Guitar player' thread
- Thread starter Tsar
- Start date
Azimuth
New member
There's a method to playing pinch harmonics, although it's easier to show it than to explain it. But here goes, anyway - first, make sure you hold your pick pretty low down, with just the tip protruding (like, just 3 or 4mm). Then, just after picking the note, let the edge of your thumb sort of just only very barely touch the string as your hand moves past it. It helps to bend the string a bit, and I've found that pinch harmonics are easiest to pop off the G and B strings. The trick here is not to think about it, because if you do, you'll try too hard to brush your thumb on the string and it won't work. 
If you ever play regular harmonics (ringing off a note on the 12th fret, for example), you'll know what a light touch is needed. It's the same for pinch harmonics.
This video is quite long, but it shows you exactly how to do it properly.
I was in my first band in grade 9. It was pretty grotty, and we only ever played one proper gig and it was barely a proper gig at that, heh. I was in another two bands during high school, and played quite a lot more gigs around town, but nothing special. Then when I was doing my postgrad, I joined a band a bunch of friends were starting up, and that lasted about 2 years or so. At the height of that, we were playing around Cape Town almost every weekend and sometimes during the week too, most often at Cool Runnings and the Armchair Theatre in Observatory, and the Mercury (up- and downstairs). We were actually kinda popular for a while, but after I graduated I went off to America for three months and we just never managed to get stuff going again when I got back. Kind of a pity, I suppose, but it wasn't quite the sort of stuff I really wanted to be playing, anyway. It was loads of fun, though.
If you ever play regular harmonics (ringing off a note on the 12th fret, for example), you'll know what a light touch is needed. It's the same for pinch harmonics.This video is quite long, but it shows you exactly how to do it properly.
I was in my first band in grade 9. It was pretty grotty, and we only ever played one proper gig and it was barely a proper gig at that, heh. I was in another two bands during high school, and played quite a lot more gigs around town, but nothing special. Then when I was doing my postgrad, I joined a band a bunch of friends were starting up, and that lasted about 2 years or so. At the height of that, we were playing around Cape Town almost every weekend and sometimes during the week too, most often at Cool Runnings and the Armchair Theatre in Observatory, and the Mercury (up- and downstairs). We were actually kinda popular for a while, but after I graduated I went off to America for three months and we just never managed to get stuff going again when I got back. Kind of a pity, I suppose, but it wasn't quite the sort of stuff I really wanted to be playing, anyway. It was loads of fun, though.
Last edited:
Dr Manhattan
21% MyGaming staff
Been playing for about 10 years now - in bands for about 7
My main rig right now is:
Fender Telecaster '72 Thinline
Marshall 1962 Bluesbreaker
As well as a selection of pedals including a Trex fuel tank, Boss DD 20 delay, Line 6 Tremelo, Boss OD3.
Play in a band called Dance,You're on Fire, which Tinman used to be the vocalist for until you guys started keeping him too busy
My main rig right now is:
Fender Telecaster '72 Thinline
Marshall 1962 Bluesbreaker
As well as a selection of pedals including a Trex fuel tank, Boss DD 20 delay, Line 6 Tremelo, Boss OD3.
Play in a band called Dance,You're on Fire, which Tinman used to be the vocalist for until you guys started keeping him too busy
Tsar
The thing that should not be
There's a method to playing pinch harmonics, although it's easier to show it than to explain it. But here goes, anyway - first, make sure you hold your pick pretty low down, with just the tip protruding (like, just 3 or 4mm). Then, just after picking the note, let the edge of your thumb sort of just only very barely touch the string as your hand moves past it. It helps to bend the string a bit, and I've found that pinch harmonics are easiest to pop off the G and B strings. The trick here is not to think about it, because if you do, you'll try too hard to brush your thumb on the string and it won't work.
This video is quite long, but it shows you exactly how to do it properly.
I was in my first band in grade 9. It was pretty grotty, and we only ever played one proper gig and it was barely a proper gig at that, heh. I was in another two bands during high school, and played quite a lot more gigs around town, but nothing special. Then when I was doing my postgrad, I joined a band a bunch of friends were starting up, and that lasted about 2 years or so. At the height of that, we were playing around Cape Town almost every weekend and sometimes during the week too, most often at Cool Runnings and the Armchair Theatre in Observatory, and the Mercury (up- and downstairs). We were actually kinda popular for a while, but after I graduated I went off to America for three months and we just never managed to get stuff going again when I got back. Kind of a pity, I suppose, but it wasn't quite the sort of stuff I really wanted to be playing, anyway. It was loads of fun, though.
Thanks azi. Going to start a band soon. Maybe when I do You pop by when in jhb and watch. I want to be really heavy in my sound. I find I progress alot faster when I am angry(which is all the time.
)
Wlad
New member
Here is a link to my former (failed) band's myspace page for anyone who's interested: http://www.myspace.com/theicarusascension. The songs on there have no vocals yet (probably never will have) as the vocalist(s) never got around to recording vocals before we decided to call it quits. Also, bear in mind that everything was recorded on my PC with windows sound recorder and I pretty much had no idea what I was doing
Azimuth
New member
Been playing for about 10 years now - in bands for about 7
My main rig right now is:
Fender Telecaster '72 Thinline
Marshall 1962 Bluesbreaker
As well as a selection of pedals including a Trex fuel tank, Boss DD 20 delay, Line 6 Tremelo, Boss OD3.
Play in a band called Dance,You're on Fire, which Tinman used to be the vocalist for until you guys started keeping him too busy
Funny, although I've been a total metalhead for years and years now, I've always had a soft spot for Teles. They've got such a lovely, warm sound, and a very unique overdriven tone.
Avatar
New member
IIRC, you're in/around JHB, right? If so, R300 from a master luthier.
I've only spotted this thread now, so in summary:
I've been playing for 8 and a half years now - started in high school to alleviate depression and boredom, and it worked. I started on my dad's old classical, saved up and bought a cheap, crappy Washburn (Strat copy, was called Lyon
) and then saved up to pitch in for a PRS Custom SE that my parents gave me for my 21st.I mostly play rock, as I'm not fast enough for metal, and a little blues.
Love the work of Zakk Wylde (shame on all of you for not mentioning him before), Mark Tremonti, Gary Moore, Jimi Hendrix, Adam Jones, Jimmy Page and Billy Howerdel.
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New member
Go past Andy McGibbon's as well, they're literally 1.5 km down the road from each other, and the guys at Andy's are incredibly knowledgeable - go pick their brains as well.
As for fixing, guitars are semi-alive to me, so it's always worth fixing back up. If you can afford it.
