Pinch Harmonics help please....

[marytakesadrag]

A lot of good advice here. I highly emphasize on the "sweet spot" notion mentioned earlier. For my Strat, it's much easier to get the pinch harmonic if I strike my pick at a certain location on my string. For that guitar, its about above where the neck pickup is. Finding the sweet spot will greatly assist you, more than anything else IME

Also, though I can do pinch harmonics on vintage wound single coils, I find that high output humbuckers especially something like Seymour Duncan JB or Dimarzio FRED or what not, they come much easier.

Lastly, pick shape helps slightly too. Even the material. If you play live and have to nail that squealie 100% accuracy, I'd suggest investing in picks. I personally always loved Clayton picks

 

[fretout]

Back when I was forming my first band ever, we were heavily included by Pantera and Ozzy, and me and my classically trained guitarist couldn't get pinch harmonics as hard as we tried.

On one riff we were jamming on, I went to mute a note I was using vibrato on...and pow! Suddenly, this crazy squeal was emitting from my amp! The best way to describe how I did it was to sound a note and then while applying vibrato, hammering a specific note, but NOT hard enough to press the string to the fret. That's not the easiest way to sound a pinch harmonic!

I learned to do a proper pinch harmonic accidentally. The best way to explain the method to FIND a pinch harmonic is to:

1. Choke up on your pick.

2. Hold your pick like you normally do (between your thumb and index finger). Now, only leave a little of the pick past your thumb and index finger.

3. Now, when you pick, really dig in when you strike the string, to the point that your thumb holding the pick contacts the string you just sounded. Imagine that you are attempting to use your thumb to mute the string.

So, try a downstroke on the "A" string, but strike the string just behind your neck pickup. There will basically be two things that hits the string on your single down stroke: your pick and your thumb must come in contact with the string.

Congratulations! You just hit a screaming pinch harmonic!

To the OP, I'm near Ahwatukee, so worst case scenario, we could meet up and I could show you.

 

[LowDesertSludge]

Update....

Managed to locate some sweet spots on my Explorer. After choking up on a new 1.20 mm clayton pick, and switching to the USA Lawrence 500xl pup , I can nail that F# on the low E. How menacing! Getting a nice thick Candlemass epicus doomicus rhythm'y tone so I'm content at the moment.

Had no idea there were so many AZ axe wielders on Rig-Talk.

 

[marytakesadrag]

Good to hear it! And congrats on the 500XL. How do you like it? I've never played one myself but I've heard good things

And Clayton picks are awesome! \m/ Good choice... or should I say... Good pick! Hah...hah.....

 

[crankyrayhanky]

Count me in for the AZ Pinch Harmonic Convention!
Note as you stay on 1 fret, there's plenty of notes dependbg on the location of the pick attack
See Vai's main riff in The Attitude Song, where he plays. 543 repeatedly but every other he pinches differently, the pinched note groupings descend.
For me, it's basically 2 notes- the one closer to the bridge pu which is higher pitched & one closer to the neck pu which is warmer & phatter (I like that one)

 

[Atropos_Project]

I actually trail my pinky of my picking hand.. I use that for the squeals. It's just because of how I hold the pick in my thumb.. weird, but it works.

I do the same thing, just with the ring finger. You don't have to worry about pick angle or thumb at all doing it that way.

 

[MississippiMetal]

I find the infamous 3rd fret low E Zakk harmonic is more about left hand technique than picking.

 

[LowDesertSludge]

Good to hear it! And congrats on the 500XL. How do you like it? I've never played one myself but I've heard good things

And Clayton picks are awesome! \m/ Good choice... or should I say... Good pick! Hah...hah.....

That 500xl is soo crisp and clear. You tube vids did it a little a little justice. Brings out all of my bad habits. The 59 in the neck seems way darker than the 500 in the bridge. Very pleased with the set up.

 

[LowDesertSludge]

I find the infamous 3rd fret low E Zakk harmonic is more about left hand technique than picking.

I definitely noticed that when I was picking the same on the G string. Ended up adjusting the pressure on my fretting hand.

 

[thiswaythatway]

Who else doesn't think of Zakk when someone mentions pinch harmonics? For me the first guy who really got me into it was Ronnie Lee Tekro and Vivian Campbell. They just don't do it every 2 seconds like Zakk.

Of course there's the famous ZAKK WYLDE PINCH HARMONIC DRINKING GAME. Listen to a Black Label song and drink every time he hits a harmonic! You'll be drunk before the 3rd song.

 

[rupe]

Who else doesn't think of Zakk when someone mentions pinch harmonics? For me the first guy who really got me into it was Ronnie Lee Tekro and Vivian Campbell. They just don't do it every 2 seconds like Zakk.

Of course there's the famous ZAKK WYLDE PINCH HARMONIC DRINKING GAME. Listen to a Black Label song and drink every time he hits a harmonic! You'll be drunk before the 3rd song.

Billy Gibbons is the guy who put them on the map for me, and Vivian is the first player I associate with those low string screams. The difference is, those guys used them as a cool effect on occassion whereas Zakk overused them to the point that it became distasteful.

 

[swantone]

1. thick, stiff pick.
2. midrangey sounding pickup ( presents the harmonic best)
3. practice finding the sweet spots.

here's what I have managed to do with it...

(no effects, just pinchin')

http://mannyswan.bandcamp.com/track/the-political-song