Screams

Can anyone explain a better technique for doing screams I already know to put a little flesh over the pick to create the harmonic but I can only get a real good one 1 out of five times and its putting a lot of wasted time on tape.

You're not going to like my answer I think. But the only solution to get those screams(a.k.a. pinch harmonics) is practise.

Practise really does make perfect.

Pinch Harmonics (screams) share the same theory with all other kinds of harmonics, which is creating overtones by using standing waves.

Anyway, you don't have to study Physics to be able to do it , I just wanted to say that every time you change your stoping position(where you pinch the note in this case) you change the number of the overtone(change the note)...

In other words, you'll find places that works for P.H. and others that won't work (bec they are unclear), your job is to be able to find the right spots that suits the fretted note you're playing.

You should listen to Zakk Wylde. He´s the best screamer in the world.

Well, you can try this to be more precise with your screams...

Play a little run, like one octave of the pentatonic scale

|---------------
|---------------
|---------------
|---------5-7---
|-----5-7-------
|-5-8-----------

On the approach of the last note, slide your index finger off the pick, replacing it with your middle finger. Now, image that the frets on your guitar extend past the fretboard and all the way to the bridge. Find the fret which would be 24 frets up from the note you want to scream (which in the case of the 7th fret would be the virtual 41st fret, which is about halfway between the end of the fretboard and the bridge on my guitar). Place your index finger lightly at that spot and pick the note. It should scream quite nicely. I hate using my thumb or the flesh of my palm to execute harmonics, so I use this method. Works every time with some practice.

Start easy... fret the 1st fret and the virtual 25th fret, which shouldn't be hard to find since it's not far past the end of the fretboard. Move up note by note and you'll eventually start to just know where the spot you need to place your finger is. Hell, I can scream every note of a Dm9 arpeggio with this method.

if this is any help to anyone I've posted an overview of harmonics and their techniques

http://www.guitartricks.com/2000/trick.php?trick_id=5647

What I can add to this is that if you want a really bloodcurdling metallic wail try getting two pinch harmonics on adjacent strings and bending the lower one up to the pitch of the higher one and back down whillst making a vibrato with the whammy bar and exaggerating the ringing with a trebly wah effect. It's hard to do this particular type but bear in mind that any bend out of phase with two or more pinches sounds cool. Satch does this sort of thing on Crushing day (one of my faves!).

just experiment with the pinch harmonics. you can get several harmonics for one note depending where you hit the string with you righ hand´s thumb - you can play whole harmonic lines on the same note.

also, try playing a scale - no matter which scale - and let every note be a pinch harmonic - try it at different speeds - this should help

Thanks guys I've gotten decent at it over the last week just using an A minor pentatonic scale and screaming (pinching) the7th frets on thond and third string so Azreals advice helped alot but thanks for everyones advice now try A train whistle that is for those who don't know on the A minor pentatonc for example:



e---------------------------------------------------------
b--------8-------------------------------------------------
g-5-7-b7--------------------------------------------------

Use alittle vibrato to get the most out of it works anywhere but espescially here and at the 14 & 15 frets