Help with PH (pinch harmonics) please

Playing Technique
#12

One thing to point out: Let’s call the length of the string L, where this is measured between the active fret (the one touching the string) and the bridge. After the string is plucked with the pick, you can now touch it in various places to get harmonics [rather, kill everything that isn’t the harmonic].

(UPDATE: My rule had a bug, so I fixed it!)

If you want to divide the string into N parts, touch at L/N from the fret, or L/N from the bridge.

For example, to divide it in half, there is only one place to touch it, in the middle.

To divide it into thirds, there are two places to touch it: L/3 from the fret, or L/3 from the bridge.

To divide it into quarters, L/4 from the fret, or L/4 from the bridge.

I guess that people with great pinch harmonics put them in as they memorize the piece, but I could be wrong.

But if you have a good eye, try to aim for 1/3 or 1/4 of the string, and hopefully it will sound all Zakk Wylde!

#13

Hi @kgk,

good rule. As a software engineer, applying formulas and logic to guitar playing has always worked for me.
(However, I do think that there’s a lot to be said for using your instincts and touch as well).

I think you are right that most PHs are very well practiced, especially Vai’s crazy runs, but I guess also it’s possible to memorize some positions, like Mr Wylde uses the same ones over and over so if you’re soloing on pentatonic D or E you can learn where the most effective harmonics are and improvise with them when needed. Like the G or A on the G string in the E pentatonic (12th and 14th frets).

That’s what I am aiming for, to be able to memorize a few good ones to start with, as I do tend to spend a lot of time improvising.

#14

Hey @WhammyStarScream,

the problem that I’ve got currently is that I naturally place my 2nd, 3rd, 4th fingers of my picking hand below the high e string when picking, as a kind of light anchor point, so moving the ring finger (3rd finger) onto the correct string from that position to execute the harmonic is quite hard todo.
It’s just not used to it and it’s hard to find the right string to place it on, I keep getting the string below.

It’s a coordination thing, but anyway I will keep trying because I have got some good results with the bounce action it’s just making that transition.

I’m starting to get some soreness on my ring finger top joint where it contacts with the string and does the bounce so maybe I will build up a callas like you have soon.

#15

I’m glad you’ve made this thread. I’m in the same boat, it’s low-key annoyed me for years not being able to do this, despite every youtube/instagram instructor having a “Learn pinch harmonics in 5 minutes” video, I have very little luck even accidentally doing them, never mind on command on purpose. :smiley:

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#16

@SlyVai You can use the lower thumb and the index finger too, while still having the pick sticking out far. It’s even possible to use the pick itself to do them, tho thats quite hard…
Could you make a vid showing your grip?

#17

Hi I’ve worked out a little practice routine to try and improve my PHs so I will try and video that to show you my grip and technique if I can, I’ve never tried to video myself playing before.

To be honest today I gave up on the ring finger thing and went back to PHs trying to do a rolling motion with the thumb mentioned by Ben Eller in his video, and that’s better but is really how I was trying do it for years before, and it’s still hit and miss.

The miss is really bad when it happens goddam.

#18

Thanks for posting the video. This is different from how I imagined it based on your description. Even though I’m happy with my “traditional” pinch harmonics, that “ring finger” method looks interesting to experiment with.

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#19

I think like slyvai found out it all depends on your anchor points. I’ve tried so many over the years inspired by guitarists I like and trying to create a perfect right hand method that looks cool. But the absolute basic palm on low E works for just about everything, harmonics, sweeping, picking, hybrid picking etc. I just don’t like how it looks, but it gives you freedom to do just about anything. I think it’s the best anchor there is. But then thats just my experience.

#20

Hey @WhammyStarScream,

I just did my best to get a video for you, I hope it’s close enough for you to see, I don’t have a fancy “magnet” like Troy to do closeups of my picking hand.

I am doing a few exercises on the G and D strings then at the end I did try your ring finger thing with small success :slight_smile:

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#21

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20210630_1937072988×5312 3.7 MB

here is the blister on my ring finger from doing your suggested ring finger harmonics :slight_smile:

#22

I think your playing is great, from what I gather it’s about two things, the right position on the string and the flesh brushing technique.
My original suggestion was based around having the pick sticking out quite far but I see you’re getting harmonics with little movement.

I can try add a bit of commentary but idk how much it’ll help or if you already know this :open_mouth:

#23

OK thanks @WhammyStarScream,

I was using a Jazz III size pick there and it’s easier for me to get PHs with it, with a standard size pick it’s harder I find, the pick sticks out more.

Anyway your technique in your video to loosen the grip and let the pick roll, I haven’t tried that, it’s maybe not clear in the video but I am rolling my thumb at the moment to do this, so it’s similar but different.

I’ll try it thanks very much, hope you find that pick :slight_smile:

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#24

I got the technique down, but I do flub a lot tbh, I’ve never put the effort into learning the correct spots to do them. That is bound to be most our issues, if we listen to what Joe Satriani said, he would literally mark out exactly where to do these harmonics.

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#25

Absolutely, but I fear that the physics constraints on the harmonics are very strict so it is likely that perfect aim will really help them to pop.

One of my goals is to memorize something with excessive pinch harmonics (like a cake covered with inches of frosting) and determine if I can reliably make them loud without cheating with compression.

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#26

I must admit I’ve got my compression knob turned right up when I’ve been trying to do PHs just do try and find the right spots.

#27

@WhammyStarScream and @kgk,

I’ve spent all afternoon today on my PH technique and I think I’ve got it down now.

What worked in the end was changing my grip into a pinch shape and a light touch in my picking motion rather than what I was doing before which was rolling my thumb and “digging in” or rotating my thumb to change the angle and sort of twanging the string hard with my thumb and pick.

Also your rule helped @kgk and I was able to memorise the right positions on the string for a few notes and reproduce PHs consistently over and over.

If I can still do it tomorrow :slight_smile: I’ll do a video and post it, but I’m getting a bit of deja vu with this, feeling like I’ve been here before a few times. We’ll see.

Thanks for your help everyone, much appreciated.

#28

Happy to hear the time you put in paid off.

I’ve got pinches down. I’ve actually done a couple lessons with Brandon Ellis and we discussed how to get them less pronounced. He explained swiping extra muted strings helps. I got to a point in my playing back in high school where I couldn’t NOT do pinches a lot of the time. Maybe it was the Zakk Wylde epiphone I had but I found pinches came quite natural. Some notes were harder to figure out but as mentioned above. There are many videos out there explaining the exact harmonic locations.

Mattias Eklund is the man and studying his music and watching his videos were great for any difficult harmonics I didn’t come by naturally.

Great playing by the way. Very rhythmic and nice on the ears :call_me_hand:t2:

Only other thing I can recommend. I know for me, when the harmonics die, it’s time for a new set of strings. They just won’t ring the same with dead strings.

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#29

You know I never thought of that !
Today I was using my Strat which I put new strings on last week, maybe that’s why I had so much more success with it.
I’ll put a new set on my LP tomorrow and give it a go on that. Thanks for the advice.

#30

Do you have the video of this? :slight_smile:

#31

Hi @WhammyStarScream, do you mean a video of Satch or of myself ?

I can try and video myself doing it if you’re interested but I’m not that good at it tbh, I think I saw Satch doing it on a really old live performance back in the 90s, at least that’s what what we me and my mate thought at the time, I seem to remember someone saying he used that technique in a guitar magazine once as well, but you never know it might be BS.
I’ll give it a go but like I said it’s not very accurate, certainly no where near as accurate as your ring finger thing or conventional PHs.