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Pinch Harmonics with Finger Tips?

Boom762

Boom762

I AM the one who Booms!
Supporting Member
Oct 19, 2013
915
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Alpine, TX
#1
I see Billy Sheehan do them all the time. It sounds pretty similar to when a pick player hits the string with the pick and then immediately with his flesh, but how is this happening with his finger tips?

I can't figure it out. Any suggestions?

This video is set to show the exact section where he does it.

 
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#6
Boom762 said:
AHHHHHH!!! Amazing! I just did one. Rock on Clef. Great find. I feared it would be like a divebomb on a guitar for me "which I just cannot get down pat"
Click to expand...

No prob, I know that somewhere on YouTube you can find one where Victor Wooten explain how he do his bending false harmonic after a thumb slap which is just like you said, you strike the note and lightly touch the string back which gives you the harmonics but it is quite hard to do in the middle of a performance. This way of making harmonics is so much easier and you can use tapping ( if you tap right over the fret not in between )
 
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#7
Been working on this technique with my instructor Mr. Wimbish.....He can get virtually a scale off each string with a false harmonic depending on where on the string he plucks....Cool stuff...especially with FUZZ.
 
#8
Well, I practiced it a bit. I don't know how I'll be able to pull it off while playing. I guess speed will work up over time. It's hard to hit them absolutely perfect where they sound like the zoom up 3 octaves. Something for me to practice at any rate.
 
#10
Jaco goes over these on Modern Electric Bass. Jaco uses his thumb, this is how I do it, but I recommend the Steve Bailey method to most players, using your index finger. The Jaco method works best if you have double-jointed thumbs. Jaco also goes over where to find what notes with harmonics (this would have been nice prior to mapping them myself...)

If you want a specific part I would start learning the line from Birdland, it's pretty easy. Otherwise, I would just practice on octaves first. Fret the 12th fret and bust a harmonic over the 24th fret.
 
#11
I like to use my thumb and my middle finger for false harmonics. Let's say I'm playing the 7th fret, I can get the octave using my thumb (19th fret) and the fifth above that with the middle finger (where the 26th fret would be) without changing the shape of my right hand. I can move that around with scales and arpeggios and play in multiple registers at the same time. By multiple registers, I mean more than one note per string. If I'm fretting something, I can get 2 notes on that string. If I'm not, I can play 2 natural harmonics on top of the open note, per string.
 
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#17
I learned a modified technique for pinch harmonics.

Use the exact same motion as you use when you're snapping your fingers.

Place your thumb on the harmonic node, and rest your middle finger on the string, then 'snap' it with the string providing the resistance, rather than the edge of your thumb.
 
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#18
tfer said:
I learned a modified technique for pinch harmonics.

Use the exact same motion as you use when you're snapping your fingers.

Place your thumb on the harmonic node, and rest your middle finger on the string, then 'snap' it with the string providing the resistance, rather than the edge of your thumb.
Click to expand...

kinda like what Jaco does no ?
 
#19
Clef_de_fa said:
kinda like what Jaco does no ?
Click to expand...
I'm not sure how Jack did it. I was a HUGE Sheehan fan growing up, and studied his vids relentlessly. However, I couldn't use my fingernail like he did, because I keep mine trimmed as close as possible.

The modification that worked for me, was the finger snapping motion. I can't do it as fast as someone using the fingernail, simply because of the distance that the fingers need to travel. The fingernail method is extremely compact.
 
#20
tfer said:
I'm not sure how Jack did it. I was a HUGE Sheehan fan growing up, and studied his vids relentlessly. However, I couldn't use my fingernail like he did, because I keep mine trimmed as close as possible.

The modification that worked for me, was the finger snapping motion. I can't do it as fast as someone using the fingernail, simply because of the distance that the fingers need to travel. The fingernail method is extremely compact.
Click to expand...

In the vid I posted, Steve said that Jaco put his thumb on the nod then pluck the string with his index behind the thumb. You have to move the thumb from the strings for it to vibrate. So in a way it is kinda like snapping your fingers. Steve method isn't as easy to do but offer speed and accuracy
 
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