More Guitar Techniques
Vibrato
Vibrato seems like a very simple technique, but it is quite often one of the most distinctive aspects of a guitarist’s playing, and there can be a huge difference in just how good a guitarist sounds based solely on this technique. This technique involves making very small pitch changes to a note very quickly. This technique makes long notes sound very interesting, and even improves the sustain on notes with proper technique.
Too many guitarists think the point of vibrato is to just shake the string as hard and fast as possible. This is not the case, and quite often the people that play it as such will end up making the note they are playing sound a little sharp and uncontrolled. Developing the control to make small consistent motions and learn to use it properly just makes a guitarist’s playing sound much, much better. It is one of those techniques that might not necessarily be as obvious, but when it is done poorly or not done at all, you will know it.
Natural Harmonics
By lightly touching the string in the right place and picking it, you can produce natural harmonics, which can be very pure sounding notes, or depending on amp settings on an electric guitar, produce all sorts of odd, high pitched sounds. There is a whole lot to the actual mechanics behind why harmonics work the way they do, but understanding how to find the nodes is pretty easy. The nodes are at a point that would divide the string into several equal parts. For example, half way up the string, there is a node that divides the string in two equal parts. If you go a third of the way up the string, there is a node that ultimately creates three equal parts.
Once you know where the nodes are, this is pretty easy of a technique to do, but it can be a powerful one. Since you don’t have to touch the string for the harmonic to keep ringing, this can be quite useful for covering up moving around the neck. “Barracuda” by Heart uses these to very good effect in that regard.
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Artificial Harmonics
The name is almost a misnomer because when you look at the actual mechanics behind what is actually going on in the string, these actually work about the same as natural harmonics. What makes them “artificial” is that you are fretting the string when you use those, so it is no longer the harmonic of the natural string. Generally, if you use the techniques listed as artificial harmonics on an open string, they are still usually referred to as artificial harmonics, but they would be producing the same tones as the natural harmonics when used correctly.
There are actually a few different ways to do these, but they more or less produce the same sound. The most common is the pinched harmonic, which uses the thumb of the picking hard to hit the node as the string is plucked. There are also harp harmonics, which extend the index finger and use that to hit the node. The nodes are located in the same relative places, but in relation to the fretted note and the bridge.
These are the most common techniques a guitarist should encounter, and learning to do each one properly is an important part of learning to play guitar. A guitarist who can play these well is going to sound a lot better than a guitarist that thinks just playing the right notes is fine.