pick squeals

finally i got it!! i did the pick squeals, its not like every once in a while, i got it down pat. how long did it take u guys to finally do pick squeals constantly? also i find it easy to hold the pick not on the pointy part of the triangle thing, but at one of the duller ends, will this affect my tone? i find it easyer to pick like tht.

It took me awhile to notice it but since about christmas, how finger strum and pick I squeal really easily O.o

how long have u been playing?

year and 5months straight, on off for 5years before that -.-
by on and off I mean I only played about 4days worth every year and that was just triddling sour notes, no real playing.

I was playing two years and I could do pick squeals whenever I wanted to around last summer.... That's when I got pretty good.

woot! youngest to get pick squeals so far, been playing for 3 months, got them down pat.

EMB you've been saying you've been playing for 3 months since last December, anyways I got to be able after about 6 months

ive been playing about 3 or 4 or somthing like tht i think i started in jan or early feb.

January was 5 months ago. Lol.
Feb. was 4. (:

i mean like l8 jan early feb, then ive been playing for 4 months, around ther.

I can't play them on demand at all... If I'm playing some riff like the riff on Painkiller (Muted string played a lot then some other notes played un-muted with the muted string in between everything) Every un muted string will be a Harmonic... I actually have to focus not too, not sure why though. :/ Makes my playing very much mine though/ :D

w8, why are ther like diff tones to the squeak, i was playing crazy train live verison with the harmonics, i played one, then when i hit another it was lowish, then another and it was really like relly high, why are they diff, also if i play the harmonic on diff parts of the string i get a diff tone, any clue y guys?

also why dont harmonics work on really high frets on the b and e strings, i can get them once in a while, just not constantly. like frets 15 or so and above

pick squeals are a kind off harmonics, its sound differs by the way you play them or tthe distance from the... id dont know the name... but i hope you had the idea... bout the harmonics above frets 15... i think the only think u need is a lot of precision. corrrect me if im wrong

Ya, they are artificial harmonics, you sort of mute the string with your thumb so only the harmonic is played. When you play the string at some point it is higher or lower because of the vibrations, the area where you tuch it compared to the string will create or lessen the vibrations, all though I'm not sure by what... :/

is ther any such thing as natural harmonics?

i remmember i read once thhere are, but i dont remmember

wuts the differnece besides the name.

A natural harmonic is when you put your finger over a fret( the acuall fret, not the area in between) but don't actually touch down, just put your finger above the fret on the string. This works on the 5th, 7th, 12 and higher frets that I don;t remember, it only works through an amp, other wise, whilst you can hear the difference, you won't hear it very well.

ah yes, my teach did tht to see if i was in tune or somthing, wut does it show?

You can check the intonation of the guitar this way.If it's not right, the guitar will sound wrong, since some notes will be too sharp or too flat.

The intonation's ok if the natural harmonic on the 12th fret is the same as plucking the open string. For example, if you pluck the A-string and it is the same note (A) as the natural harmonic on the same string, your intonation is fine. If the natural harmonic is different, like if it's a B, then the intonation is messed up.

how would i fix the intontation?

Natural harmonics are formed by lightly resting your finger over a fret, usually the 12th, 7th, 5th or 4th frets. You can hear the harmonics on the 12th and 7th frets easily without an amp, for higher harmonics, you may need to use an amp.

Artificial harmonics are formed by fretting a note with your left hand, and resting one of the fingers on your right hand above certain frets in the same way as for natural harmonics. For example, if you were fretting the 3rd fret, then you would rest your finger above the 15th fret (12 + 3) to form the first harmonic.

To understand how harmonics are formed and why different ones have different pitches, you have to look at how the string vibrates openly. When I say look, I don't mean watch it, because it's going too fast to see, but just listen to what I say cos it's right lol.

Basically, a wave travels up the string, reflects off the nut, travels back down the string, reflects off the bridge, and so on. This forms what is known as a standing wave, or sometimes a stationary wave. (see top string in diagram)




This is known as the fundamental (the 2nd and 3rd strings in the diagram are the 1st and 2nd harmonics). The string is vibrating with a mixture of different harmonics though, but because the fundamental is much louder (because the fundamental has a much larger amplitude than the other harmonics), it is the one which is heard most clearly. The wavelength of the wave formed is twice the length of the string, L, so it is 2L.

By resting your finger over the 12th fret, you create what is known as a node point, which is where there is no displacement, and is notated as N in the diagram (A stands for antinode, a point of maximum displacement). This forces the string to vibrate in the 1st harmonic, as opposed to a mixture of different harmonics. You would also get a small amount of the 3rd harmonic as well, but because the amplitude of the 1st harmonic is relatively a lot bigger, the 1st harmonic is what is heard the loudest. Now the wavelength of the wave that is formed is L.

Using the equation velocity = wavelength x frequency, (and bearing in mind that the velocity = the square root of the tension in the string divided by the linear density, both of which are not changing), you can see that for the wave velocity to remain constant, if the wavelength halves, then the frequency must double. This is why the first harmonic is an octave higher, because when the frequency is doubled, the note is an octave higher.

For the 2nd harmonic, the wavelength is 2/3L, and so the frequency is 1.5 times higher than the open string, corresponding to a pitch which is an octave and a fifth higher than the open string.

Pinch harmonics/pick squeals are just really high harmonics being formed, with really short wavelengths and really high frequencies.

To show how harmonics are formed, you could tie a piece of rope (or a guitar lead) to a door, and move your arm up and down to move the rope like a skipping rope. By moving your hand twice as fast, you'll be able to make the 1st harmonic. It might take a bit of practice, but it's quite impressive when you can do it.

Sorry to bump and old thread, but I've finally been able to do some. I can get them on all the strings except low E fairly consistently.

Woo Hoo! Now I'm going to learn some Zakk Wylde songs.

low e? i find the easiest is when u bend and on the high e, b, g, and d, a and low e are hard for me.

When you guys say pick squeals are you actually talking about pinch harmonics?

That's what I want to know too, Bodom.

yes pinch harmonics.

Never heard of them called pick squeals. :)

I haven't either. Initially I was thinking the kind of raspy noise you get when you move your fingers (much more audible on an acoustic guitar). I wasn't sure why you would really want to do that and changed my hypothesis to pinch harmonics. Hooray!

Pinch Harmonics are rad I just found that in drop C they're much easier to play for some reason

prob because the string isnt as tight, allows harmonic to come easier? not sure.

I don't know man something to do with the nodes changing position I think