How do I pinch?

[theotherguy]

I've been trying to learn this guitar technique for weeks, but all I can seem to get is an occasional muted plunk. Can anyone share some secrets of the technique or point me in the right direction for some tutorials?

[Pulse]

Crank the gain right up and ensure your pickup switch is set furthest to the bridge (if you have one). I find I get the best results when I pinch the plectrum and the string together directly over one of the pickups. It's quite hard to describe, so you'll just have to keep practicing.

[Dog--]

First you have to find the 'money-spot' as I call it.

Hold the 12th fret on the second (B) string (the spot seems to be universal, and I find it's easiest to do at this particular spot), and pick the string, then just light tap (really quickly and really lightly) around where you pick (usually over the pickup), as soon as you hear the high noise, you've found your spot, and you can use it for all strings, same spot.

Now for the actual technique: You have to position the pick/your hand (it differs for everyone) so that JUST after you pick, some part of your hand (for me it's the end of my thumb) just lightly hits the string (at that money-spot), and makes the harmonic. It's hard, but once you get it, it's pretty easy.

[Geogaddi]

Put thumb and forefinger together and squeeze

[Dalamari]

i pinch

[Que-Ever]

i pinch

why no pinch.

[Laivasse]

When I still played guitar, I used to use the ball/fleshy part of my thumb to do this; I'd pluck the string with my pick in such a motion that the base of my thumb would just barely brush the string immediately after.

It took a while to figure out how to do it, and even then I would frequently fluff it.

[sea]

The easiest way for me to pinch harmonic is to hit the "sweet spot" with the side of the end of my thumb (around where my thumbnail begins). I just change the way I hold my pick slightly, so that the side of my thumb is right near the end of the pick, and then sort of rotate my thumb a bit so it grazes the string. It's one continuous motion, and I really don't have to even think about it. My technique can be a little sloppy when I play lead, so I actually wind up playing a lot of these just by accident. Sometimes it can sound cool, and sometimes it sounds awful.

Make sure that you can actually get the harmonic first. Turn up the gain as high as it will go. Pluck a note, then try to get it to sound by putting your fingertip lightly on the string as it's ringing. Once you've got an idea of where the spot is (it's slightly different per string and per fret, but not by that much), just position the part of your thumb you want to use around there. Work on picking the note and hitting the pinch harmonic in one fluid motion. Start slowly and then speed up until it feels natural to you.

[Shift]

Can do it on any note, I slide the pick down my thumb until the edge is just below the tip of my thumb, and hit the note with the pick, but making sure my gets the majority of it, when you get used to it then its really easy, can do solos in purely pitch harmonics lol.

[theotherguy]

Wohoo, got my first pinch harmonic... now just to reproduce it...

[jverne]

Wohoo, got my first pinch harmonic... now just to reproduce it...

i didn't read the whole thread so my advice is to learn first on the G string. and hit the string where the edge of the pickup is. after you hit with the pick quickly let your thumb slide down to just touch the string a bit.

once you get the feeling for it is is to reproduce on any string, but after the 12 fret it gets harder. yes gain helps

[sea]

I still find it nearly impossible to pinch properly on the A and E strings.

[Dalamari]

If I can get my thumb placed properly, I can get a bit of a pinch goin

[Fliko]

If I can get my thumb placed properly, I can get a bit of a pinch goin

Try hitting your thumb somewhere else on the string, you're probably just not hitting the sweet spot.

[Pesmerga]

Guitar? Moar like failtar. Get a piano, pussies.

[Shift]

Guitar? Moar like failtar. Get a piano, pussies.

How about both :D

[Que-Ever]

Like a keytar?

[Dog--]

Guitar? Moar like failtar. Get a piano, pussies.

Yea, the piano gets you all the ladies.. Oh wait. It doesn't, that's where the guitar comes in.