A weird technique. Is there a name for it?

[cheddatom]

When i'm playing the bass, one technique which I particularly like is to fret a note, and then to tap on the string i'm fretting at various positions on the neck. I don't tap hard enough for it to be called "tapping" as you don't hear the note which my right hand is "playing". What you do hear are extra harmonics and generally pleasing frequencies which aren't there when plucking or picking, or even when using artificial harmonics in the style of an 80s guitarist. This works particularly well on acoustic bass.

So.... what's the name for this, who else does it, and where's the obligatory amazing youtube video of the master of this technique?

[mcgraham]

Not sure if there's a technical name for it. I know Michael Manring does faux 'slapping' using the tips of his fingers, and lighter versions up the neck to add your mentioned harmonics. I've used this on occasion but I'm not a huge fan of added percussiveness from frets in that sense.

Mark

[peteb]

I've always just thought of it as 'tapping harmonics' and have used it a lot for many years

I know that Stu Hamm used to use it for the intro to his bass solo years ago but unfortunately I can't find it on YouTube or remember the name of the piece when he originally recorded it

[alexclaber]

I believe it's a tapped artificial harmonic.

Alex

[51m0n]

Billy Sheehan does a lot of his in one of his instructional vids, if you can get over the hair and clothes long enough to stop laughing and watch the playing (he's interviewed by the most annoying c*ck rock wanna-be throughout - its a dreadful vid)

Always called it tapped harmonics myself, one of those techniques that really comes to life with a nice bit of compression and plenty of bridge pickup with sparkly new strings Alex - surprised you'd ever noticed it Alex

Edited January 14, 2009 by 51m0n

[Mr. Foxen]

I recall a vid of a guy with a many stringed bass talking about 'precussive harmonics' which he'd apparently invented, pretty sure it was doing that. I do it where guitarist would do a pinch harmonic.

[cheddatom]

Interesting stuff - thanks! I'll look up some videos.

I like to do it when playing chords on my acoustic bass, as in tapping 3 or 4 strings at the same time.

[Merton]

[quote name='alexclaber' post='380529' date='Jan 14 2009, 06:28 PM']I believe it's a tapped artificial harmonic.

Alex[/quote]
That's what I call it, do it just for fun here and there

[phil_the_bassist]

[quote name='alexclaber' post='380529' date='Jan 14 2009, 06:28 PM']I believe it's a tapped artificial harmonic.

Alex[/quote]


I've heard 'em called false harmonics too...The Ox talks about (avoiding) 'em in his DVD, when he explains his 'keyboard technique'

good dvd, shame its a digitized rip of the VCR film.

[alexclaber]

[quote name='51m0n' post='380667' date='Jan 14 2009, 08:40 PM']Always called it tapped harmonics myself, one of those techniques that really comes to life with a nice bit of compression and plenty of bridge pickup with sparkly new strings Alex - surprised you'd ever noticed it Alex [/quote]

36" scale, wenge neck/board, stainless steel frets, Q-Tuners... Don't need sparkly new strings to get harmonics when there's already all that stuff going on!

Alex

[d-basser]

SIMON, there it is now named

seriously though I would refer to them a artificial harmonics