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01-15-2003, 09:42 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: UK | |
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Try thumb and little finger, less stretch and closer to the bridge. |
01-15-2003, 09:42 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Oxford, UK | | See what I've said before on the subject.
Harmonics can sound 'odd' because they are not what are expected from a bass (although over the past 25 years the expectations, at least of bassists, have undergone a lot of deveopment). They have have a different timbre (mix of pitches) and are generally in higher range than the average 'bass line'.
A chord which substitutes harmonics for one or more natural notes will be different but, to my ears, generally just as sweet.
Wulf |
01-15-2003, 09:44 AM
|  | Unprofessional TalkBass Contributor | | Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Brighton, England, UK, Europe | | Quote: Originally posted by APouncer
Isn't this a strain on your wrist? I will try it at home tonight but it seems like it would be awkward, how does it compare with using the 1st finger as the resting finger and pluck with the thumb? | No, not at all - that's the way Jaco did it!! I find it very easy and comfortable, sort of natural to use my thumb as the node for the harmonics, resting on the string - the other way round feels very much of a strain and is to be avoided!!
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01-15-2003, 09:56 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Stockholm, Sweden | | Quote: Originally posted by APouncer
Isn't this a strain on your wrist? I will try it at home tonight but it seems like it would be awkward, how does it compare with using the 1st finger as the resting finger and pluck with the thumb? | Stanley Clarke plucks them with his thumb, there are videos of it at his homepage.. |
01-15-2003, 10:08 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: UK | | Quote: |
A chord which substitutes harmonics for one or more natural notes will be different but, to my ears, generally just as sweet.
| Yeah, this is what I meant. I.e. you play the chod with fretted notes, then replace some note(s) with harmonics, it's gonna sound different... odd was a bad choice of word...
...but as you said some harmonics will be more 'out of tune' than others. So if played in unison with a piano or guitar or whatever it could sound slightly dissonant in certain cases I guess? Quote: |
3- * Sounds 2 octaves, plus a Minor 7th above the open string.
| Does this not mean that the harmonic below the 3rd fret will sound 2 octaves of the note, plus a min 7th?
Therefore sounding more than one tone?
Have I got the wrong end of the stick?!  |
01-15-2003, 10:09 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: UK | | oh and you can also tap false harmonics above the 12th - i do this from time to time... it can sound good admidst a slapped line..
go on Bruce, give it a try  |
01-15-2003, 10:12 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Hampshire, UK | | Quote: Originally posted by Howard K
...but as you said some harmonics will be more 'out of tune' than others. So if played in unison with a piano or guitar or whatever it could sound slightly dissonant in certain cases I guess?
Shouldn't be too bad - I reckon. It's the harmonics representing the 7ths and 9ths that are particularly out of tune - but they're quite difficult to hit anyway, and they'll be pretty quiet. You're probably ok most of the time. Give it ago with a piano 
Does this not mean that the harmonic below the 3rd fret will sound 2 octaves of the note, plus a min 7th?
Therefore sounding more than one tone?
Have I got the wrong end of the stick?! | I think he means that it will sound the note that is 2 octaves and a minor 7th above the open string.
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01-15-2003, 10:22 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: UK | | Quote: |
I think he means that it will sound the note that is 2 octaves and a minor 7th above the open string.
| aaah, suddenly everything became clear... nice, ta |
01-15-2003, 10:37 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Oxford, UK | | Yep, that's the one. Two octaves and a seventh. Lot's of ledger lines on the score (or a seventh, two octaves up... or, I guess, a 21st )
Wulf |
01-15-2003, 12:33 PM
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I once read a book about harmonics, and they divide the bass neck in different areas (eg. from fret 7 to fret 9), and in each area you can produce different chords.
I found this page (in german) http://www.justchords.de/bass/harm.html |
01-16-2003, 12:45 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Oxford, UK | | JupiterPlanet - that's a really good resource on harmonics. It's a shame my German is only up to saying "Das ist ein gut page" (apologies to all German speakers reading this whose linguistic abilities vastly outweigh my own).
However, while I can't vouch for all the text, there's enough in the way of recognsible words and diagrams for me to commend it. In fact the whole bass section of that site is useful.
Wulf |
01-16-2003, 12:52 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Perth, which is on the empty end of Australia. | | | Useful thread - I'm just getting into harmonics.
I generally only use the octave, fifth and major third harmonics, both natural and artificial, and there are huge numbers of playable chords. If you are willing to shift your right hand around, you can easily get three or four different chords out of one fingering - throw open strings into the picture and you've got enough raw material for an awful lot of music without tricky left hand fingerings.
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