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Sliding harmonics

Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 5:50 am
by NickBass
Hey guys, how about sliding harmonics? I do use this "trick" quite often and I think is a great "colour" added to our fretless playing (actually I've also learned to slide harmonics on the fretted bass too!).
The question is: does anybody knows the paternity of this technique?
Someone says Percy Jones, someone Bunny Brunel etc....

Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2009 1:39 pm
by Albatross
Hey Nick. Quite embarassing actually. Today's my first day of playing bass and this happened accidentally. However it sounded really cool. Can you tell me how to slide harmonics?

Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2009 11:08 am
by RichmanRush
When you strike the note to play a Natural Harmonic, for example over the fifth fret, you quickly fret the note right after, and slide up/down, shake, vibrato etc.

Hard to explain in words. But you can use any node point along the neck. Anywhere you can get the natural harmonic to ring, you simply play that harmonic, immediately fret the note (don't pick/pluck again), and do what you want with it.

Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 3:59 pm
by NickBass
Exactly like that!!

Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 1:33 am
by Albatross
Thanks :)

Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 3:36 am
by FretLessSince68
The first fretless player that I heard doing sliding harmonics is the great Jaco Pastorius.

I have no idea where he picked up the technique or if it was he who invented it.