| A pinch harmonic also known as a squealie is a guitar technique pioneered by Roy Buchanan (typically electric guitar) in which the nail or thumb slightly catches the string after it is picked, cancelling the fundamental of the string, and letting one of its harmonics ring out. This creates a high pitched sound in any position. The technique is possible on any fretted stringed instrument, but is most widely employed by electric guitarists, especially in heavy metal and rock music where heavy distortion ensures that the otherwise subtle harmonic is greatly amplified. By using string bending, the whammy bar, wah-wah, or other effects, electric guitarists are able to modulate pitch, frequency, and timbre of pinch harmonics, resulting in a variety of sounds, the most common being a very high-pitched squeal. Pinch harmonics are generally considered a form of artificial harmonic, although in technique, they are different. An identifiable signature was pioneered by such artists as Eddie Van Halen and Steve Vai, utilizing the whammy bar, high gain amps, and the pinch harmonic. This ended up producing wild, screaming, horse-like wails from the instrument. Steve Vai actually composed a track named "Bad Horsie" which uses heavy pinch harmonic techniques. Harmonics are produced on the guitar by lightly touching a string (as opposed to fretting it) at any of several points along its length. The fundamental tone will not vibrate; specific overtones, however, will, resulting in a chimelike tone. Harmonics produced by this method based on open-string fundamentals are termed, natural. If the string is fretted; the harmonics are termed, artificial. Harmonics may only be sounded at the strings' nodes. A pinch harmonic is produced when the thumb of the picking hand lightly touches against the string immediately after it is picked. This action is sufficient to silence the fundamental and all overtones except those which have a node at that location. This is generally accomplished by holding the guitar pick so that very little of its tip protrudes between the thumb and forefinger (roughly 3-5mm), allowing the thumb to brush the string immediately after it is picked. |
How Natural Harmonics Work - Justin Sandercoe Learn classical techniques for creating harmonics - Justin Sandercoe Pinch Harmonics (Squealies) - Justin Sandercoe Beginning Pinch Harmonic Lesson - Shred Academy Simple Pinch Harmonics Make guitar squeal with pinch harmonics/artificial harmonics Advanced Pinch Harmonics Tutorial Prev Top Next |
