Pinch Harmonics

Have you ever wondered how guitar players like Dimebag Darrell, Steve Vai, and Eddie Van Halen play those high pitch screeching notes? These notes are called "Pinch Harmonics". First used by Roy Buchanan, this technique can be fairly difficult to master. But, before you try to learn how to use it. You should learn how it works.

A guitar string, when plucked, vibrates at several different frequencies. The vibration frequency of the entire string is called a "Fundamental". A string also has "Nodes" which are different points along the length of the string. Vibrations occuring between these nodes are known as "Overtones". When you play a note on a guitar, the fundamental and overtone meld together and we hear it as one note. A harmonic is played by gently touching the string (instead of pushing down on it) at certain points on the fretboard. This works best when you gently touch the string right over the fret (the metal strips along the fretboard). When you do this, the fundamental tone doesn't vibrate. Instead you just hear certain overtones. This only works on certain frets though. The basic ones are 2, 4, 7, 9, 12, 16.

Pinch Harmonics are slightly more difficult than the artificial harmonics that I just went over. The first thing you want to do is find the point where you should pick to play these.

As your third string is the best for harmonics, pluck it and touch your string over the pickups. There will be a few spots that produce a nice squeel. Try this a few times until you find that spot, but remember to touch it very gently. The spot with the best squeel is the one you'll want to pick at.

Now, hold your pick so that it just barely sticks out past your thumb. You're going to need to quickly brush your thumb along the spot where you decided to pick. This takes a while to master. Start out by picking it and then, without repositioning your pick, tap the string with the fleshy part of your thumb. Do this until you've got it down to a science. Once you do, fret a note and try it. It takes practice so don't give up if it takes you a while.

Some guitars and amps are just better for this. It's rarely used with acoustic guitars. For the best harmonic, you'll want to use a lot of distortion and turn the volume up. Pinch harmonics silence the fundamental and all overtones except those which have a node at the location you are fretting. So, the note will be very quiet in most spots. Just try different things until you get the best sound. And remember, everything about guitar takes practice. Good luck!