Bending/Sliding on a Harmonic

[Maleikbassist]

Lately I been listening to Stanley Clarke's "School Days." I getting to the point where I'd like to learn it. My only dilemma is the technique he's using at about three minutes and ten seconds of the song. It sounds to me that he is bending/sliding from a harmonic to another harmonic seamlessly. I've looked at tabs and they chart it out as this: D string[harm.]|---(5)/75---|.
I'm completely oblivious as to what I should do with this kind of tabbed articulation, as well as being unable to comprehend a possible technique to play it. Tried looking at live videos of the master himself, but the only thing I could really see is that he appeared to play the harmonic 5th fret on the D string, then reach up and bend the string passed the nut on the headstock. I tried this but had no luck. Perhaps maybe this only works with a headstock that is two tuners on each side(Mine being the fender standard 4 in-line), or maybe some secret to bass players of my age.

Anyone care to shed some light to the situation?

 

[Spaldo]

You're right, he bends the string past the nut. Being influenced by Stanley, Mark king did the same thing, although he wound his G really high up on the post and used really light gauge strings (.30 to .90) to make this happen. Mark's new Status basses have a special feature called a 'bendwell'....click on these pics for detail.

http://www.status-graphite.com/status/frames/basskingproto.html

 

[Spaldo]

bump

 

[Maleikbassist]

Yeah, I've seen those Bendwells' before, they look pretty handy for adding a little more expression. I tried false harmonics(or pinch harmonics, depending on where you learned) thinking this would be the next best option, but I found that using that particular spot on the neck I am only able to get almost there without hitting the neighboring strings.

 

[Spaldo]

Sliding on fretless is fun, you should give that a go!

 

[Maleikbassist]

I'd agree, I love tooling around on a fretless! But I'd rather stay more on a fretted bass just for the ease of intonation. Plus I'm not really looking to buy a new bass yet, nor would I be willing to De-fret one of my current ones.

 

[Clef_de_fa]

I don,t know if he used a bass with a tremolo bridge for that recording but he uses one quite often so it makes those bending/slide quite easy.

 

[Maleikbassist]

I think he may have just used his Alembic

 

[jazzyvee]

I've also seen Stanley hold the upper horn of his bass tightly then and push the neck forwards to lower the pitch of a sustaining harmonic. Probably not something you'd want to try on a set neck bolt on bass.

 

[Jazz Ad]

I pull/push on the neck to achieve it. Not the most efficient way but it works.
Fretless makes it much easier. Pinch it like an artifical harmonic and move it up or down as you wish with the left hand.

 

[4848277]

I know this an old thread, but I have a similar question. (Forgive me if this is misplaced, but it's the same topic)
How does Stanley Clarke do the bent harmonic trick here? (at 25 seconds in) I've never seen him play this tune live, but I know he's known for bending notes behind the nut, and sometimes he played instruments with a tremolo bridge which would make it much easier. I'm aware that the instrument was probably one of his piccolo basses tuned to ADGC, but I'm not sure which one it was.
Mostly, I just want to know which technique he used. I'm thinking he plays artificial harmonics bent behind the nut, but the pitch goes both ways, so was he pre-bending the string behind the nut before picking, releasing the pressure and then bending the string again?

P.S.: If anyone can link to a video of the song Come Take My Hand being performed live by Stanley Clarke, that would help immensely. I've searched YT and haven't found any live performances of it.

P.P.S.: Stanley Clarke - If you have a video of yourself playing this song live (with that harmonic *trick*), please show us!

 

[pepj]

Bending up

I know this an old thread, but I have a similar question. (Forgive me if this is misplaced, but it's the same topic)
How does Stanley Clarke do the bent harmonic trick here? (at 25 seconds in) I've never seen him play this tune live, but I know he's known for bending notes behind the nut, and sometimes he played instruments with a tremolo bridge which would make it much easier. I'm aware that the instrument was probably one of his piccolo basses tuned to ADGC, but I'm not sure which one it was.
Mostly, I just want to know which technique he used.

P.S.: If anyone can link to a video of the song Come Take My Hand being performed live by Stanley Clarke, that would help immensely. I've searched YT and haven't found any live performances of it.

behind the nut is pretty common and works best on a g string upto 40 gauge ime.
You could also bend the neck but that only goes down in pitch...and how good are necks anyway.
I did it on my old MM...bomber neck...but newer basses, not so much or at all.

 

[pepj]

Those others are false harmonics, you can hear the nail attack.....Jaco did same on Birdland rtc etc.

 

[4848277]

After trying things with a short scale piccolo bass this is no longer such a mystery to me.
For me, the string gauge changes the dynamics so it's actually easy. I'm going to try it on a tenor bass next if I can.
Thanks though.