Artificial harmonics?

FrettyBassGirl · #1 10-05-2011, 05:23 AM

Ive tried YouTube but can't find anything helpful. If you listen to birdland Jaco Pasterious plays them over synth bass trying to do a similar thing. Thanks.

JTE · #2 10-05-2011, 07:39 AM

Stop the string again fret with your left hand, say the high E at the 9th fret. Place the side of your right-wing hand thumb lightly on the string right above the 21st fret. While holding the thumb in place, use your first finger of the same hand to pluck the string.

Extrapolate from there. Wherever your left hand us fretting, divide the remaining string length in half to get the harmonic an octave higher. Divide it in fourths to get two octaves higher. Look for "Birdland" on YouTube because there are a lot of good Weather Report videos that show Jaco doing this.

Even better, invest in the DCI video "Modern Electric Bass" with Jaco and Jerry Jemott. He.explains and shows it very well, as well as giving a wealth of real and useful MUSICAL information.

John

dougjwray · #3 10-05-2011, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JTE

Stop the string again fret with your left hand, say the high E at the 9th fret. Place the side of your right-wing hand thumb lightly on the string right above the 21st fret. While holding the thumb in place, use your first finger of the same hand to pluck the string.

Extrapolate from there. Wherever your left hand us fretting, divide the remaining string length in half to get the harmonic an octave higher. Divide it in fourths to get two octaves higher. Look for "Birdland" on YouTube because there are a lot of good Weather Report videos that show Jaco doing this.

Even better, invest in the DCI video "Modern Electric Bass" with Jaco and Jerry Jemott. He.explains and shows it very well, as well as giving a wealth of real and useful MUSICAL information.

John

Good information.
You can also think of it this way: You're creating a "movable nut" with your fretting hand. That's pretty much the only "artificial" thing about the process. It allows you to play harmonics (whose locations on a vibrating string are firmly dictated by physics) in places where the length of the open string (as determined by the real nut) doesn't offer them.
Hope that made sense...

JTE · #4 10-05-2011, 09:55 AM

OK, putting "youtube weather report jaco birdland" in my Google search turned up this in half a second...
Jaco Pastorius-Weather Report- Birdland-live 1978- Germany - YouTube
Watch what Jaco's doing at about 0:20 on.

Also check out this one...
[Bass Lesson] Jaco Pastorius - Modern Electric Bass - 7 - YouTube

John

chaosMK · #5 10-05-2011, 04:12 PM

I do the same thing, but with a tap attack on the RH. Not sure if you are trying to model Jaco exactly, but I find I get a nice strong tone doing it that way.

FrettyBassGirl · #6 10-06-2011, 06:37 AM

Thanks, I find it tricky. But good explanation.

FrettyBassGirl · #7 10-07-2011, 07:02 AM

Yay! Got it.

IncX · #8 10-07-2011, 08:04 AM

michael manring does a lot of this.

i think he does it like pick harmonics (guitar) except he stops the note dead with his thumb (from the plucking hand).

i remember having a video messing with this, where i used my palm to stop the note ...

Bass Pinch Artificial Harmonics - YouTube

this was like 4 years ago or something