| How do you get your chimes? |
| Fingernail |
|
3% |
[ 1 ] |
| Side of finger |
|
45% |
[ 15 ] |
| Other |
|
51% |
[ 17 ] |
|
| Total Votes : 33 |
|
| Author |
Topic: Harmonics / Chimes Technique |
Peter Ellman
From:
North Carolina, USA
|
Posted 5 Dec 2024 4:55 am |
|
| Hi- I'm learning how to do chimes/harmonics and I"m trying to figure out the best way to do it. I'm doing Paul Franklin's course and he uses the fingernail of the ring finger. I've also seen using the side of the tip of the ring finger. I'm curious if there's any consensus on the best and most reliable way to do it (Ha, consensus!) but mainly just wanted to have a little discussion on it to hear some tips and tricks and then commit to one technique. There seems to be a little bit of "luck" involved for me and I'm not sure what it is that leads to success vs failure. I feel like I can get them (say for the thing I'm working on now is bar at 9th and hitting harmonics on 3rd and first string (21st fret) for "what I need to do" Kenny Chesney. I get them more than half the time but it's not 100 percent. Appreciate any advice |
|
|
 |
Dale Rottacker
From:
Walla Walla Washington, USA
|
Posted 5 Dec 2024 5:19 am
|
|
I used to use the side of my palm or side of ring finger, but both of methods kind of block a precise look at the fret they need to land on. so if I needed to hit the 21st fret I couldn't see it, but instead would need to know the fret my thumb pick needed to hit in order for my palm or side of finger to land on the desired fret. TOO MUCH MATH.
Then one day I was watching Travis Toy doing chimes and he was using the tip of his ring finger. I tried it and volià I could see the fret that finger needed to hit. So now thats how I do it though sometimes go for the fingernail too. For me the fingertip method is much more precise and I'm able to hit it with greater regularity than the side of finger or palm.
_________________
Dale Rottacker, Steelinatune™
https://www.youtube.com/@steelinatune
*2021 MSA Legend, "Jolly Rancher" D10 10x9
*2021 Rittenberry, "The Concord" D10 9x9
*1977 Blue Sho-Bud Pro 3 Custom 8x6
https://msapedalsteels.com
http://rittenberrysteelguitars.com
https://www.telonics.com/index.php
https://www.p2pamps.com
https://www.quilterlabs.com |
|
|
|
Peter Ellman
From:
North Carolina, USA
|
Posted 5 Dec 2024 5:59 am
|
|
| Thank you Dale! Very helpful. Ha I got you with the side of the ring finger pick where you needed to to know where the blind part of your hand hits. It "works" well that way in terms of getting it but being precise about the note for the reasons you bring up was one of the reasons I wasn't sure if this is the best method |
|
|
|
Marco Schouten
From:
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
|
Posted 5 Dec 2024 7:55 am
|
|
The palm, or the tip of a finger, or the pinky folded or a knuckle of one of the fingers.
_________________
----------------------------------
JCH SD-10 with BL XR-16 pickup, Sho-Bud Volume Pedal, Evidence Audio Lyric HG cables, Quilter Steelaire combo |
|
|
|
Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
|
Posted 5 Dec 2024 8:59 am
|
|
Palm harmonics for me. 
Erv |
|
|
|
Pete McAvity
From:
St. Louis, Missouri USA
|
Posted 5 Dec 2024 12:33 pm
|
|
I'm more palm these days. Used to be side of knuckle, but Brad Sarno converted me. It's a LOT more forgiving. Sounds a bit different, but I'd rather pull it off 90% of the time and sound good than 20% of the time and sound good but different- knuckling is just difficult for me. Lot of misses.
_________________
Excel Superb D10, Sarno Black Box or Freeloader, Goodrich L120, Boss DD5, Baby Bloomer, 1965 Super Reverb chopped to a head, feeding a mystery PA cab w/ a K130.
They say "thats how it goes". I say "that ain't the way it stays!"
Last edited by Pete McAvity on 5 Dec 2024 12:46 pm; edited 1 time in total |
|
|
|
Ron Funk
From:
Ballwin, Missouri
|
Posted 5 Dec 2024 12:39 pm
|
|
Seems I’ve only been able to dependably use the somewhat cumbersome old ‘wrap around approach’
When you fellas are using ‘the tip of the ring finger approach’ at the harmonic fret, are you then using the thumb pick ( placed LEFT of your ring finger ) to pick same string as close to the tip of your ring finger as possible?
This old dawg needs to learn a new trick!
Thanks |
|
|
|
Paddy Long
From:
Christchurch, New Zealand
|
Posted 5 Dec 2024 3:26 pm
|
|
Ive always used the tip of my right ring finger, with the thumbpick directly behind it, ala Chet Atkins ... this method doesn't block the fret markers from view and I find it pretty precise and clean.
_________________
14'Zumsteel Hybrid D10 9+9
08'Zumsteel Hybrid D10 9+9
94' Franklin Stereo D10 9+8
Telonics, Peterson, Steelers Choice, Benado, Lexicon, Red Dirt Cases. |
|
|
|
Peter Ellman
From:
North Carolina, USA
|
Posted 5 Dec 2024 4:46 pm
|
|
| Ron Funk wrote: |
Seems I’ve only been able to dependably use the somewhat cumbersome old ‘wrap around approach’
When you fellas are using ‘the tip of the ring finger approach’ at the harmonic fret, are you then using the thumb pick ( placed LEFT of your ring finger ) to pick same string as close to the tip of your ring finger as possible?
This old dawg needs to learn a new trick!
Thanks |
Yes I believe so. When I've done it this way it doesn't even seem like you need to pluck the string that close to where you hit the harmonic. but again I'm a total novice |
|
|
|
Peter Ellman
From:
North Carolina, USA
|
Posted 5 Dec 2024 4:47 pm
|
|
| thank you everyone for your replies |
|
|
|
Marco Schouten
From:
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
|
Posted 6 Dec 2024 2:20 am
|
|
| Ron Funk wrote: |
Seems I’ve only been able to dependably use the somewhat cumbersome old ‘wrap around approach’
When you fellas are using ‘the tip of the ring finger approach’ at the harmonic fret, are you then using the thumb pick ( placed LEFT of your ring finger ) to pick same string as close to the tip of your ring finger as possible?
This old dawg needs to learn a new trick!
Thanks |
In that situation, my thumb pick is right of the fingertip. Often I press the tip of my thumb against about the first joint of my ring finger
_________________
----------------------------------
JCH SD-10 with BL XR-16 pickup, Sho-Bud Volume Pedal, Evidence Audio Lyric HG cables, Quilter Steelaire combo |
|
|
|
Thornton Lewis
From:
New York, USA
|
Posted 7 Dec 2024 2:25 pm
|
|
I use 4 picks which rules out a lot. I use the side of my pinky curled under my palm. One advantage of this is it is relatively easy to chime two adjacent strings together.
_________________
Less equipment, more practice. |
|
|
|
Ian Rae
From:
Redditch, England
|
Posted 7 Dec 2024 4:45 pm
|
|
I also use 4 picks and the edge of the palm for chimes.
But I'll try the pinky thing that Thornton suggests...
_________________
Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs |
|
|
|
Ron Funk
From:
Ballwin, Missouri
|
Posted 7 Dec 2024 7:35 pm
|
|
In a recent video (posted somewhere that I cannot presently recall), Tyler Hall used the tip of the PICK on his INDEX finger to make the harmonic.
Thumb stroke just to the left of the tip of his Index Finger PICK.
And man, do those harmonics ring! |
|
|
|
Dave Grafe
From:
Hudson River Valley NY
|
Posted 7 Dec 2024 11:54 pm
|
|
| Thornton Lewis wrote: |
| I use 4 picks which rules out a lot. I use the side of my pinky curled under my palm. One advantage of this is it is relatively easy to chime two adjacent strings together. |
What Thornton said, picks on three fingers so the pinky knuckle is my go-to, double-stop harmonics are always fun! |
|
|
|
Sam Inglis
From:
United Kingdom
|
Posted 8 Dec 2024 1:57 pm
|
|
| Ron Funk wrote: |
In a recent video (posted somewhere that I cannot presently recall), Tyler Hall used the tip of the PICK on his INDEX finger to make the harmonic.
Thumb stroke just to the left of the tip of his Index Finger PICK.
And man, do those harmonics ring! |
I do something like this. I rest the edge of the thumbpick on the string to divide it and use my first finger to pluck the string. You can get very strong harmonics but it's hard to do more than one string in quick succession. |
|
|
|
Landon Johnson
From:
Washington, USA
|
Posted 16 Dec 2024 11:18 am
|
|
I use the knuckle on my little finger. I've tried the 'single finger' versions and despite the blind attack and placement I can get chime chords by raking across the strings with both knuckle and pick.
_________________
1989 Mullen PRP SD-10, 2021 Williams S-10, Quilter TT-12. |
|
|
|
Nathan Golub
From:
Durham, NC
|
Posted 16 Dec 2024 1:35 pm
|
|
| Palm and tip of the ring finger. Palm harmonics for stuff on the fly, finger for things I'd worked out ahead of time. With palm harmonics I had figured out where my thumb would hit to get my palm over the frets I'd be using a lot...like for harmonics at the 15th fret my thumb falls just behind the 9th fret...and then it starts to become more intuitive with practice. |
|
|
|
Lee Rider
From:
Fort Bragg, California, USA
|
Posted 16 Dec 2024 2:58 pm
|
|
Little finger knuckle for me too, but it is harder to find. I wish steel builders would put their fret markers off to the player-side of the fretboard. I ended up putting little pieces of tape at the fret markers on the side of the fretboard so that it is easier to find that fret whilst my gargantuan hands cover the fretboard trying to execute the chime.
_________________
Bowman SD10 push pull 3x5, Modified Hudson PedalBro, Sarno Tonic preamp, Evans FET 500. with Altec 418B, Standel Custom 15, '67 Showman with D-130F in cabinet, Ganz Straight Ahead, custom Wolfe 6 string dobro, '52 Gibson Century 6. |
|
|
|
