Harmonics

im learning how to play harmonics and i tend to use my 3rd finger on my right hand to hit them (i kind of slightly touch the string with my 3rd finger) would hitting them like this cause any problems like with playing stlyes cos i cannot do it whilst pinching the pick. so should i learn to pinch or will i be alright how i am ???

Depends on what style of music you play. If you like country or blues or anything like that, there is no pressing need to do pinch harmonics, but in rock and metal, they sure are flashy.(and fun)

hey man, the best thing to do, i think is to learn it as many ways as possible. try to do it with all other fingers including the pinch finger. cause then if you need to change the way you play something, then you arent totally screwed over and then it will be easier to adjust.

also, from my viewpoint, i am looking to be extremely technical so i would put forth the time to perfect every way of playing everything. thats just how i am. but i guess it all depends on what you want to achieve from this. if you are comfortable doing it one way then that is alright. but of course it depends on what type of music you play too. and.... what if your playing tastes change down the road, and then you need to play something a different way.
thats why i recommend learning it more ways then one, so that you become a master at it all, leaving no room for imperfections.

good question by the way.

jesse sutton (canada kicks ass)

Just a tip with pinches, there are no rules but I find it easiest to play them holding my pick between my thumb and 1st finger with the thumb at between 45 and 90 degrees to the string, use the firm edge of skin on the inside of your thumb just between the 1st thumb joint and the base of your nail. This way your pick is slightly nearer the headstock than your thumb edge which makes the harmonic. This position allows you to pinch on either up or down strokes.
I suggest you find the harmonics for un-fretted strings ("natural harmonics") using your left hand and picking near the bridge first, when you've learned where they are at (using the pickups as landmarks) it's much easier. Don't try hard or you will mute the strings.

Here's something you can try with natural harmonics played with the left hand, or, when you've got the hang of it, with pinches.
Basically if you play a harmonic on the fifth fret you get a pitch equivalent but two octaves higher than the denomination of the open string you are playing. If you then play a 4th fret harmonic the pitch is a major 3rd higher, if you play a 3rd fret harmonic (careful there are two types pretty close - you want the lower one) then you get a perfect 5th. so by playing in a sequence 5,4,3 you play an ascending major arpeggio in route position.

If you tune your guitar as EADGCF you will have all the notes of the major chords in the keys of A, D, G and C. This tuning is easy to learn 'cause the lower 4 strings are tuned this way already. Tuning between G and B instead of going G to C doesn't make much sense to me, it's traditional but I wish I'd always played in 5ths even though it makes some basic chord fingerings awkward.

Good luck, have fun and don't try too hard or you will fail. Don't try too hard not to try too hard or you will fail.

Hi guys.

You all seem to know what you're talking about. I'm not a particualr rock guitarist but harmonics're fun to use when you crank up the gain you know... and they make you sound awesome...

I can do what I'm supposed to do fine, but when rock guitarists do a pinch, it goes EXACTLY the right note you know - just octaves above... so it really fits in. But mine goes up yeah, but it doesn't sound the same... it's kind of tinny!

What am I doing wrong? Will it all get better in time? Should I use another harmonics finger?

Ady advice plz! Thanks a lot.

Depends on how you're doing the harmonic. If you're using the way described by Jimmi up top, just barely touching the string with your ring finger as you pick (the best way to do it IMO), then it will make a difference where you touch your right-hand ring finger to the string. The pitch and tone of the harmonic changes depending on where you touch the string (Satriani does a lot of cool effects with this). Try touching the string just above the humbucker, or if you don't have a humbucker, touch it in the middle, equi-distant from both pickups. This should give you the same note as the regular fretted one.

I am just nailing harmonics now...never quite got em right, but my only advice is: Listen to Josh Redstone, he knows what he`s talking about when it comes to harmonics.
Just do what he says and you`ll get it nailed
Andrew

Wow, Im being complimented. Sweeeeet!

Ok thanks everyone. Time to get practising!