Pinch harmonics and wide vibrato: a metal riff
A palm-muted riff on the low E with a squealing pinch harmonic held on beat 2 of every bar, shaken with a wide vibrato: E, then C, then D and C to a long E to finish. Pinch harmonics, a squeal made by the thumb grazing the string as the pick strikes it, are one of the signature sounds of metal guitar. Finding the spot takes practice; holding the squeal with a wide vibrato makes it sing.
Opens in the player looped and counted in, with drums playing along, and speeds up 5 % every 2 loops to 120 bpm. No account or microphone needed.
- Goal tempo
- 120 bpm
- Starts at
- 72 bpm
- Length
- 4 bars, looped
- Tuning
- E standard
- Time
- 4/4
- Level
- Intermediate
- Plays with
- Drums
How to play it
Choke up on the pick so the thumb's edge brushes the string right after the pick; try spots between the pickups until it squeals.
Three palm-muted eighths on the low E, then a pinch harmonic on beat 2 held for a beat: on E at the 2nd fret of the D string in bars 1 and 3, on C at the 3rd fret of the A string in bar 2. Shake each one with a wide vibrato, then chug again.
Bar 2 ends with B and C on the A string, and bar 4 plays D and C and holds a pinch harmonic E for half a bar, which leads back to the riff.
A pinch harmonic is a normal pick stroke with the side of the thumb touching the string just after the pick. Choke up so only a little of the pick shows, and try different spots between the pickups: each note squeals in different places.
Mistakes to watch for
- Touching the string with the thumb too long, which kills the note instead of making it squeal.
- Too little gain: pinch harmonics need distortion to stand out.
- A vibrato that's fast and narrow; a wide vibrato pushes the string a half step or more, and more slowly.
A speed plan
The player starts at 60 % of the goal and plays each tempo twice before stepping up:
- 72
- 78
- 84
- 90
- 96
- 102
- 108
- 114
- 120
That's 16 loops and about 3 minutes before you're playing at 120 bpm. If it stops being clean on the way, stop the ramp there and loop that tempo until it is. With a microphone or an audio interface you can record while you play instead: Demiurg checks every loop and steps up only after two clean ones in a row, and back down after a poor one.
Questions
How fast should I play Pinch harmonics and wide vibrato?
The goal is 120 bpm in eighth notes, which is 4 notes a second. Start wherever every note is clean: the player begins at 72 bpm. Signed in, you can set a goal of your own, slower or faster, on the Exercises page.
Why don't my pinch harmonics work?
Usually the thumb is too far from the pick or touches too long. Grip the pick so the thumb's edge is right at its tip, and dig in a little. Then move the picking hand along the strings: the squeal depends on where you pick.
Which pickup is best for pinch harmonics?
The bridge pickup with plenty of gain makes them easiest. On the neck pickup they work too, but the squeal is softer and the right spots are different.
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