#36 Pinch / Squeal Harmonics, Dime/Zakk Style Pinch Harmonics on the fly Options

[Todd Simpson]

INTRO
In this QUICK LICKS we are going to work on "PINCH HARMONICS" also known as "PINCH SQUEALS". Some folks like ZAKK WYLDE and DIME have used this technique to great effect and are well known for it. We are not talking here about using the bell like harmonics where you don't fret a note but glance off the string while striking. The ones we are talking about here are fretted and there is some vibrato as well. The vibrato makes the the entire thing stand out more and ring out better. If you don't use any vibrato or bending, the "Pinch" will not sustain very long. You can use your Whammy/Trem with this technique if desired, however, we are not going to cover that today. This is about doing the actual Pinch itself and sticking the landing, as it were. Nothing sounds worse than going for a Pinch Harmonic and missing it completely. It draws attention to itself in a very bad way and it's easy to tell that one just missed ones intended lick. To wit, we are going to put the Pinch in the context of a simple riff and repeat the pinch as we move down the neck and alternate with an open string. This will give you practice in "Sticking the landing". E.G. Hitting your pinch "On the Fly" as God intended. You should not have to stop what you are doing and prepare for doing this technique. It should flow seamlessly.

Also, feel free to Bend anywhere Vibrato is notated. Either is fine. However, try NOT to use tepid/shallow, "back and forth" wagging vibrato. Use forcefull, intentional, up and down vibrato. The better your vibrato, the better your pinch will sound. Let's take a look at the video. It contains the lick itself and wads of tips/close up shots of how to get the most out of this techique. It's the longest Quick Lick vid in quite a while but worth the watch. This is a basic Rock/Metal technique. It should be in one's bag of tricks

*Make sure to watch the vid!. It Contains the "Secret Sauce"

*NOTE: Pay Special attention to letting your thumb graze by the string after the strike, this is what creates the harmonic squeal.

BACKGROUND / COMMENTS : Don't beat yourself up if you struggle with this. Most players struggle with this at some point. I did as well. I've yet to find someone who could pull this off without trying. But it is possible, with a bit of practice, to get it to where you can pull it off anytime you want and not miss it.

 36.gp5 ( 2.25K ) Number of downloads: 138

BTW:
Please let me know if you have any questions about this lick, send me a PM if you like or post here. I'm happy to help!

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This post has been edited by Todd Simpson: Jul 14 2018, 08:58 PM

[Storm Linnebjerg]

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[Todd Simpson]

I used wound strings for these pinch squeals for the simple fact that pinches can be a bit tougher to grab on wound strings vs unwound. At least, many players find this to be the case. I have found that once I had the technique down, it really didn't matter which string. Zakk wylde often uses wound string pinches with heavy vibrato. It's his party piece and he uses it non stop. Missing pinch is often obvious to the listener so it's best to hit one when you go for one. The good news is you never missed any! Nice.
You just...
LEVELED UP!!!!!

Todd

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