Author Topic: Songs that have guitar/bass harmonics (Read 2874 times)

HOF · « **on:** April 26, 2022, 11:17:49 PM »

This is a random thread I know, but there's always been something about the sound of harmonics that just really resonates with me, and I'm kind of obsessed with them. If you don't know what I'm talking about, the intro to Yes' Roundabout is kind of the classic example, or in DT world the bass intro to Lifting Shadows Off a Dream. Alex Lifeson on the intro to Red Barchetta or towards the beginning of Hemispheres are other examples most people here would know. Eddie Van Halen used them a ton. Was just listening to U2's Sunday Bloody Sunday and noticed them there in the section after the guitar solo. Pearl Jam’s Jeremy has some cool bass harmonics on the intro. They're kind of everywhere.

Anyone else really dig when songs have these? Favorite examples?

Deadeye21 · « **Reply #1 on:** April 26, 2022, 11:38:32 PM »

Both Blood on the World’s Hands and The Unbeliever from the X Factor album by Iron Maiden use different types of harmonics. They make up a large portion of Steve’s opening bass solo on the former, and there’s a riff consisting of them on the latter.

Welcome Home (Sanitarium) by Metallica also uses them in its intro. Makes a really cool sound.
My favourite usage though is in Megadeth’s Tornado of Souls. Just such a heavy sound for harmonics.

Harmonics are great.

Kwyjibo · « **Reply #2 on:** April 27, 2022, 05:24:22 AM »

The intros to

Twist The Knife - Steve Lukather
Li'l Jack Horny - Extreme

are mostly harmonics

Fritzinger · « **Reply #3 on:** April 27, 2022, 05:36:34 AM »

Immediate thought: Genesis/Steve Hackett - Horizons

Also:
DT - As I Am
David Crosby - Look In Their Eyes

Also, short parts in:
Haken - The Endless Know
DT - Metropolis Pt.1
Metallica - Nothing Else Matters

Stadler · « **Reply #4 on:** April 27, 2022, 06:53:44 AM »

I love that sound; I was going to name Eddie Van Halen. He does it best, IMO. Panama.

ReaperKK · « **Reply #5 on:** April 27, 2022, 07:15:49 AM »

I got your harmonics right here: https://youtu.be/7cgsCBpAZQg

Michael Kelsey has a good song that utilizes harmonics: https://youtu.be/0H2OvLj26-E

HOF · « **Reply #6 on:** April 27, 2022, 07:26:35 AM »

Quote from: ReaperKK on April 27, 2022, 07:15:49 AM

I got your harmonics right here: https://youtu.be/7cgsCBpAZQg

Mesmerizing!

romdrums · « **Reply #7 on:** April 27, 2022, 10:03:09 AM »

Yes - The Fish

HOF · « **Reply #8 on:** April 27, 2022, 07:42:09 PM »

Journey’s Send Her My Love has a bunch of bass harmonics on the verse.

wolfking · « **Reply #9 on:** April 27, 2022, 09:43:39 PM »

The intro to Savatage's Turns to Me instantly pops to mind. What a great atmosphere.

HOF · « **Reply #10 on:** April 27, 2022, 10:17:50 PM »

Quote from: wolfking on April 27, 2022, 09:43:39 PM

The intro to Savatage's Turns to Me instantly pops to mind. What a great atmosphere.

Good one!

nick_z · « **Reply #11 on:** April 28, 2022, 07:39:15 PM »

Quote from: wolfking on April 27, 2022, 09:43:39 PM

The intro to Savatage's Turns to Me instantly pops to mind. What a great atmosphere.

Agreed! Sets the stage beautifully.

Wake of Magellan is a great album, probably my favorite post-Criss Oliva...

TAC · « **Reply #12 on:** April 28, 2022, 07:40:18 PM »

ReaperKK · « **Reply #13 on:** April 28, 2022, 07:42:58 PM »

Got one more for you from Michael Kelsey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlIjEtHSCKk

wolfking · « **Reply #14 on:** April 28, 2022, 07:46:44 PM »

Quote from: nick_z on April 28, 2022, 07:39:15 PM

Quote from: wolfking on April 27, 2022, 09:43:39 PM
The intro to Savatage's Turns to Me instantly pops to mind. What a great atmosphere.

Agreed! Sets the stage beautifully.

Wake of Magellan is a great album, probably my favorite post-Criss Oliva...

Yeah, it's a magical album. Poets and Madmen is my fav post Criss album.

ReaperKK · « **Reply #15 on:** April 28, 2022, 07:49:35 PM »

A couple more and I'll stop with the acoustic posts:

Spencer Elliott - Torque, some great harmonics sprinkled around: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bGd5AqrYgE

And this is a classic that got me into more harmonic and percussive playing:

Erik Mongrain - Airtap!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbndgwfG22k

Stadler · « **Reply #16 on:** April 29, 2022, 06:29:59 AM »

On a rockier note, don't the verses of Iron Maiden's "Killers" use artificial harmonics in that descending riff?

ReaperKK · « **Reply #17 on:** April 29, 2022, 06:48:18 AM »

Quote from: Stadler on April 29, 2022, 06:29:59 AM

On a rockier note, don't the verses of Iron Maiden's "Killers" use artificial harmonics in that descending riff?

Just took a listen and yea, it's pretty cool riff!

Ben_Jamin · « **Reply #18 on:** April 29, 2022, 10:45:04 AM »

Tool: Disposition and Intension

Lindsey Buckingham: Go Insane (Acoustic) (Live: The Dance)

Kram · « **Reply #19 on:** April 29, 2022, 11:32:04 AM »

For bass harmonics, Jaco Pastorius A Portrait of Tracy. JM covered this on the I&W anniversary tour. I'll never forget this blowing my mind the first time I heard it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqndXUPBjIo

HOF · « **Reply #20 on:** April 29, 2022, 12:24:21 PM »

Quote from: Kram on April 29, 2022, 11:32:04 AM

For bass harmonics, Jaco Pastorius A Portrait of Tracy. JM covered this on the I&W anniversary tour. I'll never forget this bowing my mind the first time I heard it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqndXUPBjIo

Loved that!

wolfking · « **Reply #21 on:** April 29, 2022, 07:06:52 PM »

Joe Satriani - Up in the Sky. Very cool intro.

nick_z · « **Reply #22 on:** April 29, 2022, 07:23:11 PM »

Quote from: wolfking on April 29, 2022, 07:06:52 PM

Joe Satriani - Up in the Sky. Very cool intro.

Yep, I wanted to post that one! Speaking of Satch, I guess Summer Song too, also initial riff...

wolfking · « **Reply #23 on:** April 29, 2022, 07:24:27 PM »

Quote from: nick_z on April 29, 2022, 07:23:11 PM

Quote from: wolfking on April 29, 2022, 07:06:52 PM
Joe Satriani - Up in the Sky. Very cool intro.

Yep, I wanted to post that one! Speaking of Satch, I guess Summer Song too, also initial riff...

Another good one.

NoseofNicko · « **Reply #24 on:** April 29, 2022, 09:04:45 PM »

Accept’s Head Over Heels intro.

wolfking · « **Reply #25 on:** April 29, 2022, 09:09:44 PM »

Machine Head - Pretty much every song.

Lowdz · « **Reply #26 on:** April 30, 2022, 12:14:40 PM »

Mainly pinch harmonics but off the top of my head

Pantera’s Cemetary Gates,

Ozzy - No More Tears (and loads more)

Everything by John Sykes

Steve Vai- Juice

Stadler · « **Reply #27 on:** May 02, 2022, 06:59:25 AM »

Quote from: Lowdz on April 30, 2022, 12:14:40 PM

Mainly pinch harmonics but off the top of my head

Pantera’s Cemetary Gates,

Ozzy - No More Tears (and loads more)

Everything by John Sykes

Steve Vai- Juice

Haha, you could have said everything by Zakk Wylde.

(And that's not a dig; I'm a pretty big Zakk Wylde/Ozzy fan. I basically stopped listening to Ozzy when Zakk stepped aside and let Kevin Churko take over).

Deadeye21 · « **Reply #28 on:** May 02, 2022, 08:09:50 AM »

Quote from: Stadler on May 02, 2022, 06:59:25 AM

I basically stopped listening to Ozzy when Zakk stepped aside and let Kevin Churko take over).

That’s a shame coz Scream and Ordinary Man are great albums.

WilliamMunny · « **Reply #29 on:** May 02, 2022, 08:30:25 AM »

Quote from: Deadeye21 on May 02, 2022, 08:09:50 AM

Quote from: Stadler on May 02, 2022, 06:59:25 AM
I basically stopped listening to Ozzy when Zakk stepped aside and let Kevin Churko take over).

That’s a shame coz Scream and Ordinary Man are great albums.

Really?

I jumped off with Down To Earth, but I LOVE me some Zakk-era Ozzy.

Would you put Scream/Ordinary Man in the same ballpark as No More Tears/Ozzmosis???

millahh · « **Reply #30 on:** May 02, 2022, 10:17:36 AM »

VH - Top Jimmy (the intro)

Smashing Pumpkins - Zero (in the riff, the guitar has natural harmonics while the bass is hitting the E pedal in the second half of the figure)

Stone Temple Pilots - Sex Type Thing (the figure in the verse has a lot of natural harmonics, in the same style as Zero)

There's this Puddle of Mudd song (that I refuse to look up), where the entire verse is this cool figure of guitar harmonics, sandwiched between an utterly awful nu-metal ballad chorus. But it was one their big songs.

Stadler · « **Reply #31 on:** May 02, 2022, 11:00:26 AM »

Quote from: Deadeye21 on May 02, 2022, 08:09:50 AM

Quote from: Stadler on May 02, 2022, 06:59:25 AM
I basically stopped listening to Ozzy when Zakk stepped aside and let Kevin Churko take over).

That’s a shame coz Scream and Ordinary Man are great albums.

I'm always game for a relisten, but I didn't even bother to buy Ordinary Man (and this is a guy that has ALL the b-sides on CD single, so I'm a completist.)

HOF · « **Reply #32 on:** May 02, 2022, 11:34:55 AM »

Two other VH songs not yet mentioned:

Pleasure Dome (intro)
Neworld (I love this track)

Oh, and Spanish Fly.

nick_z · « **Reply #33 on:** May 02, 2022, 05:27:39 PM »

Quote from: millahh on May 02, 2022, 10:17:36 AM

There's this Puddle of Mudd song (that I refuse to look up), where the entire verse is this cool figure of guitar harmonics, sandwiched between an utterly awful nu-metal ballad chorus. But it was one their big songs.

Yep, that would be Blurry. Always a guilty pleasure of mine

Agreed that the guitars in the intro/verse are very cool.

HOF · « **Reply #34 on:** July 21, 2022, 03:11:11 PM »

Ok, here is a technique called "bubble harmonics" invented by a guy named Donn Aaron. I'm not sure what is happening here. The playing in the video, well, it doesn't look like he's actually playing at all! Just looks like he's goofing around. Pretty wild stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TPk33UtSTA&t=74s

Guitar World article on the technique:

https://www.guitarworld.com/news/donn-aaron-bubble-harmonics

News: Video of online chat between fans and members of Dream Theater: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx8cLlXnHpA&feature=youtu.be (*no chickens were harmed during the filming of this chat)

Author Topic: Songs that have guitar/bass harmonics (Read 2874 times)