Strings 4/5 ring when I staccato the 1st string

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HolyEvil

Posts: 1240
Joined: Nov. 6 2008
From: Sydney, Australia

Strings 4/5 ring when I staccato the...

hey there guys, not sure if anyone came across this before..
when i play the 5th fret (the A) on the 1st string and i lift my finger after hitting it to make a staccato effect (without sufficient pull off thing to make it ring the high E string), there's this ringing/echo-ey/somewhat harmonic sounding from the 4th and 5th string.

I know it's not the high E making the sound because if I pull my finger off slowly after fretting the A (on the 5th fret, high E string), and then I put my thumb to mute the 5th and 4th string (the A and D), this ringing stops. and when I palm mute every string except the high E and I use the same lifting off the finger for the staccato effect, it sounds just like how I want it to be.
this also occurs (to a lesser degree) when I do the same to the 5th Fret of the 2nd (B) string, the E note.

why is this ringing occuring? could it be the saddle needing adjustment?

cheers

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 16 2009 3:33:44

HolyEvil

Posts: 1240
Joined: Nov. 6 2008
From: Sydney, Australia

RE: Strings 4/5 ring when I staccato... (in reply to HolyEvil)

http://www.foroflamenco.com/tm.asp?m=103897&p=1&tmode=1&smode=1

uploaded a soundfile so you guys know what i'm talking about

cheers

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 16 2009 3:38:50

HemeolaMan

Posts: 1514
Joined: Jul. 13 2007
From: Chicago

RE: Strings 4/5 ring when I staccato... (in reply to HolyEvil)

its called sympathetic vibration.

think about it, you play an A, the A string vibrates too.

since D is a 5th down from A, it also contains A in its overtone series at a very important harmonic node. Thus it vibrates sympathetically.

When your string vibrate, they don;t produce only one pitch, there are many over and undertones. These can be more obvious on some guitars than others.

There is nothing wrong with your guitar. adapt your technique.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 16 2009 3:50:52

HolyEvil

Posts: 1240
Joined: Nov. 6 2008
From: Sydney, Australia

RE: Strings 4/5 ring when I staccato... (in reply to HemeolaMan)

hi there mate, i realise that my steel string has it as well but it's real soft.
and my other nylon has it as well, but is the softest of the 3 that i've never noticed it in the 10 years that I had it.

it's just that it's so.. loud... on this guitar. so no way to lessen that effect?

cheers

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 16 2009 4:44:30

HemeolaMan

Posts: 1514
Joined: Jul. 13 2007
From: Chicago

RE: Strings 4/5 ring when I staccato... (in reply to HolyEvil)

yes. adapt your technique to mute with the right hand. simple

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 16 2009 15:20:46

Ricardo

Posts: 14801
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC

RE: Strings 4/5 ring when I staccato... (in reply to HolyEvil)

Yeah it is a natural property of ALL guitars. When you use amplification the problem is increased. As said, you adjust your playing technique if you can. New strings make it more noticeable too. Change the bass strings on your other guitars, and you will notice it becomes more pronounced too. Also notice it is just the certain notes that have harmonics on open strings. Bb or Eb for example won't have the same problem as A, E, or D on the treble strings.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 16 2009 21:32:00

a_arnold

Posts: 558
Joined: Jul. 30 2006

RE: Strings 4/5 ring when I staccato... (in reply to HolyEvil)

quote:

there's this ringing/echo-ey/somewhat harmonic sounding

Could be a symptom of a good guitar. Ricardo is right: ALL guitars have this to some degree. The better and more sensitive/responsive your guitar is, the more of it you will get. It's a feature, not a bug.

Ever look at a sitar? There are 13 sympathetic strings under the frets, tuned to the 13 notes of an octave. They can't be fretted, are always open, and are only very rarely strummed or plucked. (Some are retuned depending on what scale and raga you are playing).

They are intended to vibrate exactly the way your A and D strings do. On a really good sitar, those sympathetic strings will really ring while you play. In India, they weren't satisfied with just the playing strings vibrating sympathetically now and then. They added strings until they got that effect ALL the time.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 6 2009 16:08:52

gato

Posts: 322
Joined: Jun. 9 2007

RE: Strings 4/5 ring when I staccato... (in reply to HolyEvil)

I have that problem with my classical, and this one particular L5 (a hollow body jazz guitar with f holes) that I use to play, you play one paticular note and always on the same string, and the amplification went wild in the body of the guitar, the tone would continue seemingly until the thing went louder and louder, but that's due to the body of the guitar and the problems with the overtones that the instrument produced. The same tone would sustain out of control and you either had to dampen the string or turn down the amp or get away from the amp, way away.

Classical guitars are likewise, the body of the guitar generates the vibrations that can actually make the guitar modulate the strings, and some various dampening techniques are in order.

You can use your thum, fingers, the heel of your hand, your wrist, or even the fingers of the fret hands. It takes discipline but controlling ring and buzz, or even the duration of a note or notes is a vital part of technique. Other wise all guitars and strings are different, and you've just got to get to know them.
Gary

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 6 2009 17:51:11

Jim Opfer

Posts: 1876
Joined: Jul. 19 2003
From: Glasgow, Scotland.

RE: Strings 4/5 ring when I staccato... (in reply to HolyEvil)

Could also be the nut is a fraction too low.
Put a strip of paper under the nut and try it out, see if it goes away.
If not, it's harmonics.
Worth a try.

cheers
Jim.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 7 2009 11:34:55