Harmonics Trick

[Bill Stig]

I've just discovered a new way of playing artificial harmonics with finger picks ( well new to me anyway).

I place my thumb pick 12 frets above the fretted note as close as I can get it to the string without actually touching the string. I then pick the string sharply with my middle finger pick forcing it against the thumb pick. If the thumb pick is close enough to the string I can get a clean harmonic, but if I move it back slightly I can get the fundamental note to sound as well as the harmonic - it sounds like I'm playing in octaves, a bit like pinched harmonics on plectrum guitar.

Has anyone else got any other good harmonic tricks? I use palmed harmonics a lot, but I've heard Jerry Byrd playing whole pieces in harmonics where he seems to harmonize on non consecutive strings - how did he do it? Did he manage to do it with slants?

Bill

[Michael Messer]

Jerry Byrd, Sol Hoopii & Sam Ku West were all pretty stunning with palm harmonics. Jerry was so smooth and accurate, his style fascinates me because of his direct influences from Sol Hoopii. Brother Oswald was also pretty nifty with palm harmonics.

Bill, you did well to explain your technique in writing. Cool!

Shine On
Michael

[Bill Stig]

Thanks Michael,

it's good practice to write these things down for explaining to students.
I tried the technique on a new song at a gig last night - totally messed it up!!

Bill

[Alan]

There's a bit of stuff here on palm harmonics on Rick Aiello's site.
www.horseshoemagnets.com/_sgg/ma_1.htm

[Bill Stig]

Thanks for that link Alan, some interesting stuff there. I'm well primed for when I'm next discussing vibrato rates down the pub

[tark]

I used to find this harmonics thing very confusing. Aren't all these techniques different ways to acheive the same thing?

What they all do is lightly damp the string at one of its harmonic nodes, over the twelth fret for the second harmonic being the strongest and most obvious for open strings (or half the vibrating length for a fretted/slide stopped string) and then allow the string to be plucked to exite that harmonic. To damp the string you can use any part of your left hand or your palm, thumb/pick, index finger/pick on the right hand and then pluck the string with whatever digit is convenient. When stopped with a slide you can then slide the harmonic up.

I guess for two part harmonics you could use both hands to damp and pluck two strings at different nodes. In fact I've just tried it and you can, although it's fiendishly difficult and obviously limited to which notes you can get. Maybe lap slide players can somehow manage to stop the strings with the bar at the same time.

[Bill Stig]

Hi Tark,

I must admit I get a bit overexcited with harmonics ever since I first discovered them when I was about 15 and had to phone a friend to play them down the phone to him.

All the different tricks people employ have different sounds:
Picking with the thumb while pointing at the harmonic node gives a more rounded sound than using your ring finger to pick the string. There are also the "Waterfall harmonics" that jazz players like Martyn Taylor employ where high strings are played amongst artificial harmonics on the lower strings while playing a chord.

Palm harmonics sound more percussive when played with finger picks. You can play slants with palm harmonics, but it's incredibly difficult to play a series of harmonies on non consecutive strings.
I still can't figure out how Jerry Byrd did it though - even after reading his explanation in Andy Volk's Lap Steel book.

Bill