A pinch harmonic is a
guitar technique (typically
electric guitar) in which the nail or thumb slightly catches the string after it is picked, cancelling the
fundamental of the string, and letting one of its
harmonics ring out. This creates a high
pitched
sound in any position. The technique is possible on any fretted stringed instrument, but is most widely employed by electric guitarists, especially in
heavy metal and
rock music where heavy
distortion ensures that the otherwise subtle harmonic is greatly amplified. By using string bending, the
whammy bar,
wah-wah, or other effects,
electric guitarists are able to modulate pitch, frequency, and
timbre of pinch harmonics, resulting in a variety of sounds, the most common being a very high-pitched squeal. Pinch harmonics are generally considered a form of
artificial harmonic, although in technique, they are different. An identifiable signature was pioneered by such artists as
Eddie Van Halen and
Steve Vai, utilizing the
whammy bar, high gain amps, and the pinch harmonic. This ended up producing wild, screaming, horse-like wails from the instrument. Steve Vai actually composed a track named "Bad Horsie" which uses heavy pinch harmonic techniques.
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