Unwanted harmonics...help!

Steve Harris Is · #1 10-06-2005, 08:09 PM

I have posted before about the annoying "string noise" that seems to creep into my playing of successive notes (8ths and quicker especially) and there has been some good advice, but I am still having trouble. I took a lesson recently and was given a few exercises to assist in cleaning up my fingering technique but unfortuantely it still seems to happen.

Easy way to describe it would be if you fretted the "D" on the A string and just lightly tapped the string with your right hand(this sound is "harmonics", correct?), well this sound, though useful in certain tunes by Jaco, etc is not wanted in regular playing and I am not sure of best way to stop/deaden it!

Any thoughts would be appreciated, and also if anyone might have suggestions regarding EQ and my amp to make it less noticeable, that would be great too. Thanks-

lemur821 · #2 10-06-2005, 10:48 PM

If you mute with more than one finger you'll be able to cut out most unwanted harmonics. For example, if you lift your pinky to mute a note at the seventh fret, muting with your index finger as well will help keep things quiet. I'd never EQ them away, since you have to cut the frequencies which make you audible to do so.

AGCurry · #3 10-07-2005, 07:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Harris Is

Easy way to describe it would be if you fretted the "D" on the A string and just lightly tapped the string with your right hand(this sound is "harmonics", correct?)

This should only make a harmonic if you tap the string halfway between the fretted note and the bridge - or at any other point where harmonics occur.

Unwanted harmonics are very unlikely on fretted notes if your right hand is close to the bridge.

More likely in normal playing is the unwanted harmonic which comes from muting the string at a harmonic point. Getting rid of these is just a matter of awareness of where your muting point is, and practice to get around it.

lemur821 · #4 10-07-2005, 03:54 PM

I was thinking of fretting hand muting only when I posted. If you're muting with the plucking hand you can just move your mute point like AGCurry says.