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Topic: question re tricky harmonic in Dewitt Scott's lapsteel book |
John Clay
From:
Texas, USA
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Posted 23 Dec 2023 8:36 am |
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I have a technique question regarding a tricky harmonic in Dewitt Scott's version of The Great Speckled Bird from his Mel Bay book, Basic C6th Nonpedal Lap Steel Method.
In a couple of places in his arrangement, there are two successive palm harmonics. Both are played with the tone bar at the 7th fret.
The first palm harmonic (12va) is played with the tone bar is at 7th fret and the palm is at the 19th fret. I can play that.
My problem is with playing the second palm harmonic. The second palm harmonic (16va) is played with the tone bar at the 7th fret and the palm is at the 12th fret.
There is so little space between the ridge of my right palm and the tone bar that I can't seem to get enough clearance to sweep my thumb pick across the strings. I am wondering if it's because I am using a somewhat shorter scale (22.5 inch fretboard instead of the fretboard scale for a full-sized guitar - e.g., 24.5 inches or longer).
Does anyone have some advice for how to tackle the 2d harmonic in this song? |
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Nathan Laudenbach
From:
Montana
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Posted 23 Dec 2023 1:14 pm
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| That doesn’t sound right to me. I don’t think you can play a harmonic that way. |
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Duane Becker
From:
Elk,Wa 99009 USA
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Posted 23 Dec 2023 4:59 pm
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| John, I use my right hand ring finger, laid flat, or at least almost flat across the strings at the 12 fret while strumming across the strings with thumb pick, to get that second harmonic. Might take a while to get used to doing this if you haven't done it before. I bend my ring finger at the joint closest to where youd wear a normal ring. |
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Roger Fletcher
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 23 Dec 2023 11:51 pm
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| This is very interesting. I saw a video in which Bobby Ingano said that they didn't use this third finger method in Hawaii but instead picked with the middle finger instead of the thumb. However, JB said that the third finger method was how to play Whispering Lullaby. He ought to have known, because I believe he was in thu studio when David Keli'i recorded his magical version. |
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John Clay
From:
Texas, USA
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Posted 25 Dec 2023 11:49 am Thanks!
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Duane, thanks - that makes sense. I'll work on this.
-John Clay |
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Roland Sturm
From:
Santa Monica, CA
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Posted 13 Jan 2024 3:23 pm
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| I puzzled over that same spot in the book, for the same reason, and started to think that maybe it is an error. There are quite a few blunders in the book, several in the notation of the next song, St. Louis Blues. But the ring finger suggestion worked immediately here, thanks! |
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