Author Topic: harmonies and distortion (Read 1964 times)

JDC · « **on:** August 03, 2007, 06:57:43 PM »

when I play a two note chord, say a root and a minor 3rd it sounds rubbish, so how come when 2 guitarists can play a harmony together it sounds good?

is it something to do with panning? or maybe double tracking (cos it uses lower gain) or even the microsecond of delay of hitting 2 strings, or is it an amp thing? yes I don't have a clue

JJretroTONEGOD · « **Reply #1 on:** August 03, 2007, 07:06:38 PM »

It's all about the arrangements, If you play a root and nearest minor third at the same time, they will clash if it's played too low. All you do is make the minor third an octave higher, and keep the root note the same. Unless played high up a root and major third will sound cr@p, unless it's very clean sounding, with no od/dist/fuzz. It will sound good if one guitarist has a motherbucker and the other a single coild pickup, the contrast creates a better sound when mixed together.

nfe · « **Reply #2 on:** August 04, 2007, 03:05:09 PM »

Sorry JJ, but I don't agree at all. If you've good tone, a good clear sounding pickup and a good clear sounding amp it isn't a problem at all.

I play a lot of harmonies close together under heavy gain and it sounds great.

hunter · « **Reply #3 on:** August 04, 2007, 05:58:40 PM »

If you play a single note line all harmonics and overtones coming from your overdriven amp will be even order harmonics from your played notes. If you play two notes the harmonics will be based on the chord and overlay the single notes, which makes the blur out.

You won't have this effect if you play through a harmonizer into a clean power amp.

JDC · « **Reply #4 on:** August 04, 2007, 06:22:41 PM »

Quote from: hunter

If you play a single note line all harmonics and overtones coming from your overdriven amp will be even order harmonics from your played notes. If you play two notes the harmonics will be based on the chord and overlay the single notes, which makes the blur out.

You won't have this effect if you play through a harmonizer into a clean power amp.

so if I'm reading this right, if 2 guitarists play a harmony together they'll both have even harmonics and overtones, and so this is what makes it sound better than 1 guitar doing harmonies?

hunter · « **Reply #5 on:** August 04, 2007, 07:18:06 PM »

Quote from: JDC

so if I'm reading this right, if 2 guitarists play a harmony together they'll both have even harmonics and overtones, and so this is what makes it sound better than 1 guitar doing harmonies?

Yes, that's the way i meant it. The harmonics are very important to be heard and cut through. Harmonics is also what old guitars often have more of.

JDC · « **Reply #6 on:** August 05, 2007, 01:40:13 AM »

so will it work with a root and a diminished 5th?

and other weird fancy 2 note chords

hell if I got 4 guitarists would chords with 7ths work?