99% of Guitarists CAN'T Play This Pinch Harmonic

[@Spiraljam]

Pro tip: Learning the intro for “Revolution is my name” will def drive your parents fucking nuts.

[@codychickadee5095]

"Here son, we bought you these awesome headphones, Dimebag said he loves headphones!"

[@elliottgarneau]

Amazing song

[@BlackLabelMark]

That song has the best breakdown ever

[@ermonski]

Also Cemetery Gates, unfortunately still not many nailed the main riff for that

[@liamcristello2591]

The other guitar player getting super hype at 7:31 and going for the fist bump made my day lol

[@damienwarnotte5912]

Do you know what band it is ?

[@leerobbo92]

@@damienwarnotte5912 That is Machine Head, and the song is called Old (absolute classic from a classic album)!

[@EverlastingTorr]

Machine Head, Old, Download Festival 2007. Rhythm guitarist, Lead Vocalist Robb Flynn loves him a good pinch! He actively fist bumped Phil Demmel (then Lead Guitarist) whenever they hit that pinch over that whole tour. About as wholesome as it gets for metal 😅

[@grandarchon6969]

The hardest pinch harmonic is the Dimebag Darrel one where he dives the tremelo bar, taps the second or so fret on the b string with the left hand, and quickly pulls the bar to raise the pitch. Also, sometimes he steps on the octave pedal at the same time for it to really squeal.

[@grandarchon6969]

Also shout out to Dean Lamb from Archspire for the near constant random pinch harmonics. We get it.

[@ckmoore101]

The Dime DiveBomb is certainly legendary. And Mark Tremonti is certainly in the 1%... he does it best for current metal guitarists... IMHO

[@No1414body]

Saw Dime playing pinch harmonics with hid middle finger instead of his thumb, thought that was unique

[@BittersweetDuality]

That’s a natural harmonic though, not a pinch

[@Mars-Mpyre]

That would be a tap harmonic, if I'm not mistaken...

[@mtlspider]

yeah i went through a zakk wylde phase many years ago so i learned all this stuff. now try doing pinch harmonics on 2 strings at the same time,thats really out there.sounds kinda like a natural chorus effect

[@JakeRBauer14]

Ditto. I can p.h. on an upstroke with my index finger

[@mtlspider]

@@JakeRBauer14 pinch harmonics i always do with a downstroke ,artificial harmonics i can do either way i guess. but pinch harmonics are really just artificial harmonics that you do in the pickups area. tap harmonics are cool too

[@donoteatglass]

​@@JakeRBauer14the up stroke pinch harmonic is the true measure of genius. Been playing for 27 years and still miss that alternate picking, up-stroke harmonic here and there

[@rrevh12345]

@@JakeRBauer14same lol

[@shortwinger3]

I remember Steve Vai doing that in a live stream but with 3 strings. Can’t remember what stream though.

[@eddiejr540]

Getting those pinch harmonics is a lot like driving a clutch…you just gotta get a feel for it👍

[@lost_in_gravy]

You made me try this on all my guitars, worked with no sweat, even on my 8-string. Learned that way back, when Deguello by ZZ Top came out and seemingly never lost it. Thanks Billy!

[@danielleipold7671]

Zakk Wylde on Ozzy live in Japan was the first time I remember hearing harmonics and it changed my life forever.

[@29orion1]

I wished you posted this a few weeks ago. I spent an evening trying to perfect a pinch harmonic. I finally figured it out and I guess it is like the satisfaction of solving a puzzle without cheating. I twisted the pick before striking, striking the string in the right spot, and having the right effect, all to get that sound. I could not find videos that demonstrated this technique as good as this video.

[@sirgerbilmacintosh9101]

The B and bottom E are the hardest stings for me to pinch harmonic on, but I'm only a gerbil too, so there's that.

[@lllllllllllllllllllllIII]

I can do all the other strings but the low e it feels impossible now matter how much distortion I use

[@aninditasaha6541]

Eddie Van Halen be like : Hold my cigarette

[@beanapalooza6614]

Dude the 1st time I really remember hearing the Squal!, is the Zak/Ozzy song CRAZY BABIES. I was born in 1966, so I've heard many songs before Zaks Crazy babies. But that G/Squal ( standard space lol) is the MASTER SOUND!!!!

[@charliesullivan-e7j]

I started playing day now ying guitar at 4 years old i'm 67 now. but noticed that i was getting pinch harmonics totally by accident way before i knew what it was. or even heard of a pinch harmonic. and could never get it again then i saw you teaching it. i now know exactly how to do it but the nerves in my hands won't allow me to do it because i have irepairable nueropothy in my hands, total nerve damage. dropping my pick most of the time it really sucks! I love the sound of pinch harmonics. So i keep practicing every single day my thumb meat just won't let me hit the strings Maybe God one day will heal me and can master it some day and be as good as you, Zack Wild, dime bag and everybody else! pray for me. thanks. Rock On you thousands of guitarist.

[@harrypothead42024]

3:38 I jumped up and grabbed my guitar thinking, this guy is easy I hit the pinch harmonic the same no matter what string I'm doing. No I make subtle changes to my hand no matter what string I'm playing and depending on where I'm fretting

[@raelik777]

The way I've always done it is every string but the low E, I pinch with the edge of my thumb right in line with my pick, usually around the cuticle area. But the low E, since like you said, there's no lower string to kinda "guide" you (usually by your thumb joint pressing into it), I actually aim to hit it with the sloping edge of my thumb as it approaches the thumb joint (so like maybe 1/8" further up the thumb). This naturally changes the way you dig the pick in, exactly like what you're doing. Conversely, I also have to pick the note a little closer to the neck than I would for the same node on another string, because of that change of angle. But just a tiny bit, pretty much splitting the difference. Technically, I'm probably picking in the exact same spot, but I'm moving my thumb forward sightly when I come at it with a steeper angle, so it feels like I'm picking a tiny bit further up.

[@TheCjbowman]

Also crucial to find the correct spot horizontally on the string where the desired overtone lives. Easy to just work your way from the bridge towards the neck over the pickups a tiny bit at a time and find the right spot or spots you want. A mm at a time drastically changes the pitch a la Billy Gibbons walking it down the line a bit at a time. 🤘

[@florentinomichaeljr.deloss1713]

somehow I find this easier than a harmornic on the higher strings

[@Durkhead]

I learned how to do pinch harmonics on a bass so anything above the 3 string is like impossible for me

[@Rumpl4skinn]

Same here. I have more trouble with the Randy Rhoads squeals than the Zakk ones.

[@AuntJoey]

@@Durkhead what? I do pinch harmonics on 7 gauge strings. Am I a unicorn? Nah... I've just listened to entire too much Black Label Society I presume. see the trick is... use a marshall :)

[@Durkhead]

@@AuntJoey no the trick is use some chorus

[@AuntJoey]

@@Durkhead do it with a tweed amp man

[@luizcarlosdeoliveira8760]

Such a informative and educational video, this is perfect content !

[@JoeR203]

At the end of the solo for Skid Row's "I Remember You", there's a cool harmonic used along with the tremolo bar. I got that exact sound once. ONCE. Another thing you can do (and this is how I accidentally discovered harmonics), is doing a slow dive with the bar and using the part of your palm under the thumb to lightly graze a string and once the harmonic rings out, pull the bar back up. You get better harmonic if you do this over or close to, the neck pickup.

[@Rehamanshaik48291]

Could you explain it a bit more please

[@michaelm4153]

I figured it this out by myself during my Zakk Wylde phase. (The process was painful) Glad you put out this video so this detail gets more recognition.

[@wesmitchem825]

Finally a technique I've already mastered a long time ago I learned pinch harmonics when learning cemetery gates from Pantera I had no idea how to play the chorus right and was showed how to do it and practiced it until I can nail it on every string and every fret

[@FerherA-Aron]

The thing that i learned when hitting pinch harmonics is, if your trying to hit a pinch harmonic it’s all in the skin of your finger, like for example the lower the string the more skin it needs; picking position also matters, you don’t want your pick to be paralleled to the string you want it to be slanted a bit so you get more skin.

[@bearthompson6506]

Thanks for this! I play acoustic, but my musical tastes are very eclectic. I’ve loved the pinch harmonic sound since I first recognized it in ZZ Top’s “La Grange” in 1973. Never knew how it was done or that the technique even had its own name. That is, until I watched your Marty Schwartz video the other day. And, yes, I have learned much from you both. I’ll probably never play a pinch harmonic, but I love knowing what it is and how it’s done. Thanks for sharing what you know!

[@MrAndersonmm]

self-taught, for some I use the nail on my middle finger behind the picking motion. The solo to Van Halen's "Right Now" starts with a series of them and 12 year old me in the 90s could only figure out how to do it that way.

[@briansalata2041]

Same, but I use my ring finger.

[@Madchris8828]

Wow that motion showing the pinch harmonic is very useful. Now just to pratice it!

[@LagunaPadre361]

Never knew this was the hard one, ive been playing laid to rest by lamb of god since high school lol. its the pinch harms after the solo in cowboys from hell that always gets me

[@xxloki713xx]

The craziest PH riff for my money is around 2;15 in the song Backend of Forever ( it has a longer title but that will get you there) by Coheed and Cambria. Basically, non-stop pinch harmonics for about 10 seconds. Great song, great riff, great band.

[@thrillathakilla]

I'm glad someone else is talking about this. I found a way to cheat on the 6th string but this only works on the 3rd fret. Gets the same sound though: First off, no need for the thumb, it's all done with the left hand. What I do is rest my index finger really lightly on the 6th string on the 3rd fret. when you hit the string it should produce a natural harmonic. Once you hear that, bend it and it should give you that meaty pinched harmonic. I've tried explaining it to people but I just got confused looks

[@BittersweetDuality]

The third fret on the low string is by far the EASIEST part of the fretboard for me to get a pinch harmonic out of! Maybe it’s my pick grip or something

[@jfroines]

Some really good riffs where the pinch harmonics are an essential part of it can be found in a bunch of songs by Prong, like Snap Your Fingers Snap Your Neck, Broken Peace, No Question, Carved Into Stone, etc.

[@Maxx61]

My favorite song featuring pinch harmonics is "Cold Hearted" by Gary Moore. That outro solo is first rate.👍

[@JH-qy8no]

I haven't practiced this particular pinch harmonic a lot but the way I do it is by lightly touching the strings with my pinky.

[@MSkwar]

6th string, 3rd fret. That my *most* comfortable pinch location. The thinner the string, the more precise I feel I need to be. I accept that this is a weird gift. Pinching on unwound strings is legitimately more difficult for me. And seemingly nobody else. Its cool, Ill just bwuuwuu my zakk wild pinches all day lol.

[@MesaGuitarGuy]

there should be a gain pedal named MoGain, it puts hair in your tone like Rogaine does for your dome

[@Linnerd]

Make it. Please

[@NicolasThomas-g1r]

Low e string pinch harmonica are sick on the 3rd fret ... Try the 1st fret now that's dope

[@Thepaulislame]

I remember when I was younger no one taught me how to pinch harmonic and I did it on accident. I was stoked and kept practicing it and can do it on the low E no problem :)

[@raymondmeers]

IN case you didn't know, One of my Guitar Heroes, Roy Buchanan, is credited with the 1st recorded pinch harmonic in a song(I don't know which one) from 1962. I saw him 3 times and with his telecaster and nothing but a fender reverb amp and he used pinch harmonics by switching from the neck to the bridge pickup. I didn't know(1980s) what exactly he was doing but it sounded cool. For reference listen to his The Messiah Will Come again.

[@ThinPicks]

Yeah Roy was the first, but check out also Rory Gallagher on Live In Europe on "Messin' With The Kid", he's playing tunes with pinch harmonics! I think that was 1971.🤪

[@juanlamon]

I manage to do it by simply not taking the palm of the string after I play It, I had trouble getting those Gojira riffs with pinch harmonics and bends

[@Lisinfilm]

All pinch harmonic tutorials explain them as though they’re super easy, but I agree with the statement that the heavy metal pinch harmonic is tough to get

[@snixelpig]

I don't hit the string with my thumb at all. I do strike it a certain way (with a flick) but my left-hand finger does most of the work.

[@Rusli1659LPSoldier]

the hardest pinch harmonic part of the song was Given Up by Linkin Park on the breakdown Section before the Scream kicks in. Two Slipknot Songs; Duality and Psychosocial, the pinch harmonic on the low string is the hardest to pick on. this is one of the hardest was the psychosicial intro before the main intro riff.

[@tobins6800]

The way I learned Rainbow in the dark was on the E and A strings. 320 32, all PH. Open string PH are difficult.

[@RecycledSoul]

Bro this is a great lesson 👏👏👏👏

[@dwerggalago]

Cool! This was super helpful, especially because the lowest string is the one where my pinch harmonics fail more than they succeed.

[@chrisizzy1801]

Mute the rest 5 Strings with your Index Finger barred in the 2nd Fret, make a sligtly prebend with your middle Finger of the low E string right the Moment you pinch and you will get it every single time!

[@chaoticlighttv6207]

When playing pinch harmonics on the lower strings, I personally use my ring finger on my picking hand to provide the mute for the pinch, rather than my picking thumb. Curious if anyone else does that.

[@JoeR203]

That neck cam would be great for showing how to play a song. It's hard to tell if a finger is actually pushing on a string, or hovering over it when the camera is out in front. A top down view, your point of view, would make things easier for people to learn.

[@thomaskinsey3424]

I guess I’m finally a 1%er at something cuz my pinch harmonics rarely fail on any string even with low gain, something you should try out is keeping your left hand melody and right hand pinch harmonic exactly two octaves apart by moving the right hand with the nodes, not easy but sounds sick

[@orphanuprising]

The pinch I can't _ever_ seem to nail is the Mark Holcomb "de-bending" pinch. Where he starts it at full bend, then brings it back down. I always end up nicking the other strings and it doesn't come through.

[@J_Riff]

Once I learned pinch harmonics I over play them so the low strings are harder to play but I’m just used to it, it feels natural most of the time to pinch any string

[@devilkillerthemonarchofhop7943]

That pinch harmonic on the 3rd fret on the 6th string is literally the only one I’ve ever been able to consistently get. And it’s do it with an entirely different technique and it’s more about my fretting hand than my pick attack.

[@AdamCulp]

ZOMG! I did my first pinch harmonic today. Thanks! Will take some time to get good at it, but at least I can get it now, though not on the 3rd fret.

[@DeadBoyJJ]

Zakk Wylde normally does not use a gate. When it was announced he was touring with Pantera(I know its not really Pantera) he said something like "I'm going to have to get used to playing with a gate again. I don't normally but you can't get Dime's tone without it." Which is true.

[@senselessinductor7921]

I recognize those picks... Buy em by the gross. The ultimate shred picks. Faster and more accurate than any other i've used. Killer for pinch harmonics.

[@anthonyw5261]

In my playing I hit pinch harmonics when Im in the middle of a riff or lick. The metalpocalypse reference is a nice touch 😆

[@BlazinLow305]

I actually do all my pinches with my middle finger. I just tap the node at the same time I pick the string, it feels way easier than doing a weird thumb flick thing.

[@Julian-cu4et]

you kept hitting one on the fifth fret of the A string and it reminded me of my favorite lamb of god solo

[@hangingdeadguy1]

I can’t stop playing pinch harmonics they just happen all the time. I can hit the open string pinch it’s pretty cool sounding

[@PRSer]

Im pretty good at pinch harmonics because Zakk Wylde is one my favorite guitarists. I literally wanted to be able to do a pinch harmonic anywhere and anytime i wanted on the guitar. I practiced a ton and experimented on different guitars and set ups.

[@Anton_the_Vampire]

Funnily enough I find lower harmonics come easier than the really high ones. That said, my favourite harmonics screamer is Mr. Scary himself, George Lynch! His are just insane!

[@comment.highlighted]

I played a lot of 80’s & 90’s music, so “Squeely” sounds are a must 🙂

[@newfreenayshaun6651]

Everyrocker wants to mention Dimebag Darrell as the pioneer in pinch harmonics but I'm going to have to refer you to the doctor, Reverend Willie G.! ZZ Top has been showing off since the early 70s with this beautiful sideways sound. Reminds me of burning rubber n weed.

[@ogelsmogel]

So true!

[@mattnewcomb_official]

Billy Gibbons is the undisputed master of the pinch harmonic. Learn how he moves along the string during the outro to La Grange, changing the note without changing frets, and no pinch harmonic will escape you. After him, Randy Piper of WASP. his use of pinch harmonics in the first solo to The Flame was clearly inspired by Billy Gibbons. Maybe I should upload my tutorial on how to do a double pinch harmonic. It sounds wild when done right.

[@codychickadee5095]

Is it "Sleeping Bag" that has the real sweet slow rolling pinch harmonic stretch/solo? Billy's the man!!

[@travislawrencemusic]

Wow! Didn't realize guitarists struggle with that. I have met a few who can't do any pinch harmonics, but I've always found the low string the easiest.

[@dwmichaels]

That was all over the Whitesnake album with John Sykes! Thanks for explaining this! I am (was!?) one of the 99%

[@MustardOwl]

at 2:17 when he upstrums all the strings, anyone know what this is called?

[@unbalancedterrain6832]

just look up "gojira pick scrape"

[@widow10rr31]

Zakk said gotta have alot of gain and if the action is TOO LOW the note will buzz out especially on the low strings

[@Scotty_AV]

Whilst noise gates cut out noise, if you get feedback, it's nothing to do with gain. It means the guitar has poor shielding. You should still be able to stand in front of your amp with strings muted and high gain with no feedback

[@Fanafranky]

And yet my statistical anomaly remains, I have yet to see anyone do anything close to my technique... It came from trying to play the Cemetery Gates verses with alternate picking, and somehow the upstroke motion became more comfortable and consistent for me

[@DoubleSixx]

A good setup, especially the intonation helps

[@FluffyCowMoo]

Hey, my dad had this flying v with a built in kickstand ( so you could sit and play it easy) about 20 years ago before I was born he sold it so he could move and start a family. He really regrets selling it and I wanted to get him one for father's day. I've looked everywhere online and can't find one. Do you know anywhere I could get one?

[@CamMan34]

Imma need that guitar. That fretboard is so beautiful

[@DreidMusicalX]

I've found that your hand rests upon the other strings and when you come off the low E string you're no longer resting upon it. Also certain bad tones can prohibit good sounding pinch harmonics. I tend to get better ones with a compressor pedal. But he is right, this is the most difficult one to pull off.

[@adtthosa]

Great video as usual! This pinch harmonic has pissed me off since I heard it in My Curse by Killswitch, I've never quite been able to nail it. I'll have to keep practising.

[@KibatsuMusic]

awesome video but again, another thing everyone leaves out with pinch harmonics. you NEED to use the bridge pickup to get pinch harmonics... fairly important thing to omit lol

[@singsinghai1505]

that Purple Iris finish just distracts me from your playing everytime

[@ibanezleftyclub]

This is literally one of the easiest things to pull off. It just requires gain and a well setup and intonated guitar. Now in between natural harmonics that lie between frets or fractionally between frets are where the difficulty comes in lol

[@foxtooth2]

I do them with my pinky knuckle on an upstroke; its easier if you hold ur pick in a fist. You can theoretically do tremolo pinch harmonics but thumb on downstroke is harder imo😢

[@Mars-Mpyre]

I find the low string pinch harmonics easy. You want hard? Try the clean, high E and B string pinch harmonics Eric Johnson does above the 12th fret at the end of a super fast run that are so clean it sounds like he just hit a natural note on the 29th fret!

[@leviathan_is_me]

I hate the low E P.H., I have sat and just went all along the string to find the sweet spot, lol.

[@arceneaux777]

I love pinch harmonics - hello John Sykes...but - what are you using currently? - that tone is sikk AF. Also - thank you for being one of the fe cool channels -

[@rockerpat1085]

I Learned The Pinch Learning "No More Tears" !!! Fret 2 Baby E!!! Zakk Wylde Style!!!

[@deividasradziunas3696]

THANK YOU! Best pinch harmonic tutorial

[@jarhead3038]

Amazing you're the only one that knows how to do it.

[@JP_Hatecrew]

Pinch harmonics on the high E String at frets 18+ are way harder.

[@neilweir-smith8228]

What weird percentage does that make me? I can hit the low e harmonics fine but struggle with the high e.

[@twjonckheere]

When I was learning guitar pre-internet I alway thought that style was an artificial harmonic and a pinch harmonic was when I'd literally pinch the string between the pick and my thumb. I move the pointer finger (with the pick) all the way to near my palm and push my thumb down while my pointer finger pushed the pick up.. Thus pinching the string with a large distance between the thumb and pick. I am no guitar expert, but it seems to work well for me where the normal harmonics won't kick off. You can easily adjust that space between the pick and thumb using that as well.

[@thomasrevere7916]

I've never seen tiger striping on binding before. It's gorgeous.

[@wrongperfection]

Gojira - Magma is a great example. A whole riff on one fret of the lowest strings with different pinch harmonics and an occasional 0.

[@brandonjackson5865]

I’ve been trying to get that third fret low e string pinch consistent for ever and I always thought I was cheating because I realized that I had to change my picking hand position to get it, but I guess that’s the only way to get it to scream and it has been frustrating because I can grab a squeal anywhere else on the neck but that fat rope has always been elusive for me but I guess I was on the right track at least.

[@EventHorrorEyesOn]

“I’m in the 99% that can’t do this.” *Does that for 11 minutes straight*

[@truescotsman4103]

Squall was another word we used in the early 80s. It wasn't such a common technique at the time. High gain players use this trick because we can.

[@iwonttell4958]

"That's nice right there". You've been to long in the south boy! Listening to "Larry The Cable Guy" too? ;-) Next thing Tyler describes doing a chord progression as "Git'r done!" :D :D (Love it btw, no criticism, just humor).

[@Wooblidoo]

Practicing the song Magma by Gojira made pinch harmonics really click for me.

[@Stickman.1]

Beautiful No More Tears👌

[@pety1245]

The exact video is needed 9 years ago😂

[@Henrix1998]

Jokes on you I cant play pinch harmonics barely at all

[@lightxgrenade]

I always found it more difficult to do a pinch harmonic on the higher strings. Particularly the B string.

[@chasetherocknroll5144]

Anyone manage this level of gain out of the 5150 overdrive pedal?

[@chunkmonk2356]

Let’s go, finally my Zakk Wylde fanboying has given me something I rise above with guitar technique. The trick is to have no care for your guitar and just straight up going for it and smackin the string xd

[@jonbigg7385]

Tremonti and Petrucci are masters of those low E string pinch harmonics.