Other techniques that are almost never mentioned is considering the root cause of why trees branch in particular ways or have a tendency to central leaders or heavy branching.
It is the hormonal relationships of auxins, gibberellins and cytokinins. Administering these hormones in specific ways can allow trees to branch in very specific ways.
For instance, applying Keiki paste (a paste of 2% BAP-- a cytokinin in Lanolin) can allow a tree to branch. I’ve used this technique to promote branching in apple and fig trees to promote a lower branching and more aesthetically pleasing tree.
Simply tipping/pinching a tree or notching doesn’t always work. A small amount of plant hormone might do the trick when pruning doesn’t do it.
Paste was applied to dormant node and within 1 week, this dormant node woke up. Specific application of cytokinin can promote a desired structure.
Another approach is administering an auxin such as Indole Acetic Acid to nodes to establish a central leader. I havent tried this technique yet.
Gibberellins can be used for branch elongation and to help a branch grow quicker etc.