string chiming ? ..Help

[james sluder]

Can anyone tell me how to make the pretty chime on strings ?. I would be thankfull for any help !

Jim.

[Dale Hansen]

There are lotsa ways to do it James.
I personally prefer the knuckle harmonic, which produces a crystal clear, bell like sound.
It's gonna feel foreign, and uncomfortable at first, but extend your thumbpick beyond your ring finger at the first knuckle, near the nail. the ring finger will be tucked under, and lightly touching your thumb, all the other fingers will naturally be pretty much straight out to get out of the way.
Frets 5, 7, and 12 are already inherent harmonic points, so try one of those first. Wherever you are fretwise, lightly touch your (first joint) ring knuckle to the string 12 frets above it, while crossing over and picking your string in one motion. This one is handy, because you can still execute a 3 string "rake" for a harp like effect. When you look at your hand, it will look like you're making the "OK" hand sign, using your ring finger instead of the "bird" finger, but the thumb is extended more. You can also try a finger tip harmonic. With this technique, your ring finger will extend beyond your thumbpick, towards the bar hand, and simultaneously picking the string while you lightly touch the string with your (ring) finger tip.
This one might really feel awkward because you almost need to have your forearm parallel to the neck to pull it off. Palm harmonics are done with the pad, or side of your palm. Your thumb will extend a few frets towards your bar, but the contact point is the side of the palm 12 frets up. You'll hear swing players use this one often, following up with a second swipe five frets closer to the bar.

At first, you'll have a poor success ratio,.. so expect it. It takes time to zero in on a touch, or feel for any of these methods. Day by day, in time it will become more intuitive.
Try to simply focus more on the sound that you want to create, as opposed to the dead plunks that you'll most likely be hearing initially. Just have fun with em', you can learn to do it. Let the techniques develop, and materialize on their own time.
Plant it, & cultivate it. You'll eventually harvest... Just like everything else you've ever learned.

[Hank Ruf]

James, we have a teaching DVD on different ways to chime (harmonics) and proper right hand technique.
www.ozarksteelguitar.com

[basilh]

Yep ! Like Carl says

[C Dixon]

I personally prefer the knuckle harmonic, which produces a crystal clear, bell like sound.

I agree with Dale.

Buddy Emmons is the best I have ever seen using this technique. I believe it was Buddy Charleton who once said he saw Bubby practice NOTHING but these harmonics for 4 hours one night, back stage at the GOO.

When you see and hear him do it, I believe most would say also, practice does make perfect. But there is one caveat to this.......

I have tried it but simply cannot do it. After 50 yrs of palm harmonics and finger harmonics, I quess the old adage, "Ya 'caint' teach and old dog new tricks", is still appropos.

No more than I can pick block. It just seems impossible, yet I have seen players do it effortlessly. I once watched up close, Mike Bagwell do it, and I just had to walk away shakin' my head. I have also said, It ought not to work (without all kinds of extraneous sounds) but it does. PF is the master at it, IMO.

Oh well

carl

[Bill Ford]

Watch Randy Beavers, he also does beautiful harmonics, a different way.

BF

[james sluder]

Thanks to all of you for your help ! i can see i have a lot of work to do to learn this !

jim!

[Clyde Mattocks]

Bill, I'm with you on Randy Beavers. His touch is perfect at hitting a chord, then popping out a
crystaline harmonic on one of the strings, leaving the rest of the chord undisturbed.

[Matthew Prouty]

This was a problem area for me until I decided that I would practice all of my scales chiming from the open fret all the way to the 12th fret and back 10 times a day. At the end of the week you will be able to do it with ease.

I try all different methods while doing it but find myself using the pinkie knuckle like Buddy Emmons uses to be the best. Up the scale at one fret and back down. Move up one fret and repeat.

m.

[Brint Hannay]

I'm sure everybody has to find what works for them, physically, but I, too, use the ring finger knuckle for "chimes", picking them with the thumb pick. It probably helps that I curl the ring and little fingers under the rest of the time, anyway, so it's not that big a change from my normal hand position.

[Brett Day]

I usually chime with my middle finger.

Brett

[Ben Jones]

I learned (somewhere?) to do it with the tip of my pinky. But you cant really do multiple notes this way so now I am trying to learn to do it with the knuckle on my ring finger. Having a hard time keeping it straight so i get a nasty plinker every once in a while. Harmonics are brutal live when they dont work. "PLUNK!"

guess i will do as suggested above and devote some time to my new method.

[basilh]

Just a silly question from an "Outsider" .. When did the terminology for <Harmonics> change into "Chiming"?
It's hard enough keeping track of the various variations of Knee Lever terminology, and not to mention the order of tuning description High to low or the other 'incorrect' way.

[Ben Jones]

Chiming is a term Ive only heard used by steelers.

[Brint Hannay]

Baz, what are you saying you're "outside"??!!

Did it start with "Rose City Chimes", or was the tune called that because the term was already in use?

[C Dixon]

The term "chiming" is as old as steel Guitar itself. I am not sure who coined it, but EVEN the National "New Yorker" lapsteel, had a tone position marked, "Chimes".

Most every player I new back in the 40's and 50's used the word in lieu of "harmonics". But some used them interchangeably all the time.

c.

[Tim Whitlock]

I think it's the other way around, Bas. "Chiming" is a term that goes way back. I'm surprised you don't recognize it from song titles like "Rose City Chimes" or Sweet Hawaiian Chimes" and many others like them that feature extensive use of harmonics.

[basilh]

Baz, what are you saying you're "outside"??!!

Did it start with "Rose City Chimes", or was the tune called that because the term was already in use?

Yes thanks, now I'm sure that the term Chiming came first, judging by the replies.. Good, that helps me understand a little more. As for being "Outside" I felt as though I was, after I posted the article describing how to play harmonics with the fairly descriptive pictures, and the post was totally ignored..Probably getting a little grumpy in my old age..

I didn't know the song lyrics of "Sweet Hawaiian Chimes" referred to harmonics on the Steel Guitar ! I thought it was describing church bells Like Here
The IS a reference to "sweet Hawaiian chimes" in the Crying Steel Guitar Waltz, but I think the inspiration for the LANI MCINTIRE, GEORGE B MCCONNELL & DICK SANFORD song was diferent.

[basilh]

James, you may get another "slant" on palm harmonics by watching these videos :-
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=114503



The SECOND section on this page is somewhat useful

[Wayne Franco]

The method shown above won't work with the ring finger!

[Twayn Williams]

Yes thanks, now I'm sure that the term Chiming came first, judging by the replies..

Uh, sorry, no, harmonics (or artificial harmonics) is the "correct" musicological term and is hundreds of years old. Chimes is a steel players term. Nothing wrong with it, but it's a terminology that is particular to steel players.

I play harmonics on steel like I play them on guitar, I touch the harmonic node with my right hand index finger and pluck the string with my ring finger. I use Propik Fingertone picks which have the oval cutout so the pad of the finger can touch the string, so I don't know if you could use the same technique with more standard finger picks.

[Ray Montee (RIP)]

In all of my 'learnings' I was always taught that the correct terminology is "HARMONICS"....., whether they are produced mechanically by palm or finger.

That's why these famous tunes use the WRONG terminology: PLAYBOY CHIMES; STEELIN' the CHIMES.

And Ron Whitfield........don't those Hawaiian boys over there refer to them as "BELLS"......at least, that's what JERRY BYRD told me.

[Brint Hannay]

Saying "chimes" is a wrong term is like saying "kickoff" is a wrong term, "introduction" is correct. The word "chime" is colorful and descriptive--seems harmless to me.

[Brett Day]

I learned (somewhere?) to do it with the tip of my pinky. But you cant really do multiple notes this way so now I am trying to learn to do it with the knuckle on my ring finger. Having a hard time keeping it straight so i get a nasty plinker every once in a while. Harmonics are brutal live when they dont work. "PLUNK!"

guess i will do as suggested above and devote some time to my new method.

Paul Franklin teaches chiming on his Musical Concepts for E9th video and he says he does it with the pinky finger.

Brett

Brett

[Ron Whitfield]

..., as it actually came up in an abbreviated conversation on the topic the other day with Bobby Ingano, there does seem to be a difference between bells and chimes, however slight it may be.
I believe harmonic master Feet Rogers does both, and I'll try to get the particulars for us asap, if in fact Derrick or anyone else who knows can't 'chime' in before.