The Steel Guitar Forum

How do no peddlers bend harmonics?
There's one litle move in particular I am interested in. I hear it in alot of old timey western swing type stuff. The harmonic is struck and then the note is quickly bended up and then back down again..giving it a kind of "ooo-weee-ooo" or whistling sound. Anyone know what Im talking about and how its done? Thanks!

Pulling the string behind the bar?

Steinar

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"Play to express, not to impress"
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There are two kinds of harmonics. One kind uses no bar and just a light fingertip at the 5th,7th,12th,15th,17th and 24th frets.On a long scale guitar you might coax one out of a couple other places. But this kind is stationary - unless you pedal it after it's been struck. The other kind and the kind you're talking about I think is done with the bar on the string and you pick it while a spare fingertip,edge of your palm or whatever spare hunk of flesh you can come up with is lightly held against the string(s) at a point 12 frets above the bar.Once it's ringing,you can slide the bar. Nothin to it......... -MJ-

Make the harmonic and then just move the bar up and back, no need to pull the string behind the bar.

thanks guys. I'll try just sliding the bar.
Never thought of the obvious i guess...it sorta sounded like some sort of string pulling or maybe bending behind the nut or something..but maybe I can get it done by just moving the bar.

I just heard the effect I was talkin about again. First track of the new Willie Nelson disc, Bubbles in My Beer, Buddy Emmons does it in the intro.

I've seen it done both ways. I also sometimes pull behind the nut.

Doesn't that hurt?!?!

That would certainly make me give out a "ooo-weee-ooo"!

Lee

Look up "palm harmonics"

This may help a little, it's taken from the August 2004 Vol.2. Issue 3. of "Aloha dream"

Baz


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<SMALL>Steel players do it without fretting</SMALL>

Thanks. I know how to get harmonics, thats not really what i was after but thank you nonetheless. I usually use fingertip harmonics.

My question was how to do that quick bend up and back down using the harmonic. Some suggested its just moving the bar, but I tried and that that wasnt the sound i had in mind. It works ,esp. bending down and then back up, but its not the sound I was hearing on those record , and i dont think it was just because of my lousy playin. They are pulling the string or doin something else. Wish i had a sound sample for you guys....

Apologies if this is a ridiculous answer: could it just be a tone swell, or something? Are you sure there's an actual pitch change?

-Travis

actually Travis thats not ridiculous at all, i am racking my brain trying to find it on record and cannot. Some of what i thought were harmonics might actually have been just regular notes really high up on the fretboard...

But i am almost positive I hear it a couple times on the new Willie Nelson disc, frist track Bubbles in my Beer, in the intro, and then even more unmistakably a harmonic towards the end of the song. Mr. Emmons what were you doin there?


<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Ben Jones on 05 April 2006 at 01:37 PM.]</p></FONT><font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Ben Jones on 05 April 2006 at 01:38 PM.]</p></FONT>

Ben, I just gave that track a quick listen: sounds like the harmonic is struck and then pedaled up in pitch a whole tone (on the E9 neck, either the A or C pedal). (Buddy is playing PSG on the track I think.) Normally on a lap steel such pitch changes are done via sliding as mentioned in a earlier post. However, with a plain (unwound) string I can bend behind the bar a whole step and get this sound. It hurts but is not impossible. You really need a short scale (22 or 23 inch)guitar to do this with any ease. Listen to some of Roy Thomson's clips - he does it really well on a leavitt tuned lap using the first string.

Ben,

I've heard Pedalplayer Mike Smith use a technique whereby he quickly 'jabs' the tip of a right-hand finger against the string (while a long note is sustaining) between the roller nut and the tuning key, causing an upper mordent.

I'm sure he uses this, as opposed to a pedal, to make its duration as short as possible.

It is applicable to steels without pedals as well, of course.

It's practical only on the innermost strings where maximum string length between the nut and tuning key is available.

~Russ

ah Ambrose, that would explain it, it DOES sound like a quick pedal change. I will have to go back and listen again. The old timey tone and my uneducated ear led me to beleive he was playin an old console type no peddler.

Russ, Ive been trying some behind the bar pulls on my six string lap tuned to open D. What I am doing is tryin to pull the third string up a whole step behind the bar, but man, you really have to put ALOT of pressure on that string to get that full step and it causes my bar to slant even if I can get close to the full step. I am Using my pinky to try and pull behind the bar.
Maybe its easier to do this on tunings that have lighter string guagings?
Same problem with the behind the nut poking or pushing (ouch...teehee)

Ben, I use my ring finger (sometimes helped by my pinky) to bend behind the bar. I don't have the strength otherwise especially for a whole step bend. The only whole step bend that I attempt is with a lighter gauge chromatic 'B' above the C6 tuning high E string. Grab the lower E and A strings at some middle barred position and tug the 'B' up a whole step. You get a pedal-like effect. Need and 8 or 10 stringer though unless you go the leavitt route...