How to emphasize harmonics?

[ryokan]

Any ideas on how to get harmonics to jump out of my tele? Any recommendations on a bridge pickup that will help out? Also, any ideas on amp settings as well? I use a Hwy 1 tele with a HR Deluxe with a pro junior extension cab. I don’t want to use a pedal, I prefer to keep my signal chain as simple as possible. To be clear, I am not interested in harmonics achieved through distortion, but clean, chimey harmonics.

[Mark Davis]

Pickups dont make those sounds you do its all in your fingers.

[Tele295]

Yeah, there are a few things you can do.

1. Use a smaller pick. I use a 358 small jazz teardrop, and they jump easier than when I use a regular 351 shape pick. Billy Gibbons uses a Mexican peso and pinches the heck out of those harmonics. Try a metal pick or a dime.

2. Harmonics jump out easier if you have a lot of volume or gain, even if you're not using it. Turn up the amp if you don't want to use a pedal, pick lightly for regular notes, and lean into the harmonics

3. Akin to the more gain concept, use a very hot, bright pickup, like a Barden.

[Telemarkman]

There are several ways to do it - the master of the pinched harmonics, Roy Buchanan, hit the string with his pick and index finger nail at the same time, preferably close to either the bridge or the neck pickup.(You gotta have rather long finger nails to achieve this.)

Personally, I find it easier to use the pick and middle finger nail, holding my middle finger close to the pick. (Sounds more like Robbie Robertson.)

It's important to hit the string with the pick and the nail simultaneously.

Hope this can be of any help.

[yegbert]

True the player needs the playing technique to create the harmonics, like those that have now been suggested, but I suspect the right secondary techniques, settings and components can help to emphasize and sustain them.

Aren't harmonics generally high frequencies? I'd try things that foster high frequencies. Keep the treble up relatively high on the Tele and amp.

I think my Teles with stainless steel saddles do better at emphasizing or sustaining harmonics, than mine with heat treated steel saddles.

Try minimizing the pickups' magnetic pull in the strings.

I remember reading that some folks like an Esquire for harmonics, the idea being that the additional magnetic pull on the string caused by a neck pickup inhibits harmonics.

My Duncan APTL-1 bridge seems good for harmonics. AlNiCo 2 pickups are usually less strong magnetically so again they could help compared to AlNiCo 5. And so lowering any pickup from the strings might help for the same reason.

Make sure you're not muting the strings with your palm or fingers, that you want the harmonics on.

[chickenpicker]

Practise

Practise

Practise.

[woodman]

Mike McBride, the guy who builds Giant Guitars, also has a line of Mojo Picks he makes out of quarters minted in the year of your birth (or any other year you want). those suckers squeeze out agonized harmonics like nobody's bizness! check them out at www.MOJOpicks.CJB.net ...

i have no interest in his company or anything, he's just a friend who LOVES Tele's (he plays the Muddy model).

[boogaloo]

No company affiliation, but I got three from me lovely wife for Easter- man, I love 'em. 'Course you'll cry if you loose one. I drilled one to hang around my neck and am keeping two to use. 1956 vintage (as, I am)! Very nicely shaped and the strikings are in very good to excellent shape for the year.

Brian

[bradpdx]

There are IMHO two good ways to coax harmonics out of a Tele or Strat.

You gotta use the bridge pickup - not because it is bright, but because it is located near a string termination, which by definition will have a higher ratio of harmonics/fundamentals.

1. The random squeal
I use a small, stiff jazz pick (brand doesn't matter), turn it about 45 degrees to the string and pick close to the bridge, allowing another finger (I use my middle) to lightly damp the string at the same time. With a little practise and luck, all sort of upper harmonics will be activated due to the combination of:
a. Picking near the string terminus
b. Picking using a very narrow plectrum
c. Damping the fundamental
This works really well for lots of quick and dirty squeals, especially if you are a bit overdriven. Easy and cheesy.

2. The controlled harmonic
Harder to do and harder still to incorporate into improvisation. Like another poster, I use my pick and a finger - in my case, I move the pick grip to thumb/middle finger and use my index finger to select a damping point that corresponds to the desired harmonic.

I just picture the scale or arppegio I want to play in harmonics moved "up" whatever number of frets is required (e.g., 12 frets for octave, 7 frets for 5th, 5 frets for double octave, etc.) and use my index finger to point this out to myself. Look! There they are!

Of course, every song should be ended by playing the 4th fret open harmonic on the G string (that is a nasty, somewhat sharp 3rd) and yanking the G string behind the nut. No one will get the joke but you.

[JerryPro]

Originally Posted by bradpdx

yanking the G string behind the nut.

ouch

[getbent]

yanking the G string behind the nut....


woo wee... if you can yank the gstring and it is behind the nut, you are in for a sooooooprize!

[J-man]

To really emphasize natural harmonics I remove my fret finger as soon as i hit the hramonic, it makes it jump out a lot more.

[seafoamtele]

Seems like I remember reading where Roy said he turned up the treble all the way. . .I've found you can get that sound that way and you hit the string with the pick and the edge of yer thumb - you can change the harmonic & tone by where you pick the string - YMMV

mr.seafoam

[Robert H.]

Attack with the edge of the pick and the side of the thumb.

[firefrets]

Harmonics are generally hit or miss,and often fluke.
A good starting point is to hit it with the pic/thumb flesh,at the same time,and experiment as to where your right hand should be.Remember though,that there are lots of different ways to play a harmonic including pinched,natural and fretted.You can play a G on the 3rd fret,and with your thumb and middle finger holding the pic,lightly touch your first finger over the 15th fret,and so on.Even the greatest players on earth regularly miss them,and also hit them by mistake,so don't get to hung up where thats concerned.Forget about it being just in the fingers,cause that's just bull.NEW strings help,as does the material and attack of the pic,the bridge,the pup,the amp etc.etc.good luck

[J-man]

Pinched harmonics are so frustrating, they're fun to use, but I find it very hard to do them consistently.