Harmonics law?

[lyle]

Im not sure if this should go here, but after learning Victor wootens amazing grace it got me thinking. Are all harmonics a certain pitch above the fretted note on which you play them, then I did a bit of playing and no. so is their any really rule to what pitch is going to be where or did victor just guess and check until he found all the right notes for amazing grace?

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

Take a look at this thread. Let me know if you need further explanations. Hope this helps.

[dlloyd]

Harmonics are all about damping a string at a position where a harmonic node occurs. Harmonic nodes are at positions where the string is divided into equal parts.

Damp it at half the string's length you get harmonic that's twice the string's fundamental frequency. By a twist of physics that's always 12 frets in postion above the undamped position. It also sounds an octave above the undamped position.

A third of the string's length is treble the fundamental frequency, which is an octave + a perfect fifth. You'll find this 7 or 19 frets above the undamped position.

A quarter of the string's length results in a harmonic 4 x the undamped frequency (two octaves). That's 5 or 24 frets above the undamped position.

The undamped position can be an open or a fretted note.

Here's some more....

Harmonic postions

[lyle]

thanks alot, that makes alot more sense.