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How do you make the electric guitar squeal?


six_string_sally

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You have to touch it in the right spot.

 

Sorry I couldn't resist. Can you give us an example in a few songs that we might know? I have a feeling you're talking about harmonics with tremelo bar, but I'm not sure.

I really don't know what to put here.
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I believe what you mean is a harmonic touched with the thumb of the picking hand. If you pick exactly an octave up from where you're playing, and get a bunch of thumb in the way, you will get this noise that Billy Gibbons and Eddie Van Halen have in common. That narrows it down somewhat?

 

Other places located at the various harmonics of the fretted note work too, for different pitches of squeal.

That what you meant?

Ted

A WOP BOP A LU BOP, A LOP BAM BOOM!

 

"There is nothing I regret so much as my good behavior. What demon possessed me that I behaved so well?" -Henry David Thoreau

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The artificial harmonics that Ted described can also be acomplished at various other nodes just as can be done with an open string. The key is to brush the fleshy, outside of your picking hand thumb on the string while simulataneously plucking the string with your pick. Through experimentation, you'll notice the note can be balanced in various ways, between the primary harmonic and the fundamental note.

 

This is much easier using high gain distortion, but it is possible with even a clean tone.

 

Satriani and Vai made multiple string, odd-harmonic bends and squeals popular. Try laying your finger across the strings at the 14th fret or 1/2 way between the 14th and 15th fret and strike the strings as harmonics. The issues that create problems with intonation of stringed instruments become more apparent when you attempt these 5th and 6th order harmonics. Even a great setup won't bring these harmonics truly in tune. It makes for some unusual sounds when combined with distortion and whammy dives.

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Originally posted by Sylver:

You have to touch it in the right spot.

Ya see, Sylver & I kinda think alike. My first thought was poke it in the right spot & it'll squeal like a pig. :freak:

He was much more eloquent.

:D

 

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Originally posted by Dak Lander:

Originally posted by Sylver:

You have to touch it in the right spot.

Ya see, Sylver & I kinda think alike. My first thought was poke it in the right spot & it'll squeal like a pig. :freak:

He was much more eloquent.

:D

Well, I must say, my self censoring software kicked in just in time, before I said anything really bad!

 

I do pinch harmonics backwards, btw. I produce the harmonic with the tip of my index finger, so that I'm picking in between the harmonic note and the fretted note. I started doing it by accident, then got to the point were I can do it pretty much when I want to.

I really don't know what to put here.
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This technique, done with great precision with the heel of the hand and fingerpicks, is a staple of steel guitar music, where it's known as "the chimes". You'll often hear an entire chorus played this way, all in harmonics.

This is cleaner than the "squonk".

Ted

A WOP BOP A LU BOP, A LOP BAM BOOM!

 

"There is nothing I regret so much as my good behavior. What demon possessed me that I behaved so well?" -Henry David Thoreau

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I do harmonics classical style. On an open string touch at the 12th fret with your index finger and pluck with the thumb. To move up in pitch fret at the 1st fret and touch/pluck at the 13th fret. Next note would be fret 2nd and touch/pluck 14th, etc. If you get proficient at this you can pluck leads and melodies.
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:eek: Oh no! You guys are scaring me with harmonics talk. What are harmonics? I think I have The Star Spangled Banner - Jimmi Hendrix tab and it mentions harmonics but I just skipped over it. Maybe I should have paid it more attention.

 

I was thinking more along the lines of that Jennifer Batten "growl" stuff she does in the song "Cat Fight" and "Whammy Damage"... but then that probably has to do with whammy use (or as I like to call it the wa-wa stick;) ), and some pedal efects?

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The Star Spangled Banner ala Jimi is certainly an ambitious thing to notate, tab or staff!

 

A harmonic in this case is a sort of ghostly chimey note you get by touching a vibrating string at one of the nodes of vibration.

 

Try playing an open string, then touch very gently exactly on the 12th fret, and pull your touching hand away before it kills the sustain. You'll hear a soft note an octave up from the open string. Try this touching the 5th and 7th frets, you'll hear other notes related to the open string.

You can also do this, touching with your right hand, while fretting a note with the left hand, by counting up 12 frets and touching gently there, just for an instant.

 

There are all kinds of inbetween harmonics you will soon find, and some that are only marginally audible on a clean guitar tone can really sing with enough distortion.

 

Try it.

Ted

A WOP BOP A LU BOP, A LOP BAM BOOM!

 

"There is nothing I regret so much as my good behavior. What demon possessed me that I behaved so well?" -Henry David Thoreau

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Thanks for the tips I will put it to practice!

 

And Wewus, if you desire to make a woman squeal with delight... pay attention this is VERY important... are you listening... grab a pen and paper and write this down... ready? Okay, here's the trick, buy her a big fat diamond and she'll squeal like a beautiful little piggy. :thu:

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Originally posted by six_string_sally:

Thanks for the tips I will put it to practice!

 

And Wewus, if you desire to make a woman squeal with delight... pay attention this is VERY important... are you listening... grab a pen and paper and write this down... ready? Okay, here's the trick, buy her a big fat diamond and she'll squeal like a beautiful little piggy. :thu:

...until she loses it :P hehehehe

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Just saw this thread. And being a huge fan of pinch harmonics, thought I'd "chime" in myself.

 

This can be done on open or fretted strings. Basically, the instant after you pick the string, you have to "lightly" mute the string to get the pinch or "artificial" harmonic to ring.

 

You will need a fair amount of distortion. I'd max out your distortion at first to get used to doing it. The more dist., the wasier it is.

 

Next, where on the string you pick is crucial. Try it in a spot, then move up or down a fraction of an inch. Keep moving till you find the right spot. An a nice guitar with tons of distortion, you should be able to get a pinch harmonic in several spots.

 

Last, I have a secret here. I use the fleshy part of my hand below the pinky to lightly mute the string and get my pinch harmonic. Other people use the thumb on the picking hand.

 

Either way, pinch harmonics are a blast. Just don;t overuse them. Listen to some ZZ Top for a ton of pinch harmonics.

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I always thought the best way to get a guitar to squeal was to tie it down in a chair, shine a bright light in it's face, and beat it across the neck with a rubber hose!

 

Whitefang

I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left!
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get yourself a nice high gain sound and silently dump your wang bar and hold it while hitting a natural harmonic on the g string around the second fret , when it sounds pull up on the bar.....wheeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!! another cool thing is to hit 2 natural harmonics ( say 7 fret d and b strings) then dive the bar, the pitches change at different rates and sound weird.
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Yeah! ZZ Top! Pinch harmonics heaven. As far as Guitarzan's post is concerned, that's the type of stuff that Dimebag Darrel does. It sounds cool but you have to practice that one...
If it sounds god, just play the darn thing
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Many players can do this but two more that come to mind are Jeff Beck and Steve Vai. Steve has totally made pinching harmonics with vibrato an art form. Both these guys have superb control though and in addition to the suggestions above should be considered as points of reference.
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Originally posted by Rick Huff:

Many players can do this but two more that come to mind are Jeff Beck and Steve Vai. Steve has totally made pinching harmonics with vibrato an art form. Both these guys have superb control though and in addition to the suggestions above should be considered as points of reference.

Vai is pinch harmonics freak. He can play whole song just with pinch harmonics. While others accidentally hit right spot and get right pitch from harmonics he move it all to another level. All of his pinches have right pitch which suits the part of song... I hate him :D

And don't get me started on Jeff :)

If it sounds god, just play the darn thing
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  • 2 weeks later...
Originally posted by TheWewus:

I do harmonics classical style. On an open string touch at the 12th fret with your index finger and pluck with the thumb. To move up in pitch fret at the 1st fret and touch/pluck at the 13th fret. Next note would be fret 2nd and touch/pluck 14th, etc. If you get proficient at this you can pluck leads and melodies.

Excellent. Artifical harmonics are very cool. Pinch harmonics are a neat effect as well, but doing chords and little lead runs with artificial harmonics is incredible.
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