How the FRICK does this guy slide his harmonics

[grennan27]

1.3M views · 10K reactions | Fretless Friday! Here’s the end part of my recent Stradi video from a 2nd camera angle. Great seeing y’all digging the tune and sharing the love, thanks for the support! | Remco's Groove Lab

Fretless Friday! Here’s the end part of my recent Stradi video from a 2nd camera angle. Great seeing y’all digging the tune and sharing the love, thanks for the support!

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[J Wilson]

You can slide chimes on a fretless.

You can't slide chimes on a fretted bass.

 

[grennan27]

You can slide chimes on a fretless.

You can't slide chimes on a fretted bass.

Why's that? u gotta press down not all the way but far enough that frets would be pressed?

 

[Lance Bunyon]

On some of my fretted basses I can slide a harmonic but not very far.

 

[eddybuzzard]

Same way as diving harmonics, or adding vibrato to harmonics, with a whammy bar

As the fundamental portamentos, the harmonic portamentos with it, or something like that

 

[onda'bass]

The concept always reminds me of bunny brunel. He does this so much in his electric playing.

 

[J Wilson]

Why's that? u gotta press down not all the way but far enough that frets would be pressed?

It would take someone more qualified than I in the technicalities of why it works, but think of it this way:

Think of guitar players who use the side of their picking hand thumb against the string to isolate the harmonic (which Jaco Pastorius used in the intro to 'Byrdland'), but you're actually doing it with the fretting hand. It slides as there's no frets to cancel it out.

 

[grennan27]

It would take someone more qualified than I in the technicalities of why it works, but think of it this way:

Think of guitar players who use the side of their picking hand thumb against the string to isolate the harmonic (which Jaco Pastorius used in the intro to 'Byrdland'), but you're actually doing it with the fretting hand. It slides as there's no frets to cancel it out.

So like pinch harmonics?

 

[eddybuzzard]

So like pinch harmonics?

Yes, then as the fundamental changes, the harmonic must follow, it has no other choice

 

[Eminor3rd]

Play the touch harmonic like you normally would, then immediately press straight down (not so hard that you hammer the full note). You'll notice that the harmonic is still sounding. Now do it again, but slide it after you touch the fretboard.

 

[Eminor3rd]

You can slide chimes on a fretless.

You can't slide chimes on a fretted bass.

Sure you can, just not as well.

 

[Killing Floor]

You can slide those harmonics anywhere on a fretless up and down.

Let’s nerd out for a sec.
See the intersection? Those represent some harmonics that occur in anything. But for fun, consider the second from the top as your 12th fret.

Here’s the trick…
That point isn’t just a fret, it’s a division. So if you tap it and move your finger on the board you’re moving that division.
On a fretted you’re skipping from point to point so it isn’t as sustainable.

 

[Lo-E]

Play a harmonic and then lightly press the string to the fingerboard in the same spot and begin to slide.

Alternatively, you can play a harmonic and then slide up from the nut. Both techniques work but the first is more intuitive. The second will allow you to slide the harmonic up past where the fingerboard ends.

 

[eddybuzzard]

AFAIK, Tony Franklin uses the technique at about :54;

 

[JonathanPDX]

Here's a good clip of Victor Wooten sliding a natural harmonic on a fretted bass. This is a normal part of the arrangement he's been doing for many years.

 

[ACRock]

That's Remco in the op. Short answer - he's a wizard.

 

[FullumMusic]

Why's that? u gotta press down not all the way but far enough that frets would be pressed?

You slide a harmonics on a fretless by playing the harmonic, and while it's ringing, press the string to the fingerboard and then slide it. You have to press down exactly where the harmonic playing position is before you slide it. As you slide your finger your continuously changing the string length and moving the harmonic.

It doesn't really work on fretted basses because as you slide your finger, it jumps to the next fret and isn't a continuous string-length-change.

You can kinda sorta get it to work sometimes for a bit on fretted basses. But the physics involved just don't work.

 

[lordradish]

AFAIK, Tony Franklin uses the technique at about :54;

Even though this kinda music ain't my thing, it was seeing this exact thing that made me realize the existence of fretless (I was probably 13 at the time). Never looked back and it's my fave instrument.

 

[Lance Bunyon]

You slide a harmonics on a fretless by playing the harmonic, and while it's ringing, press the string to the fingerboard and then slide it. You have to press down exactly where the harmonic playing position is before you slide it. As you slide your finger your continuously changing the string length and moving the harmonic.

It doesn't really work on fretted basses because as you slide your finger, it jumps to the next fret and isn't a continuous string-length-change.

You can kinda sorta get it to work sometimes for a bit on fretted basses. But the physics involved just don't work.

Right. As stated before, if I have a fretted bass with really crystal clear harmonics I can sometimes move the harmonic a whole step. The fret then changes the fundamental.

 

[Derek Kay]

Portamental harmonics sound great with an octave (down)

You can bend fretted (pinched) harmonics, mid fingerboard where the tension is lowest.