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So, Harmonics

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(@coolnama)
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Joined: 15 years ago
Posts: 590
Topic starter  

I love em, and use them alot when playing any kind of Metal ( not alot, but I do from time to time :D)

But, what harmonic is correct to use for a specific note ?

I'm not sure how they are named and what harmonic to place with what note.

I wanna be that guy that you wish you were ! ( i wish I were that guy)

You gotta set your sights high to get high!

Everyone is a teacher when you are looking to learn.

( wise stuff man! )

Its Kirby....


   
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(@bfloyd6969)
Estimable Member
Joined: 15 years ago
Posts: 91
 

Pinch harmonics or natural harmonics? Pinch harmonics can be used on any exact note in the scale you are playing.

Why do we have to get old...


   
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(@coolnama)
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Joined: 15 years ago
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Topic starter  

Natural harmonics, I recently got a 24-fret guitar and I like doing them on the 24th ( and all the other natural places )

I wanna be that guy that you wish you were ! ( i wish I were that guy)

You gotta set your sights high to get high!

Everyone is a teacher when you are looking to learn.

( wise stuff man! )

Its Kirby....


   
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(@fretsource)
Prominent Member
Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 973
 

But, what harmonic is correct to use for a specific note ?

I'm not sure how they are named and what harmonic to place with what note.

It depends on the context. If someone is playing the chord C major 7 (CEGB) and you play the 5th, 12th or 24th fret harmonic on the 1st string, it will blend in perfectly because the harmonic note is E, which is already present in the chord, C maj7.
If you play the 7th or 19th fret harmonic on that string it will also blend in perfectly because the note is B, another chord tone of C maj 7

But if the chord was C7 (CEGBb), the E harmonic note will still work perfectly but the 7th or 19th fret harmonic (B) would clash with the chord tone Bb.

The natural harmonics on any string are
12th fret > OCTAVE
7th & 19th fret > PERFECT 5th (plus an octave)
5th fret & 24th fret > 2 octaves
4th, 9th, 16th frets > major 3rd (plus 2 octaves)


   
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(@coolnama)
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Joined: 15 years ago
Posts: 590
Topic starter  

Ahh thank you :D, I really love how they blend with the soft stuff.

I wanna be that guy that you wish you were ! ( i wish I were that guy)

You gotta set your sights high to get high!

Everyone is a teacher when you are looking to learn.

( wise stuff man! )

Its Kirby....


   
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 Cat
(@cat)
Noble Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 1224
 

Blending with the soft stuff???

Use very light strings, a very light pick over 'em, and be as gentle as poskibule and it'll ALL be "soft stuff"...with the harmonics being quite evident. It'll be way easy to pick out a direction to take for following subsequent chordings, too.

Hope this helps!

Cat

"Feel what you play...play what you feel!"


   
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(@coolnama)
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Joined: 15 years ago
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Topic starter  

Yeah, thats what I meant, it is soft stuff, unless you use high gain O_O, but yeah yeah I know what you mean :D

I wanna be that guy that you wish you were ! ( i wish I were that guy)

You gotta set your sights high to get high!

Everyone is a teacher when you are looking to learn.

( wise stuff man! )

Its Kirby....


   
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(@metzuda)
Active Member
Joined: 15 years ago
Posts: 4
 

If you're aiming for "soft" sounding harmonics, tapped harmonics can go over pretty well, too. You're using the same intervals as the most common natural harmonics (as already addressed) but in relation to the chordes... for example, if you're playing a standard Am chord, tap the fret (right on top of the fret) at the 13th fret, 12 up from the fretted note.

I often use these to accentuate chords and establish a subtle melody without emphasizing the notes.


   
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(@coolnama)
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Joined: 15 years ago
Posts: 590
Topic starter  

i saw a lesson on these the other days but i can't hear the diff, I have Jumboi frets, so It isn't that hard to tap right on the fret.. should I tap a bit harder ?

I wanna be that guy that you wish you were ! ( i wish I were that guy)

You gotta set your sights high to get high!

Everyone is a teacher when you are looking to learn.

( wise stuff man! )

Its Kirby....


   
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(@bfloyd6969)
Estimable Member
Joined: 15 years ago
Posts: 91
 

i saw a lesson on these the other days but i can't hear the diff, I have Jumboi frets, so It isn't that hard to tap right on the fret.. should I tap a bit harder ?

Tap enough to get the timbre you like. You can get different results pending on how hard you tap. Try different pressures and see what you like best. An octave tapped harmonic will require more effort without alot of gain though.

Why do we have to get old...


   
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(@blue-jay)
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Joined: 15 years ago
Posts: 1630
 

True, I've read about all of the effort required with either high action, or jumbo frets, which often go together.

To get tapped harmonics with jumbos you need the best of set ups including straight neck or pro-leveled and dressed frets and lowest action possible, which ain't easy. 8)

I don't have a source, but you can google this and come up with something in maybe 10 minutes, players talking about shredding, their Ibanezes, and EVH and his early guitars - I did. :wink:

Like a bird on the wire,
like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free.


   
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(@coolnama)
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Joined: 15 years ago
Posts: 590
Topic starter  

I have great action, it was lower before but when I bought it I asked it to be a bit higher as to not sacrifice bends for way too low action.

I'm gonna have to put alot of distortion in to it, Iw as trying it on the clean channel and never tried it again.

I wanna be that guy that you wish you were ! ( i wish I were that guy)

You gotta set your sights high to get high!

Everyone is a teacher when you are looking to learn.

( wise stuff man! )

Its Kirby....


   
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