Pick Harmonic

A pick harmonic (also called a “pinch” harmonic) is a guitar technique used to create artificial harmonics. To create a pinch harmonic, the player’s thumb or index finger of the picking hand slightly catches the string immediately after it is picked, canceling the fundamental frequency of the string, and letting one of the harmonics dominate. This results in a high-pitched tone that sounds like a “squeal” on an electric guitar. By using string bending, a whammy bar, a wah-wah pedal, or other effects, electric guitarists are able to modulate the pitch and timbre of pinch harmonics.