Sliding harmonics

[Michele C.]

It is a mystery why it never occurred to me before, but on a fretless you can slide harmonics. For example, I can play a G harmonic at the fifth fret and slide it to C a major third above.

This happens because when you press the string where it is not moving (where it has a node), as in the case of harmonics the string is not heavily disturbed, and with some gentleness it is easy to press and slide without muting at all.

How weird, it is an interesting sonic device for when huh

Tried if it works on a fretted bass, I would say no.

[Wally Malone]

Next time I pick up my fretless I'll give this a try.

 

Wally

[jeremy c]

Yes, it's a very cool effect and it always get a nice response.

 

I heard Bunny Brunel do that many years ago.

 

If your playing fretted, you can slide a harmonic down a few frets. Up is very difficult, at least it is for me.

 

The nice thing about slide on a fretless is that the note gets louder, not softer as you slide.

[Paul K]

I do this neat gig playing bass in a kirtan chant with a jazz flair. Lots of space for bass. At the beginning of the gig we do a 'clear your head and clear your preconceptions' bit where each instrumentalist plays a 15-20 second totally solo bit. The weirder, the better. I finish my thing with harmonics on three or so strings at fret 12, slide my fingers (fretted) from zero up to fret 7, where I hit another harmonic at fret 7, then slid again up from zero to 5, and do it again at the 5th fret harmonic....or variations on that theme. Gets a chuckle every time, and does clear any preconceptions. Fun. Easy, because it's not in time or in tune with the band. Might be neat-o to work that up as part of a real tune.

[Nicklab]

I think the first time I ever heard someone slide a harmonic on fretless was actually on a Pearl Jam song, "Even Flow". After the intro and just before the first verse, there's a slight break. Jeff Ament plays a nice harmonic slide on his Warmoth parts fretless just before the verse kicks in, and it just sounds awesome. I also have a difficult time grasping the fact that the record "Even Flow" is on came out over 20 years ago!

[Bottom End]

The first time I remember hearing it was by John Avila of Oingo Boingo on the song

 

Avila is a really underrated bass player, IMO, probably because Oingo Boingo was not always taken seriously.

 

Sliding harmonics is a skill I still have not mastered.

 

 

[JBFLA]

I think the first time I ever heard someone slide a harmonic on fretless was actually on a Pearl Jam song, "Even Flow".

 

1st for me as well, along with The Firms "Radioactive" (Tony Franklin on bass, I believe). He employs it at the intro (short - up and back a step) and again (long) at the end of the choruses (chorusii?).

 

Radioactive

 

 

[Phil W]

I half joked to a guitarist once that if he heard me sliding harmonics on a solo it meant I had run out of ideas. I was joking but I wish I hadn't said that...