The Steel Guitar Forum

Hey, this will work. I have an intro that ends on a G chord, pedals down at the 10th fret. I've found that if I pick at the 15th the size of my hand is such that my pinky knuckle hits the 22nd and I can repeat the last notes as harmonics.

This is easy to remember as the 15th suggests 'G' anyway. They won't all be that simple but it's a great start.

For placement at the node, trust your left hand to place the bar, your eyes guide your right hand to the node. Whether you use a karate chop, curled-under ring finger/pinky, or that wings-out/thumb-under-outstretched-ring-finger, it still always comes to small contact point point precisely placed. No shortcuts. Just seat time.

Ian, I'm glad it's starting to work for you! Seems like there are SO many options for everything we do on this instrument each player has to find what works for them.

After practicing for three years, I have finally started working on harmonics.

Part of my problem is lacking motivation. I can usually think of something I prefer over harmonics even in songs like Way To Survive where chimes are expected.

This is what has helped with harmonics. Keeping my right hand palm as close to the strings as possible at all times without touching them helps. The hand has to be trained to stay in this position, at least mine did.

When it is time to chime, I sweep the palm across the half way fret as I am picking it. In other words it is a touch and go method so that the palm is sure to hit the halfway spot and be off of it before there is a muting effect.

I don't have it down yet but this has worked better than anything else I have tried.

Check out Bob Hempker on You Tube. He explains different ways to accomplish it.

Tony Tipton wrote:Check out Bob Hempker on You Tube. He explains different ways to accomplish it.

https://youtu.be/ku_FwTTzo_I

Bob Hoffnar wrote:I use the nail of my pinky or ring finger if I want a loud clear harmonic. If I want chords or a softer more retro sound I use my palm. I worked on this one harmonic thing Jerry Byrd and Jimmy Day did for 3 years before I got it. Play the 3rd string and the 5th string and do a palm harmonic on the 5th string only. Very cool sound where the lower string hops up above the higher string.

Harmonics are pretty hard at first and they are not as loud anyway. So don’t get too frustrated.

I just stumbled onto the ring finger nail thing... I was watching Dale Rivard and although he was using the pad of his little finger, when I tried it, I accidentally stuck my finger in-between the strings and hit it with my fingernail... I started trying it with my ring finger which is easier for me to use and really like the tone of it... You don’t get any deadening effect that the pad or knuckle may give because of their inherent texture and the hardness of the nail seems to be a little more bell like... Now if I could consistently find the octave and then the 5th and 7th frets at will as well...🔔... there MUST be a formula to easily identify those spots without always having to do Jethro Bodene math.

Dale, instead of 5, 7 or 12 frets, if your brain runs to fractions, the 5 fret is dividing the neck in quarters (the harmonic at 5 frets above the bar is the same as 24 frets up: at both ¼ and ¾ of the way up the string), thirds (the harmonic at 7 frets is also at 19 frets up), and halves.

Thanks Lane... sounds like its more a feel thing, which I’m sorta able to do with the mid point harmonic... but the 5th and 7th aren’t as easy to ring properly even if you know where they are... like you said somewhere else on here, it’s about seat time.

I use the karate chop method, guesstimating where my palm will be by looking where my thumb is.

Here is an unrehearsed tune that I was unexpectedly asked to do at a steel jam, lots of mistakes, but plenty of harmonics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBUR8dRDnYg

I use a different method ... bar the note .. and then use the tip of my ring finger (with no picks on it) on the fret above (12 frets higher for example) .. and then stretch my thumb with thumb pick behind (higher on fret board about 3 frets) my ring finger and pick the note. It is important to have both the bar and muted ring finger position exactly over the fret. This is a method that I also use with electric guitar. It takes a little stretching and twisting at the wrist, but you can get used to it.

This is actually a very common techninque, and one that I try to get down. I know several players who do this. They have showed me, but I can't get it.