I was playing around with a line just now on my acoustic and threw in a few harmonic notes. As the line developed I wanted a quick burst of harmonics and tried to trem pick them. Now, that sounded awful and made me wonder...can you effectively trem pick a harmonic at, in this case, the 12th fret? I'm a decent picker and been using harmonics in my playing for almost 2 years but this is the first time I'd tried to combine the skills and it was not pleasant.
So, work on using the two together or accept that they can't sound good together?
And for the record, trem picking one note, not switching up strings in between.
"How could you possibly be scared of being bad? Once you get past that, it's all beautiful." -Trey Anastasio
I haven't tried myself (yet!) to trem pick harmonic notes, but I suspect that it wouldn't work too well (especially on an acoustic) as from my experience there is short delay between picking the string and hearing the harmonic; part of the harmonic working is letting the string/note ring.
Perhaps on an electric through an amp (or even your acoustic amped) might be different, I don't know.
Then again, there might well be someone else on here who has got it to work, so don't take my words as gospel! :lol:
Pete
ETD - Formerly "10141748 - Reincarnate"
I'd imagine it wouldn't work too well for the same reason that picking harmonics only works really well on those exact frets that resonate strongly--the 12th, the 5th, etc. If you pluck a harmonic just slightly below or above that fret it doesn't work so well. Tremolo would have the same effect on it, I think.
Jeff
electric would be easier.
however, you can trem pick the harmonic. but look in your right hand. find the picking spot
where there is a harmonic. imagine the 28th fret. if it isn't there move towards the bridge.
there are harmonics there.
a good one is pick twelve frets up from the fretted note.
it tales the right touch , but you can pinch a few out.
it does work on acoustic.
sure. i just did it. make sure the pick isn't hitting the strings slanted at all. that'll muffle it a lot.
