Artificial harmonics

[Brett89]

HI There, my name is Ákos Brett, I'm new on the forum.

I have a quastion, sorry if I did wrong when I opend this thread but I'm curious! And sorry but my english is not perfect

Soo... can I make artificial harmonics on my bassguitar by useing my fingers? I know hot to make them on guitar with a pick but I haven't got any idea how to do it with my fingers.

Thank you!

 

[steveb98]

Really no different than doing it on a guitar except you are striking the string with your finger instead of a pick. In fact why not try first with a pick, then with your finger. See, wasn't that easy?

 

[soniq]

I think he's referring to the technique where you follow up the pick strike with the knuckle of your thumb to create the harmonics, like Petrucci and other shredders do. I haven't tried it on bass but can do it on guitar. I should try it but don't think it will work.

 

[Alec W. Conway]

Just tap your harmonics, thats what I always do. I find it much easier to control the sound I make. It does require some practice, but here's how I do it.

First, you can pretty much only do the 5, 7 and 12 harmonics when you do the tapped artifical ones. Just like when you do the natural 5-7-12 harmonics.

So when you do the natural ones, you string is open. Well when you want, let's say, the artificial 12th of the 4th fret (the +1 octave harmonic of the 4th fret) just squeeze the string on the 4th fret and do a quick "hammer" style tapping 12 frets higher (on the 16th fret). In other words, snap the string at the 16th fret in a very quick tapping move, tap and pull your finger off. This should give the string a ring as the pressure is applied, and then as you pull your finger off very quickly, it'll cut the waves on the string in the same way a normal harmonic would do.

With this you can get the equivalent of any natural harmonic for any given fret, though as I said earlier, those that are most likely to sound loud and good are the 5, 7 and 12.

Just add 5, 7 or 12 frets to the fret from which you want the harmonic to sound. If you're on the 6th fret and want the 5th harmonic, you'll do the tapping on the 11th fret, for the 7th harmonic on the 3rd fret, you'll tap the 10th fret, and so on.

 

[ostrich]

one method of harmonics that might be useful hold down any fret with your index and hover your pinky lightly over the 4th fret along from it e.g (on the D string) fret 4 harmonic fret 8 this will sound a 5th octave harmonic in this case C

with that in mind on the D the first few are 0-F# 1-G 2-G# 3-A etc

hope taht helps

 

[bassist 4 life]

^ This is calls tapping harmonics...

To achieve artificial harmonics, you fret a note, and rest your thumb on the string you fretted, and pick it with your index finger...

 

[Johnny Mac]

The threadstarter is refering to pinch harmonics. You can do them on bass, but you won't really notice them without distortion, methinks.

 

[Gawd]

Jaco used them all the time.

 

[Flintc]

I haven't been able to make the "false harmonic" sound without a pick. I make it by striking the string lightly with my pick-holding thumb or finger (depending on the direction of the stroke) immediately after the pick leaves the string. Of course, I haven't experimented more than a few minutes without a pick - I wouldn't know where to start.

And I find them not really appropriate for the bass. Me ear tells me it's much more of a guitar technique. YMMV.

 

[BenHack]

Hey Flintc

Try resting your thumb on the string 12 'frets' (or multiples of 12) higher than the note you want and while touching the string with your thumb pluck the string. A good example is holding the 'E' 2nd fret of the d string and putting your thumb at the '26th fret' and pluck. This gives a harmonic that is used in the Jaco tune 'Portait of Tracy' (although Jaco achieves this differently).

I hope this helps

Ben

 

[zazz]

i have had a lot of sucess by projecting my rh thumb as a damper and plucking behing the thumb......obviously where you pluck along the string is set to where you want to fret your harmonic but this method means you can play harmonic solos ..any note you want...just needs a little practice but not too much.

jaco pretty much nailed this method on the opening notes of birdland.

 

[Flintc]

Good suggestions. I'll work on this.

 

[zazz]

oh yeah...i have to use fingers to make it work...no picks!!

 

[Swimming Bird]

I guess nobaby here knows of Steve Bailey? What you do is position your index finger (or thumb knuckle a la Jaco) lightly over whichever harmonic you want while striking the string with a free finger. The 5th-, 7th- and 12th-fret harmonics are easiest, but all the others can be done as well by fingering the root (the replacement for the open note) and placing your node finger (index or thumb) 5, 7 or 12 (or 2.4 or 2.6 or 3 or whatever) frets away. If you run out of fingerboard, make an educated guess -- it'll take a minute to find it.

 

[bassist 4 life]

Thumb is easier, anyway you can here them without distortion, its all about how good you are at making them...

 

[Erick Lam]

Thumb is easier, anyway you can here them without distortion, its all about how good you are at making them...

Speak for yourself. I prefer the index method. It's all about how good you are at making them.

 

[bassist 4 life]

Yeep, its all about your technique

 

[Hookus]

I find pich harmonics are easier with fingers than with a pick. I use me old thumb to touch the string, and pluck with me index finger.

 

[Alec W. Conway]

Tapped harmonics are the stuff.

 

[davefarrell]

i use the method of going 12 frets from the desired note with my right hand and using my index finger for the not and the thumb to pluck it, and you dont' need distortion at all cause they ring out really well.