Harmonics, Quick pinches

[Laridar]

When first learning the guitar my teacher told me that there is only three places you can play a harmonic.

1) 12th
2) 7th
3) 19th

Later I learned that this is a lie, you can actually get a harmonic out of the 5th and 9th if you touch the string very lightly.

Further down the road I found out about pinch harmonics.
I have been using these for a while but just cannot get a good sound out of them when playing quickly, I seriously need a technique for this... Unless there is none.


Thank you,
Laridar

[Darkman]

There are also touch harmonics on fretted notes. A favourite of mine.

Pick a fretted note, then touch the string an octave up from that note (for example). Sounds great with a string bend following.

I'm not sure if there is an official name for this technique though?

[All_¥our_Bass]

You can also get one just after the third fret and another right before the fourth one.
But the "5,7, and 12" are the most obvious and most useful ones (tunning).

[Laridar]

Touch Harmonics?
That is the most freaking unbelievably ... awesome thing I have ever heard!!!

I want to hear more about this, can you go beyond the frets?

[ChainsawGuitar]

All you are doing is touching the string where the harmonic occurs, you dont need a fretboard under where you hit the harmonic.

Say on an open string you can hit harmonics at the 12th, 7th, 5th and 4th frets, if you play a note at the 5th fret, you can tap harmonics on that string at the 17th (5+12), 12th (5+7), 10th (5+5), and 9th (5+4). It all moves up by 5.

So therefore, if you hit a note on the 15th fret, you would find a harmonic where the 27th fret would be (27= 15+12) etc...

[Darkman]

Right, ChainsawGuitar explained it. Touch harmonics are incredibly simple to use, the only tricky part is judging where to touch when going way up past any frets (ie touching over a pick-up).
I believe Andy Summers of The Police used to actually play arpeggios while using his index finger to bring out the touch harmonic. A nice effect.
But like I said, bend a note up with distortion, and touch the harmonic. Your guitar will scream ;)

[borge]

there are many more harmonics to be had, the problem is getting them to ring out:
http://www.sense-think-act.org/images/8/83/STA-harmonic-series.jpg

that pic shows only 8, but there can be more or less, depending on the instrument itself. check out the screaming touch harmonics at the end of 'cemetery gates' all played on the open g string, right down to near the 2nd fret.

I friend showed me a new way of playing harp harmonics with the fretting hand on the weekend; lightly touch the anti node with ring finger pluck with the first finger, its alot harder than it sounds ;)

[Sperzel]

Check this video out, this guy knows his harmonics. Makes me proud to be Swedish =D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XROFYC7z5so

[Darkman]

One thing I want to add, if you want loud harmonics, slam on the compression.

Zakk Wylde would have only have made a squeek without it.

Maybe.