Tait Posted September 7, 2007 Share Posted September 7, 2007 (edited) Ok, I'm trying to lear amazing grace by victor wooten. I'll never be able to play it properly but I'm bored and i fance a challenge. On all of the tabs I see for it, there is a harmonic note 3.2 If anyone knows how I would play that, please help me out here. Its not good trying to learn a song and getting stuck on the second bar. Heres the link to the tab I'm using, but there are many more similar tabs on the internet all using the 3.2 harmonics: [url="http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/v/victor_wooten/amazing_grace_btab.htm"]Amazing Grace[/url] EDIT: I've got a new problem now, I've written about it below Edited September 8, 2007 by lwtait Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul_C Posted September 7, 2007 Share Posted September 7, 2007 [quote name='lwtait' post='57196' date='Sep 7 2007, 08:45 PM']Ok, I'm trying to lear amazing grace by victor wooten. I'll never be able to play it properly but I'm bored and i fance a challenge. On all of the tabs I see for it, there is a harmonic note 3.2 If anyone knows how I would play that, please help me out here. Its not good trying to learn a song and getting stuck on the second bar. Heres the link to the tab I'm using, but there are many more similar tabs on the internet all using the 3.2 harmonics: [url="http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/v/victor_wooten/amazing_grace_btab.htm"]Amazing Grace[/url][/quote] it's because not all harmonics lie directly above the fret, so aim slightly further up the neck than the 3rd fret to get the harmonic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tait Posted September 7, 2007 Author Share Posted September 7, 2007 o, ok. so its slightly higher than the third fret? I'll go try it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tait Posted September 7, 2007 Author Share Posted September 7, 2007 is it between the second and third frets or the third and fourth? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tait Posted September 7, 2007 Author Share Posted September 7, 2007 no problem, found it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tait Posted September 8, 2007 Author Share Posted September 8, 2007 OK, new problem. Halfway through victor wooten starts playing chords. They have the root as a normal note then the fifth and octave as harmonics. How would I go about playing these? Is the only reason I can't do it without muting the harmoincs that my 14 year old fingers are too small? Also, thanks for the help with my last problem, I can now play the amazing grace bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alun Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 Hi. What you'll need to do for those is arch your index finger slightly so that it doesn't touch the D and G strings and stop the harmonics. You may also be laying your finger down a little too hard on the harmonics or leaving it there too long maybe? You may to place your thumb on the back of the neck rather than near the top ( if you don't already) and maybe even shift it a little lower so it's nearer the lower edge to get your index finger clear. Hope that helps, let me know how you get on. Cheers, Alun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tait Posted September 8, 2007 Author Share Posted September 8, 2007 Thanks for that! Its been a help, but I'm still having problems with it. For a start I'm struggling to fret the note with one finger and play harmonics with another, i seem to only be able to do one or the other. Can I solve that by just practising or is there something I need to do to solve that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alun Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 Playing chords combining fretted notes and harmonics is weird at first as you're applying two different amounts of pressure - one finger string enough to fret a note, the other barely touching the string to get the harmonics. Try fretting the low note first then, while holding that finger down, lightly bring the harmonic finger into place. Eventually, you'll get used to the required pressures and it'll become second nature. I haven't tried to play that piece in a while but think I used my forefinger for the fretted notes and little finger for the harmonics which I guess is what you're doing too. Cheers, Alun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tait Posted September 9, 2007 Author Share Posted September 9, 2007 Yes, I am using those fingers. And thanks for that, I think it will be a lot of help. I hadn't tried doing it one finger at a time, I hope it works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalMan Posted September 9, 2007 Share Posted September 9, 2007 Good luck with it. I sort of learnt it from Bass Player a few years back. Some of those harmonics are a swine to find as the ones down around frets 2-4 have a much tighter area to hit to get them to ring than 5,7 & 12. Good when you nail it though!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d-basser Posted September 9, 2007 Share Posted September 9, 2007 (edited) remember when combining fretted and harmonics that you need to arch oyur fingers so they arent damping the strings, harmonics need to ring both between you finger and the bridge and finger and nut. mid boost, strong fingers, playing nearer the bridge and a load of practice are all you need other than that also, correct me if I am wrong, but was Amazing grace not played on a tenor (ADGC)??? Edited September 9, 2007 by d-basser Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassmandan Posted September 10, 2007 Share Posted September 10, 2007 [quote name='d-basser' post='57959' date='Sep 9 2007, 11:18 PM']also, correct me if I am wrong, but was Amazing grace not played on a tenor (ADGC)???[/quote] that's what I was just about to say!...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tait Posted September 11, 2007 Author Share Posted September 11, 2007 Sometimes it is played ADGC, but on the other hand sometimes it is EADG. I found that out at first but then watched some other videos on youtube and found some in EADG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 Try Portriat of Tracy. That'll sort your harmonics out...! Amazing Grace is a fun one to play though. Sliding harmonics is great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugz Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 Victor Wooten's version of Amazing Grace was written to be played on his tenor bass though it doesn't really matter how you play it as long as you still get it sounding good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urb Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 [quote name='Nate' post='70013' date='Oct 5 2007, 01:50 PM']Try Portriat of Tracy. That'll sort your harmonics out...! Amazing Grace is a fun one to play though. Sliding harmonics is great![/quote] Portrait of Tracy is definitely harder - I've tried to learn both of these tunes - the thing that is very hard with Wooten's Amazing Grace is playing the synchopated version as funkily as he does - he just doesn't stop grooving like a monster - and for the record you can play this tune on a regular four string - and Tenor tuned bass - if you have his excellent Bass Day 98 DVD he plays it on his Yin Yang bass on that. Victor makes a lot of very hard stuff look very easy - but that's becuase he practiced like a nutter for years before he ever became famous. His starting point for harmonics was Portrait Of Tracy - he says this on the 'extras' on the aforementioned DVD - well worth getting if you are going through (what I like to call) "Your Wooten Phase" - don't worry I went through mine a few years ago - I've moved on to other things since... Good luck M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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