly over x fret and pick with a pick or youre thumb at the fret an octave higher, try it.

[jetman_james]

no its not. that, once again, is a natural harmonic. an artificial harmonic is produced how i described above or as the lesson points out. this is a pinch or artificial(same thing) harmonic. maybe you need to practice with a guitar teacher, which, coincidentally, happens to be how i pay the rent. thanx for your input, but maybe you should do a little research before you tell experienced players how to play.

[jetman_james]

thats for spanner, by the way.

[StuartR]

Pinch harmonics are really easy once you know how. I read on another forum about this guy who took 2 years before he could get them but I managed it in a day. Just put your firt finger on your left hand above where the 24th fret should be and pick it like you would a natural harmonic. Once you can do that try doing it with one hand using the side of your thumb instead of your finger. Once you have done that try it on different frets by fretting the note and then moving the point where your thumb touches the string towards the bridge slightly. Easy?

[Spl!nTeRgu!tAr]

wait.... i just saw this OTHER article on how to get a pinch harmonic for the 2nd fret, u put ure finger on the 2nd fret, then the finger on the other hand on the 14th fret and u get a pinch harmonic.... thats just 1 example

[troutBoy]

splinterguitarist, aren't those artificial harmonics when u tap the fret an octave higher?

[guitar-matt2004]

tapped or harp harmonics i believe they are called.

[meimeilim]

?

[CvPrEpKiLLaH]

Actually, when you think about it, it's all natural harmonics by Jetman-James. When you use your finger to "pinch" the string for the harmonic, it's the same as playing the string and tapping it for a harmonic. You're just doing it at the same time.

[metalisgood666]

im lost...

[johnnywinter]

Ok here it is.

A natural harmonic - lightly resting your fretting finger on a fret (such as the twelth, fifth, fourth - not all of them work) and the picking as usual.

An artificial harmonic - fretting any note, then placing, for example, the first finger of the right hand lightly above the fret that is twelve more than the note originally fretted, and then picking with your fourth finger as usual. For example - fretting 3rd fret on G-string, lightly touching string above the 15th fret on G-string, then picking as usual all at the same time. Its a classical technique really.

Pinch harmonics - the same as above really, just you are lightly pressing the string 2 octaves above (ie 24 frets). However, there normally isn't a fret above the 22nd on most guitars, so you have to use trial and error to find the right place inbetween the edge of the fingerboard and the bridge. This time, however, you have to pick and then touch the string with only a minute gap inbetween. A common way to do it is to let your thumb pertrude past your pick, then find the right point and strike the string as normal, letting your thumb lightly touch the string. This is a pretty advanced technique, and definately works best with lots of distortian and the bridge pickup.

The thing about harmonics is to make sure you only let your finger rest on the string for a short time, it lets the note ring out for longer.

[Spanner]

By the sounds of things "JJ" I seem to be the more experienced player/teacher here, of course what I was describing was an artificial harmonic, say if you play a natural harmonic, they work best on the 5th 7th and 12th frets because they divide the strings speaking legnth in half third and quarter, but if I fret the first fret they should work on the 6th 8th and 13th frets, they are artificial because I made them myself by creating a new nut for the guitar, also artificial and pinched harmonics are completely different things,what you were describing are pinched harmonics not artificial, and dont even think about trying to tell me how to play the guitar because I am obviously a hell of a lot more experienced in playing/teaching than you, my students are probably better than you

[jetman_james]

bet i could kick your a$$! then i would stomp all over your "students"(

[Spanner]

Doesnt look like it from your crappy lesson and from the looks of things your crappy playing,your foot would never be big enough to stomp any of my students(they are probably a hell of a lot better than you),99.9% percent of guitar players/teachers today suck, and you are obviously a prime example , oh how I pity "your" students

[jetman_james]

yeah, yeah! there was a lot more to that post above but for some reason it didn't go through. listen here, SPANNER, you smug little f@ggot: my lesson was dead on up there in the post. i think you need to go practice a little more, punk, 'cause your idea of "pinch/artificial" harmonics was actually a description of how you would produce a natural harmonic. you have to actually press the string to a fret and then pick the string as the lesson and as my post and as many other posts here describe. now you've created an artificial/pinch harmonic. and by the way, it's funny that it took you almost 4 months to figure this out and then you were still wrong! if you produce a harmonic the way you suggest in your most recent "lesson" post - you are still, in effect, producing "natural" harmonics. it is true that you "created a new nut" but this doesn't constitute an "artificial" harmonic because you're really just "moving the nut" to sound each harmonic from your new nut position's "open" fret, in a sense. the reason that an artificial harmonic works is because you're actually "harping" the string when you pick it using the techniques described in this lesson and in my post and in most of the other posts. it is the physical properties of the string that makes this possible. when the pick occurs it stretches the string slightly to cause it's vibration. if you immediately strike the string with your finger/thumb while picking- the strings wavelength is "split" at the point where it was interrupted and the split wavelength "crashes" together when it travels back to the point where it was interrupted, creating the high pitched "artificial" harmonic you hear. where you should pick will depend on the fret you're attempting to produce this harmonic from. this is where you would apply your idea about dividing the strings "speaking length". now, hopefully, you should understand this whole thing once and for all! if you're still lost or you still think you're right then i guess that'll really show that you're not the better player here. personally, i don't care if i'm better than you are at playing. i'm a GUITAR TEACHER!!! i'm more interested in helping a guitarist develop their ability. but since you were a c0cksucker from the very first post you did after i posted a correct lesson, well, you deserve to be flamed for it and for trying to make others look stupid when you didn't have a clue about this topic! so i hope this post helped you out and i hope it taught you not to run your mouth about things you don't REALLY know about! no hard feelings now, though. keep on rockin'; and try to help people along the way, you @sshole!

[Spanner]

I am not even going to bother reading the shite above, because I am not interested in arguing with you, I am interested in playing my guitar, I am sorry if I seemed a bit of a know it all but as far as I am concerned I was right (regardless of what others think) I meen who gives a shit whether you know the right term for the technique? the main is that you can play it and make it sound good, and you seem to be able to do that, the only reason I was so rude in my second post was that you said that I need to practice with a guitar teacher and I am one myself, so as far as I am concerned I apologise and this arguement is over

[yeller56]

^What the ***, we are not going to read that. Way too much time on your hands.

[Spanner]

I read your post Jetman James, and you listen to me hear you smug ass hole, what you were describing is EXACTLY what I was describing just in more detail, I DONT NEED YOU PATRIONIZING ME ABOUT MUSIC!!! OR PHYSICS EITHER!!! I am a doctor of physics mathematics and applied mathematics. IT DID NOT TAKE ME 4 BLOODY MONTHS TO FIGURE THIS OUT!! I knew this straight form my early lessons with my guitar teacher, it only took me 4 months to REPLY because I have a life and dont spend all my time hanging around this forum helping random people, I HELP MY STUDENTS!! and in my opinion YOU DESERVE TO BE FLAMED FOR TRYING TO MAKE ME LOOK STUPID!!!.. because I WAS NOT TRYING TO MAKE OTHERS LOOK STUPID!! I was saying that "they really need to practice" because artificial harmonics are hard to master if you are not used to them and I knew exactly what they were but you just kept on yapping away and showing off, so in my opinion YOU have been a cock sucker since my first post Its people like you that have diven me into retirement

[FullMetalMayhem]

which sound better, artificial or regular harmonics? and which is less difficult to do? (its a general question)

[Chuckie B.]

You know, here is what i have always thought:

Pinch Harmonic - When you pop the string with your pick and then straight away touch the side of your thumb against the string at roughly 24th fret position but there are other places closer to the bridge where it works but it will give a different pitch sound. For me the 'sweet spot' for pinch harmonics is just behind the neck pickup.

Artificial Harmonics - When you play a note and then with a pick hand finger touch lightly on a fret which is usualy an octave above the freted note. (Don't forget you can touch any fret with the pick hand finger (Not all work) it does not have to be one octave higher. E.g. Playing the 7th fret and then touching the 12 will give a sound 2 octaves higher.) These are also called tapped harmonics.

Natural Harmonics - When you lightly touch a string over a fret and then pick the string to give a different pitch note. (These are handy because you do not have to keep your finger on the string for the note to carry on. E.g. Play a natural harmonic on the G string at the twelth fret. Once struck, you can take off your finger and mess around somewhere else on your guitar with the note still sounding. Also you can bend the string behind the nut when a natural harmonic is sounding. there are a lot of places where natural harmonics work. Move your finger up the neck slowly and pick at a moderate pace to locate them.

There is more i could write about this but i have to go!

[thegenrebasher]

so if a song says 8P.H do i play that string open,then touch the eighth fret?

[Spanner]

Whats the tab? as I havent a clue, what you mean

[thegenrebasher]

the song is young lust by pink floyd,but to see a good tab you have to go to mxtabs.net and look at the version by guitar lord 14,except it says 2 a.h(artificial harmonic) and b(bend)

[thegenrebasher]

and the part i'm asking about is in the first measure of the solo.

[Rodders]

Doesn't that mean an octave? A pinch harmonic to produce the sound 1 octave higher? Im probaly wrong but an 8 is often use to describe octaves....

[Spanner]

Ye I think your right but check with your guitar tutor man.

[SpacefingerS]

jetman_james,Spanner.....and u call yourself TEACHERS, u should be ashamed!!!!

[CliffEmAll]

spanner, your description was a pathetic one... thats all I must say, half the people in here have no idea what a false harmonic is and the blab all day thinking there genuises,

the article is right u play a false harmonic while holding your finger down on the fret, and as your plucking the string 1 billimineare meter of your thumb hits the string after the sweep, it's hard to try an make newbies understand this but really is a simple technique. oh and btw, go crazy with it, use your tremelo bar, Excellent example, watch some pantera videos, dimebag does false harmonics all the time, it is a must, makes your music sound professional

[TRIBUTE TO JIMI]

In order to play an Artifical Harmonic you must finger a note on the fretboard, pushing the string right down to the fret ( for this example lets play the note A on the second fret on the third string ). Then lightly touch the string with your other hands index finger exactly 12 frets higher ( in our example we would lightly touch the third string above the 14th fret with our index finger). Then in order to produce the chime you must pick the string behind your index finger. This can be done by holding the pick between your thumb and middle finger, or just using your thumb. As soon as the chime has sounded remove your index finger so you don't accidentally stop the harmonic from ringing.

[DimeZakk]

Uhmmm i feal loads of bunch of rage sounds funny ... nevermind... well thing is doing pinch harmonic (showing off my self) im quite good at it... well get a small pick and then hit a littel with ure thomb after you've hitted the string with the pick ofcourse its like 1:10000 secs after so lol you gotta be fast... but uhh this technic pinch is my favorit of all i use a load of vibrato and shit in it ... makes it sound nice ... oh and yea dont do it in acoustic way god damn? thats really stupid... Distortion shit load of gain and you do the pinch !! ROck on! \,,/

[Mark Wylie]

wow intense A7X Rulez

[><lucky_13><]

thnx alot ive been waiting for a article about this topic

[Hotfox_07]

jetman_james wrote:

bet i could kick your a$$! then i would stomp all over your "students"(

jetman_james, I really am suprised in your lack of respect for a fellow player's point of view on a specific technique.

SpacefingerS wrote:

jetman_james,Spanner.....and u call yourself TEACHERS, u should be ashamed!!!!

Thank you, SpacefingerS, for saying what needed to be said.

About pinch harmonics, everyone does them differently. Don't let your personal opinion become something that you use to tell other people that they suck. Everyone has at least one technical thing that they do "wrong" from what the books say, and that's what gives each person's playing character!

For example, I hold my pick in a way that almost made my former teacher drop me as a student, because I refused to accept the way he taught it. I tried, but it wasn't comfortable to me, it wasn't my style. With a broad subject like PH, there's going to be a thousand different opinions about how to do it "right," but noone's really correct, so shut the hell up about it.

BTW, I hold my pick with my thumb on one side, the pick angled about 45 degrees away from my palm, and both my index and middle fingers on the other side. This makes it easier for me to palm my pick for a two-handed tap solo and allows me to use my ring finger instead of my thumb to produce pinch harmonics, which is usually easier, except on riffs like that in Lamb of God's "Laid to Rest."

[zero-ohm]

Natural harmonics? Google for: Aspie wav

[vIsIbleNoIsE]

here, here!

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

[Alkaline300]

wow easy easy easy thats just a pinch harmonic the one from beginers guide SUCKS they're like ok pick the string then hit the 14th fret with your index finger on your pick hand while still holding the 3rd fret with neck hand i was like wtf...

[nopoleon779467]

what kind of harmonic is angus young using in you shook me all night long?and how the heck do you play them.?

[Mr. Kill]

guys if u didnt understand this one go read the other.. idk but i read the other and i understoud how to do em in less then 5 mins and i didt from first try .. just figure out where to do it and ull get it really fast

[Lorik]

you guys hey listen how i do artificial harmonics. i guarantee this is the best way. place ur left hand on any fret, whatever finger. it doesnt work as well for higher strings because its hard to make artificial harmonics after say the 15th fret. so after u place ur finger on x fret, ur pick is between ur thumb and index like usually. ok. bend ur right hands fingers, look at the middle finger, and see the bend closest to the nail, where the ripples are? when u pluck lets say up, place ur middle finger to the right of where u pluck and pluck ur pick and the finger at the same time. it will create the best harmonics possible if u can master it, which is not difficult at all. if you need help with this, feel free to email me at [e-mail]

[Tenkuu]

PLEASE! EXPLAIN THIS....

I was watching Herman Li, from Dragon Force, do some type of harmonic (you hear the bell like sound) then he pulls the Whamy bar and you hear a bad-ass sound! How do you do that and what's it called? Please! E-mail me here [e-mail] I will owe you one!!! Please!!!!!

[JakoSnako]

wow, ppl have so much hate for eachother these days, let it go ppl. its no big deal, who cares what other ppl think as long as ur music is loud and ur mind is open. stop arguing

[terror__666]

thanks guys all this managed to do for me was confuse the sh!t right out of me? Its a good thing i already knew how to do them.

[terror__666]

Thanx anyways

[afrohitman13]

i want to know exactly how to get harmonics like dimebag cuz hes the master and although you guys were a bit helpful i would much rather have someone show me in person but i will try to do it myself first

[BlackSheep69]

fifty-sixth..

[frantic_saint]

hey help! i need to know artifical harmonics like in the intro to disasterpiece by slipknot.

[vexor7]

Tenkuu wrote:

PLEASE! EXPLAIN THIS....

I was watching Herman Li, from Dragon Force, do some type of harmonic (you hear the bell like sound) then he pulls the Whamy bar and you hear a bad-ass sound! How do you do that and what's it called? Please! E-mail me here [e-mail] I will owe you one!!! Please!!!!!

This is essentially the same thing as a pinch harmonic only it uses a tremolo system in turn it trun the sound into a "Divebomb" which was a technique pioneered by Jimi Hendrix
beyond that though to get really nice ones you need a guitar with a Floyd Rose so you dont mess up your strings

[vexor7]

sorry weird typo in the first of that
... in turn to turn it into a...

[L2112Lif]

Harp Harmonic, IE where you fret a note, and then (Like a natural harmonic) use your picking hand to stroke above the fret bar of another fret. So, if you fret the first fret, then stroke over the 13th fret, its like playing a 12th fret NH, but up a half-step. Then there's the tapped harmonic, which involves fretting, and then tapping the string over the fret bar. It produces a stronger sound than the HH or the NH, but isn't as pure a note as a PH.

[L2112Lif]

Not to mention that you get a different sound for a PH that is dependent on your picking hand's placement; it cuts off some of the harmonics depending on where you execute the pinch.