Pinch Harmonics

[FONT=Palatino Linotype][SIZE=4][COLOR=RoyalBlue][CENTER] :cool: Hi,
Maybe I am showing my age maybe not. I am not sure if this is the right forum for this but anyway. Growing up I learned something called sympathetic harmonics. Maybe I have the terminology mixed up but that is what I have always called what everyone is now calling pinch harmonics. Can anyone tell me what the difference is between the two techniques? I play what is called a pinch harmonic only I have always called them sympathetics. Am I wrong in that term or how far off the boat am I? Thanks
Ange :rolleyes:

I'm not familiar with the term "sympathetic" harmonics, but here's a great definition of "pinch" harmonics:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinch_harmonic

It's basically the "squeal" sound you get when you use the fleshy part of your thumb in conjunction to picking a note really hard.

The other kind (just holding your finger lightly over the 12th fret & picking, for example) are usually called "Natural" harmonics. Maybe that's the same as sympathetic?

Thanks for your answer. I know how to do the technique. Been playin way to long LOL. Not trying to sound like a know it all :-) I am ust trying to get the terminology correct. What you are describing is exactly what I have been playing for way to many years but all of a sudden I am hearing all these "young guns" Describing pinch harmonics and I just learned them as something called sympathetic harmonics and I am just wondering which term is the definitive answer. Because Lord knows I still have way to much to learn on this stupid piece of wood that can frustrate the *&**( out of me but then on those occasions it can make me feel like I have just had the greatest ummmm well you all know what that feels like when it just seems to be one with you and every fret and every note you play is just what you want and the zone iis on!!! Again thanks for your great answer!!! :)

Hey. Never heard the term "sympathetic" harmonics either. There are quite a few techniques used for creating harmonics. Pinch harmonics are where you use your thumb and dig into the strings to create a high pitch squeal. Because this technique works best with distortion you will hear them in metal and heavy rock guitar solos most often. If you think of all those squeal sounds people like Steve Vai use all the time then that is what they sound like.

Hope that helps. I have a whole lesson on the different types of harmonics you can use here

http://www.guitarstatic.com/lessons/other/harmonics.html :)

Well it looks as though I may have answered my own question. Sympathetic harmonics are achieved and defined as this:
Strings or parts of strings may resonate at their fundamental or harmonic frequencies when other strings are sounded. In general, non-played strings respond in sympathy to other strings being played. Two tones of the same pitch will give maximum sympathetic resonance as all harmonics of both strings will overlap. Other harmonic combinations will cause sympathetic resonance at the fifth, fourth and major third. For example, an A string at 440 Hz will cause an E string at 330 Hz to resonate, because they share an overtone of 1320 Hz (third overtone of A and fourth overtone of E). Now the only question left is whether or not what is called a pinch harmonic would indeed also be a sympathetic harmonic by inducing another string to vibrate at the same resonance there by actualy being a sympathetic harmonic as well as a pinch harmonic. I hope that this makes sense as it is a bit hard to follow. Here are 2 web sites that may either help or make it even harder to understand because it all comes down to the resonance of the string when struck and which other strings will vibrate in:(Sympathy) to it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sympathetic_string
http://www.svpvril.com/musicuni.html
Thanks to all who posted a response!
Rascal26 :D