How To Play Guitar
Learn Guitar Harmonics
Pinch harmonics are one of the toughest techniques you can play on guitar, easily distinguished from normal guitar notes by their unique bell-like sound.
Pinch harmonics are often compared to artificial harmonics even though they are not the same thing.
The technique was invented by an American Blues musician called Roy Buchanan, and has since been used by everybody form ZZ Top through Radiohead to Andy McKee.
If I had to recommend one guitarist for you to listen to when learning pinch harmonics, I would have to choose Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top fame.
This Texas style player is a master of the pinch and bends technique. For an amazing example, check out the track titled My Heads in Mississippi, from the 1994 album Recycler.
Natural Harmonics
Guitar strings vibrate and create natural harmonics. If you pick any open string the natural harmonics would sound on the 5th, 7th and 12th frets.
Try it. Play the open E string then gently damp it at the 5th fret with your fingertip.
It might take you a few tries to master this. What you are attempting to do is pick the string and before it can sound, tap it (don’t push it down, just quickly and gently touch it) at the appropriate fret.
If you have done the above correctly a beautiful bell-like sound will ring out very different from the normal guitar sound.
Natural harmonics sound great but they can only be played at certain frets. This is the big advantage of pinch harmonics. Unlike natural harmonics pinch harmonics can be sounded at any fret of the guitar.
Pinch Harmonics Technique
Almost every other technique can be built up slowly, not so with pinch harmonics, you either get it right, or you do not get the required sound.
To explain this correctly we will need an example. I’m going to use D major because it’s the first chord I learned this technique.
You can play pinch harmonics with a pick but it’s a lot easy to learn at first just using your fingers. Finger the D chord as normal. Now place your index finger so it barely touching the E string on the 14th fret (Notice that this is 12 frets above the where you are holding down the string. Remember when you play an open harmonic you play 12 frets above the open string – could be a pattern here?).
Now place you thumb lightly on the same string somewhere around the 14th fret or 15th fret. To play the pinch harmonic flick your hand so your thumb move downwards plucking the string at the exact same moment as your index finger moves upwards damping it.
By performing this right hand technique at the correct place on the neck for the current note you are fingering (5, 7 or 12 frets above the fingered note position), you will be rewarded by one of the finest sounds known to mankind. This is a very basic pinch harmonic but gives you a good understanding of what you are trying to achieve.
When you have mastered this you can attempt the same using a pick.
Practice Makes Perfect
The best way to learn to play pinch harmonics is by accident, learn the theory and then play around with it until you accidentally produce a pinch harmonic, once you have done it a single time, it will fall in to place, then begins the long road to being able to produce pinch harmonics flawlessly every time, something that is a lot more difficult than it sounds. Don’t give up, keep trying and you will eventually get the hang of it.
October 20, 2008 at 7:20 pm | Learn Guitar Techniques | No comment