how do i get "that" harmonic

A Minor · #1 05-23-2006, 02:51 PM

i'm attempting to learn how to play "portrait of tracy" and i'm running into a roadblock very early on. I have a power tab for the song and it says to fret at the second fret and stretch ALL the way to the six and that's how you get the harmonic, now i have big hands, but c'mon now how is that possible if you want to keep the tempo and timing perfect.

Is there any other way to get harmonics, also know that i'm a newb to artificial harmonics as well

BenWC87 · #2 05-23-2006, 02:53 PM

If you can't make that stretch, just do it at the 7th fret on the E string.

Juneau · #3 05-23-2006, 02:58 PM

If I can do it on my 36.25" E string, Im sure you can do it on a 34 or 35 hehe. It requires I twist my wrist at a kinda odd angle though, and its hillarious to watch people try and play PoT on my bass when they get to that harmonic. If my hands werent as large, I can see it being problematic.

theshadow2001 · #4 05-23-2006, 03:27 PM

I don't have enormous hands by any means but I cvan manage it. I really twist my wrist around to get that note.My elbow comes forward alot as well. Neither of which is a anywhere near good playing technique but if it's only for one note in a song then I don't think it should cause any trouble. If you have big hands it shouldn't be too problematic. I also find that when I go for that note my index finger is going for the 2nd fret whilst my baby finger is going for the sixth fret at the same time. As opposed to holding the second fret first and then reaching down for the sixth after. One more thing is that I find I don't have to be right on the sixth fret you can be a little behind it and still get the note. Hope that helps and good luck with it, it's a cool song

Erick Lam · #5 05-23-2006, 03:38 PM

Think of that "new" string created by fretting the second fret as an open string. You can do that harmonic in 4 different spots on that string. Problem is your fretting hand is busy fretting so if you don't want to do the stretch, you have to do the harmonic AND pluck the string with the other hand. There are two ways:

1- harmonic with thumb, pluck with other index or middle
2- harmonic with index, pluck with ring or pinky

I do it the second way. I'm not gonna tell where to do the harmonic though. Find it yourself (just 4 options minus the stretchy one... should be easy).

Twistad · #6 05-23-2006, 03:52 PM

Hold the B with your left hand, and tap the harmonic at the 6th fret with your right hand.

pocketmonster · #7 05-23-2006, 09:46 PM

I'll go with Erick... It is very easy to hit that one in time using the right hand to pinch the harmonic. The easiest spot for me to pinch it is one that typically falls, depending on the bass, somewhere between the end of the fretboard and the neck pickup. Find the spot and take a mental picture. I prefer the thumb pinch - index pluck technique for that one.

MMcC · #8 05-26-2006, 07:39 PM

Here's how I do it. MUCH easier. I only skimmed the preceding posts but I don't think anyone covered it. Fret the A string at the 6th fret (D#) and play an artificial harmonic with your right hand by lightly touching the string with your right thumb 2 octaves up and plucking it with your 1 or 2 finger. This means your thumb is about over the back edge of the neck pickup on a jazz bass. Make sense?

jzucker · #9 05-26-2006, 09:40 PM

Noooooooooo

You're all doing it the hard way. I do the stretch even though I have small hands but the easy way is to fret the B with the left hand, use the index finger of the right hand over the 6th fret and pluck the string with your little finger. No need for pinching or tapping. If you work on the two finger right hand harmonics it opens up a whole slew of possibilities.

KuMBye YamALaWd · #10 05-26-2006, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jzucker

....the easy way is to fret the B with the left hand, use the index finger of the right hand over the 6th fret and pluck the string with your little finger. No need for pinching or tapping...

^ That IS pinching

...Pinching = Flase Harmonics

whether you "fret" the Harmonic with your R.H. index ( and pluck with thumb) or with your R.H. thumb (and pluck with index) -- it's the same method

..either way, agred that it's certainly worth learning to play Artificial Hormonics, it'll give you more scope when the Natural Harmonics fail to supply an answer...

>> btw, I play that "P.O.T" D# harmonic with my L.H. fretting the D-string (1st fret) and my R.H. thumb creating the artificial harmonic at (what would be) the 25th fret... plucking with my R.H. index finger

The D-string, being naturally brighter than the A-string, can give a clearer harmonic

..

jzucker · #11 05-26-2006, 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KuMBye YamALaWd

^ That IS pinching

...Pinching = Flase Harmonics..

No, that's not pinching. Pinching is the ZZ-Top technique of pinching the pick and thumb and string together to get a squeal.

A Minor · #12 05-27-2006, 12:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MMcC

Here's how I do it. MUCH easier. I only skimmed the preceding posts but I don't think anyone covered it. Fret the A string at the 6th fret (D#) and play an artificial harmonic with your right hand by lightly touching the string with your right thumb 2 octaves up and plucking it with your 1 or 2 finger. This means your thumb is about over the back edge of the neck pickup on a jazz bass. Make sense?

i eventually couldn't find my own post to see your help so i ended up messing around on my bass and i ended up findout MMcC's way on my own. It's a lil difficult because i have a MM jazz bass and the pickup cover over the neck sort of gets in the way, but i don't wanna take it off because i don't like how it feels without it. I'll definitely try out all of your suggestions though, there's no such thing as too many techniques!

Jeff Moote · #13 05-27-2006, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jzucker

No, that's not pinching. Pinching is the ZZ-Top technique of pinching the pick and thumb and string together to get a squeal.

jzucker · #14 05-27-2006, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Moote

Yes dude. That's been around and been written about since the 'early 70s!

The technique you are calling pinching is just plain old artificial harmonics.

Erick Lam · #15 05-27-2006, 09:20 AM

Quote:

the easy way is to fret the B with the left hand, use the index finger of the right hand over the 6th fret and pluck the string with your little finger.

That's the same way I described, except I do the harmonic somewhere over the neck pick-up (as pocketmonster gave the answer). The string doesn't oscillate as much there so it's easier to pluck it, the sound is a bit clearer and you don't have to move your right hand to the middle of the neck.

Edit: Neck pick-up, not bridge!

werbo1 · #16 05-29-2006, 06:00 PM

I do the 7th on E, and then for the next to harmonics instead of 4 and 4 on the G and D strings, i hit the 9th frets

spindizzy · #17 05-30-2006, 10:59 AM

Actually "pinching" if that is the correct term now actually orginated with Roy Buchanan a fairly obscure blues player who was, as well other well known guitarists, Jeff Beck's teacher.

Now whether you use a pick or a combination of fingers the actual physics is the same so it could best be described as "false harmonics". However if you are doing it while also adjusting your right hand position to line up with the natural harmonic intervals that exist on all stringed instruments...then is it actual "false" or a differnet type of natural harmonics?