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Post new topic How Do You Use Finger or Palm Harmonics on Lap or NP Steel?
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Your Primary Use of Harmonics on Lap or NP Steel
Finger Harmonics
0%
 0%  [ 0 ]
Palm Harmonics
0%
 0%  [ 0 ]
Finger and Palm Harmonics
100%
 100%  [ 1 ]
Don't Use Any Harmonics
0%
 0%  [ 0 ]
Total Votes : 1

Author Topic:  How Do You Use Finger or Palm Harmonics on Lap or NP Steel?
C. E. Jackson


Post  Posted 9 Oct 2017 8:28 am    
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I learned and grew up liking Finger and Palm Harmonics on lap steel:
My first course from Sears had a Lesson on Finger and Palm Harmonics. Later, I had courses by Little Roy Wiggins, Jerry Byrd, Herb Remington, and others, which also had Lessons on Finger and Palm Harmonics. Since I play mostly in A6 tuning, I seem to get great sounding harmonics in the keys of C, D, E, F, and G, my favorite keys for playing.

When playing alone, or with someone else, here is an example of how I might use harmonics:
For hymns, I might play the first verse using a combination of 1, 2, and 3 string harmony. Then, I might play the second verse one octave higher using a combination of 1, 2, and 3 string harmony. Finally, I frequently play a third verse using single string palm harmonics, maybe with a little different tone.

Of course, I use harmonics for different types of songs differently, or none at all. For Fill-in playing, I may use harmonics, or none at all. Frequently, I will close a song with what I call Finger-Sweep-One-Fret-Slide Harmony.

If you like harmonics, how do you use them?

C. E. Smile
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Last edited by C. E. Jackson on 18 Oct 2017 1:26 pm; edited 2 times in total
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Larry Lenhart


From:
Ponca City, Oklahoma
Post  Posted 9 Oct 2017 9:13 am    
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I am not very good at harmonics at all...I am taking a lesson tomorrow with Margie Mays and that is one of the things on my list to work on...plus learning Kahona March Smile
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C. E. Jackson


Post  Posted 9 Oct 2017 11:26 am    
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Larry Lenhart wrote:
I am not very good at harmonics at all...I am taking a lesson tomorrow with Margie Mays and that is one of the things on my list to work on...plus learning Kahona March Smile


Larry, Margie is certainly an excellent player. Why don't you ask her whether or not she believes lap and NP steel players, in general, use
harmonics more or less today than in the past? Her opinion will be of interest and appreciated.

C. E. Smile
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Nic Neufeld


From:
Kansas City, Missouri
Post  Posted 9 Oct 2017 11:52 am    
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I'm a brand new lap steel player...my challenge is I developed harmonics technique from playing as (primarily) an electric bass player, also as a normal guitarist. So, the harmonics on Jaco Pastorius' Portrait of Tracy is more my experience (but I can't play them like he can!). I've been playing steel mostly without fingerpicks so far, and I'll usually hit harmonics by padding the point with my (bare) thumb and plucking the string on the bridge-ward side with my index finger. Once I get the picks on, that technique no longer works. I'm really, really clumsy with palm harmonics, but they sound so good when well done...once I get in with a good teacher hopefully I'll develop some good harmonic technique. Part of my problem, say I'm wanting to do a chordal sweep...I start on the low strings, do a palm harmonic and move to each new string...each time my palm ends up muting the last string which I wanted to ring out.

Once I get the technique right I imagine I'll be more likely using them in a simple context (ie high arpeggiated chord sweep at the end of a song for color) than those insane melodies the really great players do entirely with harmonics. That'll have to come later!

(Off topic...one instrument that is really unique in this regard is the Vietnamese đàn bầu. Single string instrument played with only harmonics as I recall...string tension adjusted with a bar to alter pitch. A lot of similarities to steel guitar, although there's no steel involved. Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5smV8NbWiA)
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Larry Lenhart


From:
Ponca City, Oklahoma
Post  Posted 9 Oct 2017 2:12 pm    
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[quote="
Larry, Margie is certainly an excellent player. Why don't you ask her whether or not she believes lap and NP steel players, in general, use
harmonics more or less today than in the past? Her opinion will be of interest and appreciated.

C. E. Smile[/quote]

I will certainly ask her that question..she is a great player and I am so lucky to within 2 miles of her when I am here in Mesa...I should take more advantage of her lessons...over the last several years I have gone over quite a bit...she is special lady.
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Jack Aldrich

 

From:
Washington, USA
Post  Posted 9 Oct 2017 5:51 pm    
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Yes. use both. Palm mostly for flourishes and finger for melodies.
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David M Brown


From:
California, USA
Post  Posted 10 Oct 2017 6:56 am    
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Yeah, me too - I use them for lots of effects, chords, melodies, sometimes whole chord glisses with harmonics.

It's a great special effect, although one could say that harmonics are not an effect but are an important part of the Hawaiian style.

Like Feet Rogers - it's part of his style.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYhWq9pzvPI[/url]
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C. E. Jackson


Post  Posted 11 Oct 2017 5:57 am    
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I have been thinking back about changes in steel guitar music since I started playing in 1948. After listening to earlier Hawaiian and non-Hawaiian players, and later steel guitar players, in my opinion, finger and palm harmonics are decreasing in popularity with steel players. However, being an old style player, I still use them about the same as when I started playing. I still enjoy those sounds.

What is your opinion? Is the use of harmonics increasing or decreasing with current steel players?

C. E. Smile
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Andy Henriksen

 

From:
Michigan, USA
Post  Posted 11 Oct 2017 6:17 am    
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I love harmonics and I do practice them (mostly palm), but I am too inconsistent to do them live still. Even when playing Sleepwalk in front of people, I'll just play the iconic harmonic lick as a non-harmonic up an octave from where it normally would be. Confused Some day I'll get over that....right?
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Jack Hanson


From:
San Luis Valley, USA
Post  Posted 11 Oct 2017 6:52 am    
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How do I use finger or palm harmonics?

Sparingly.
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Andy Volk


From:
Boston, MA
Post  Posted 12 Oct 2017 2:52 am    
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Here's an original Weissenborn tune of mine that's bookended with harmonics: http://picosong.com/w34m8/
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C. E. Jackson


Post  Posted 12 Oct 2017 4:15 am    
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Very nice, Andy. Thanks.

C. E. Smile
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C. E. Jackson


Post  Posted 14 Oct 2017 5:34 am    
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This is a followup to my earlier post. A highly respected steel player known to Forum members, recently expressed the opinion that steel players definitely do not use harmonics as much today as they did 60+ years ago. I agree with that opinion, as I expressed in my earlier post. However, I still love the sound of great finger and palm harmonics and continue to use them with the same, or maybe a little more frequency, than I did in late 1940.

Have you heard similar opinions expressed, or do you have a similar opinion?

Do you use them more or less than when you first started playing steel, or not at all?

C. E. Smile
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Steffen Gunter


From:
Munich, Germany
Post  Posted 14 Oct 2017 9:43 am    
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I use palm harmonics a lot since I started playing about 3 or 4 years ago. Tried several techniques – touching with fingertip was first, because easier. But after studying the JB course I decided to use my palm. It just a softer sound with less attack.

Moving harmonics sound magic to me. I'm completely addicted to this sound and use harmonics also in my own songs I'm just working on.

As training I rehearse Whispering Lullaby (aka Whispering Reef) which is completely played with palm harmonics and a wonderful song.

@Andy Henriksen: I use the harmonics on Sleep Walk at live gigs. Sometimes they come out dead, but if they pop out loud and clear, it was worth the risk. I too thought about just playing 1 octave up but it's just not the real thing.
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