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A quick question on artificial harmonics:


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Posted

I have really a lot of trouble making A.H with my picking.

 

I've seen a lot of youtube videos, friends hands, but I still have trouble.

 

Any more detailed advice/pictures ??

 

And one other question,

 

can A.H be made just by fingerpicking ?? (with no pick)

 

Thanks guys!!

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Posted

Hola! AH aren't difficult once you know how to do them, really. First grab a NEW pick, I use a 1.14mm, but .88mm might be easier for you.

Look at your picking hand, loosely curl your fingers and have your thumb loosely bent towards your index finger. Your thumb should extend past your curled index finger by about HALF of your thumb nail. ;) Now that is your picking hand position. Now grab your pick and put it against the side of your index finger and hold it with your thumb, so that only about 2mm to 4mm of the pointed end of the pick extended past the bottom of your thumb. The Middle of the pointed end of the pick should line up about where your thumb nail joins the flesh of your thumb.

 

Now when you grip the pick firmly, you'll feel the pick pressing against index finger's front side, beside the nail. The whole thumb should be relaxed, firm and supporting the other side of the pick.

 

Now making the AH is simply resting the thumb on the string you want to make the AH. DIG IN and also make a SHORT flicking motion with your hand ( wrist) as if you flicking something off your index finger, but keep the movement short and light. Focus the edge of the pick, digging across the string and hearing the AH. Now experiment with making different AH notes ( overtones) on top of your fretted note. Have fun!

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Posted

can A.H be made just by fingerpicking ?? (with no pick)


Yes - this is how classical players play them. And how I would (I can't do the pinch harmonic thing reliably.)

Touch the node with your fingertip (index or middle), and pick the string behind (between node and bridge) with your thumb.

 

Remember the node must be at an exact fraction of the active string length.

Eg, for the octave harmonic, 12 frets above where you're fretting.

For the "perfect 12th" (octave + 5th), or 1/3 harmonic, 7 (or 19) frets above the fretted note;

For 2 octaves up, 5 frets above the fretted note (or that same distance - 1/4 string length - from the bridge).

If the node is over the fretboard, it will be right over the fretwire, not behind it.

 

This lesson is pretty good:

 

- he's using a pick and a thumbpick, but it's the same principle without.

 

And here's a nice clear one from Tommy Emmanuel

- again using a pick, but you can see it's as easy (if not easier) without, assuming you have a good thumbnail. He's also using his ring finger to pick the fancier runs - IOW, hybrid picking.

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Posted

It becomes surprisingly easy with practice......I practiced by getting the left hand finger and thumb into position, and then bouncing around touching and plucking on various nodes all over the neck.

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Posted

Here's the easiest pinch technique:

Make a "jazz" fist. Rest the middle or last joint of the pinky on the string in question and simply press the pick upwards against the string. Release in gentle rolling snap motion.

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Posted

The key to it is make sure the flesh of your thumb makes equal -if not more - contact with the string as you pick. So pull the pick up into your hand quite a bit.

 

Also try different spots on the string over the pickup area. Maybe you are doing it right you are just over a dead spot. Use a lot of gain in the early stages so you can hear your success.

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Posted

Regarding producing AH's without a pick:

 

I discovered this completely by accident when I was a kid. I couldn't find my pick (yes, I only had one...) and I was mucking around trying to finger pick using all if my right hand fingers and thumb. At some point, I got frustrated with the lack of attack being produced by my un-callused fingers and I formed my index finger and thumb as though I were holding a pick. I then picked downward, basically using my index finger nail as a 'pick'. Of course, the flesh of my finger tip hit the string immediately after the nail picked it. This deadened the string, and because the position along the string where I happened to be picking was right for it, a harmonic popped out. I was probably 13 years old, and I thought it was a great discovery.

 

Goofy story, and doing that for any length of time would tear your nail and finger up, but it was a moment I won't forget.

 

So..., in addition to the advice others have given, maybe along with cranking up the gain/distortion, try lowering the bass and upping the treble and mids. That should help.

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