Vai's Harmonics

[Toce]

I would like to know how does Steve makes that transition from plane note to harmonic and other way around without repicking the string. It happens a lot in Whispering a Prayer.

[Clonetool]

Sustainer

[drizzt75]

the fernades sustainer has normal mode and harmonic mode activated with a toggle switch

and if you watch one of the vids he shows you him activating a harmonic with his tongue if ya look carefully youll see him flick a switch with his thumb that activates the sustainers harmonic mode which turns the note into a harmonic 5th i believe or sumit like that so he actually isnt diong anythink with his tongue accept looking cool :P

[CosmicDebris]

Thats funny in a way. I wonder how many wanabees were licking their guitar trying to do the same thing and only got a spit covered guitar in the end. LMAO!

[elcid]

Really? Looking cool?
I guess if thats your thing.

[CosmicDebris]

Well Cid, you could say that Steve likes to lick hunks of wood and make them squeal.

[elcid]

He could cram a guitar in his corn hole while stepping on his whammy pedal and people would wonder how he gets his guitar to sound 2 octaves higher that way, and they would admit to have been trying it for months with no successs.

[CosmicDebris]

That would explain some of the faces he makes.

[elcid]

You gotta at least get to the fourth set of leaves or you'll be a little flat

[Toce]

Cool, thanks guys. I thought that he has some special technical move.

[chaos731]

Sheesh...everyone knows that the secret to all of Vai's little tricks is the monkey-grip.

You think steve uses a wah pedal? Think again, bucko...it's the monkey-grip that's making that sound.

Vai would never resort to trickery and petty little gadgetry to achieve his mystical tones; it's all in the monkey-grip.

Fear it.

[elcid]

Originally Posted by chaos731

Sheesh...everyone knows that the secret to all of Vai's little tricks is the monkey-grip.

You think steve uses a wah pedal? Think again, bucko...it's the monkey-grip that's making that sound.

Vai would never resort to trickery and petty little gadgetry to achieve his mystical tones; it's all in the monkey-grip.

Fear it.

and the silly faces and fan.

[DrRGFever]

I know Steve fasts and prays. That probably helps. Pray.

[chaos731]

Forget the whole monkey-grip theory.
Steve's ability to do shifting tones and harmonics was a gift to him from ancient Egyptian UFO builders.

[drizzt75]

Originally Posted by chaos731

Forget the whole monkey-grip theory.
Steve's ability to do shifting tones and harmonics was a gift to him from ancient Egyptian UFO builders.

no i think you will find that steve vai IS an ancient alien ufo builder and thats why he plays such outlandish tunes its his way to comunicate with his brethren