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Posted by: CathShadow Sep 24 2009, 02:24 PM

How do you get that highpitched whine while doing vibrato -- like in the heavier songs even on the lower frets:

for example gabriel does it here at around 48 seconds:

Posted by: jafomatic Sep 24 2009, 02:48 PM

That's called a "Pinch Harmonic" actually. You can find a few lessons featuring them, but I'm not 100% sure we have any that actually show precisely how it's done. The most obvious to learn from might be Lian, as his method is extremely hard to miss; it's a very deliberate motion.

In a nutshell, you allow a light touch of your thumb on the string you're picking just after the pick has struck. If it's done at one of the same places you'd find natural harmonics (on the fretted half of the string scale) then you'll hear these particular harmonic overtones. One the bass strings, with high gain and drive, it really gives that metallic whine/squeal.

Some guys discover these by accident when picking really heavily, not realizing they've grazed the string with the thumb (or other fingers if you're careless).

Posted by: CathShadow Sep 24 2009, 02:59 PM

QUOTE (jafomatic @ Sep 24 2009, 03:48 PM)

Posted by: Matt23 Sep 24 2009, 03:56 PM

Yeh that's a pinch harmonic. I agree with everything Jafo's said. Just make sure you angle your pick and hit the string with your thumb straight after picking. It's one of the few things on the guitar you can't learn with a metronome, so just sit down and try and get one for a while (G string is probably easiest). Once you manage one it will be a lot easier.

There is a way you can get a kind of high pitched squeal with vibrato though. Try doing a really fast quivering vibrato. You can get a kind of cool feedback sound like that.

Posted by: CathShadow Sep 24 2009, 09:22 PM

The plus side to this: it's giving me extra vibrato practice too haha

Posted by: Artemus Sep 24 2009, 10:17 PM

Best way I found when starting with these harmonics was to try them on a bend and on the strongest harmonics of the B and G strings first (i.e 5th, 7th, 12th fret) - for some reason I'm able to nail the technique on a bend easier than if I simply hold the note. A wide vibrato works for me in the same vain, plus it gives a cool Zakk Wylde sound - undeniably one of the masters of the technique.
Good luck with it and have fun

Posted by: enforcer Sep 24 2009, 10:29 PM

hey Catshadow, I made a video to explain that for you, but sound is a little lame

Posted by: CathShadow Sep 25 2009, 07:55 AM

QUOTE (enforcer @ Sep 24 2009, 11:29 PM)

hey Catshadow, I made a video to explain that for you, but sound is a little lame

QUOTE (Artemus @ Sep 24 2009, 11:17 PM)

Best way I found when starting with these harmonics was to try them on a bend and on the strongest harmonics of the B and G strings first (i.e 5th, 7th, 12th fret) - for some reason I'm able to nail the technique on a bend easier than if I simply hold the note. A wide vibrato works for me in the same vain, plus it gives a cool Zakk Wylde sound - undeniably one of the masters of the technique.
Good luck with it and have fun

Posted by: Marcus Siepen Sep 29 2009, 10:41 AM

Nice video Enforcer, cool that you could already help cathshadow