Advanced Techniques: Pinch Harmonics

For tabs and more information:
http://redsgshredder.com/lessons/pinch-harmonics/

Finally here's the lesson on pinch harmonics. Sorry it took so long to make! I hope it was worth the wait.

It's important to watch this video in it's entirety from beginning to end! I define a lot of things so if you skip around you might get lost in the vocabulary.

To understand pinch harmonics, you need to understand other harmonics like natural harmonics and touch harmonics.

The main thing you need to do is to let the pick brush up against the side of your picking thumb as you hit the string with your pick.

The most important factor is the actual spot you hit the pinch harmonic with your right hand. If you are having trouble hitting pinch harmonics consistently, try varying the placement of your right hand.

This might be a little hard to grasp because when you play guitar normally, your picking hand placement does not really matter. It won't change the pitch of the notes you hit. But this is not true for pinch harmonics. For pinch harmonics, the location that you actually hit the notes with your picking hand will change the actual sound you get.

Be sure to have a loud and heavily distorted guitar tone to maximize your pinch harmonics. Check out my previous lessons for tone tips. Finally, add some wide vibrato to make your pinch harmonics sound over the top.

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• Guitar
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• Pinch
• Harmonics
• Artificial
• Natural
• Touch
• Squeal
• Lead
• Solo
• Instruction
• Masterclass
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[Archeum94]

Hi there! I wanted to ask you: How can it be possible to remember all the places to do pinch harmonics, for each note? Maybe I misheard sth in your vid but it sounds hard ah ah. And (still) about natural harmonics, I found it hard to let my finger slipping on a(/ONE) string. Brievly do you have more "accurate" details?

[RedSGShredder]

@Archeum94 Well for your right hand, you shouldn't really have to think about it. There are definitely spots where it's easier to hit pinch harmonics, but if you have to stop to think about it your playing will not be very good. So it's just a matter of experience and practice.

[deathonics]

why are u red sg shredder and dont have a sg

[RedSGShredder]

@deathonics I do have one, I used it in my other videos.

[diesect33]

pinch (or pitch) harmonics are really considered advanced? wow lol. nothing against you or your playing to be clear but, that's buts! I could do that before i had been playing a week. your technique and therefore tone are nice though man. yeah i noticed there are 3 points on each string by the pick hand that get harmonics easily and of differing pitches.

[RedSGShredder]

@diesect33 Thanks for the nice words dude. Well I guess it's relatively not advanced, but in general I get mostly beginner questions on YouTube. Which kind of makes sense because experienced guitarists don't really ask as many questions because they already know how to play, heheh. So for most people who watch my videos, it's an advanced technique.

[SubbieXero]

Yeahnah.

[austinfailz]

The way I learned was to play Raining Blood and the last note of every pattern in the intro riff would be pinched and vibrato'd. I kept doing that and the awesome riff from Cemetery Gates until I could do it without trying. I also inadvertently hit them now.

[ThePRIMEMINISTRY]

The lesson didnt sart until 9:41

[death251]

This sounds like a stupid question but do you have to play really loud?

[LOKOLOKO52]

@gorrilaman8 learn it on clean and then start with distortion you will get good...:) thats how i learnd it

[LOKOLOKO52]

@Archeum94 3-5-7-9-12....the esayest

[LOKOLOKO52]

damnnn you know 2 much about the guitar! :D

[TerrorAndTinseltown]

@RedSGShredder I had played for about a year and wanted to learn the pinches too so I was watching this video many times and tried during several weeks with no success. Then I just kinda gave up and continued playing other stuff. Then one day when I was playing I accidentally hit it and wondered "what did I just do" and it was then when I instantly got the hang of it and since then it's been real easy. The technique may not be so advanced but teaching it to someone by words can be really hard.

[MrPetersonic100]

you must be proud to make good pinch :)

[metalhead142]

i mean really its not a hard concept to get on guitar after you play awhile but just practicing and actually doing it is more advanced. lets face it kids playing smoke on the water wont need to know how to do this technique at first