question on harmonic tuning

[mightybjorn]

hi all,

ive been trying to practice more harmonic tuning, instead of just using my electric tuner but have heard two different ways of doing it.

the first being pluck the harmonic on the 5th fret on the E string and the 7th fret on the A string, to tune the E string.

and the second being open E string and 7th fret harmonic on the A string.

thanks

[dlloyd]

Originally Posted by mightybjorn

hi all,

ive been trying to practice more harmonic tuning, instead of just using my electric tuner but have heard two different ways of doing it.

the first being pluck the harmonic on the 5th fret on the E string and the 7th fret on the A string, to tune the E string.

and the second being open E string and 7th fret harmonic on the A string.

thanks

They're both an E... but the fifth fret harmonic is at the same pitch as the 7th fret A harmonic and will be easier to tune to.

[mightybjorn]

Originally Posted by dlloyd

They're both an E... but the fifth fret harmonic is at the same pitch as the 7th fret A harmonic and will be easier to tune to.

oh, ok

i was confused because i looked at my fretboard and saw that the 5th fret on the E string is not an E, i guess its a different note on the harmonic? or am i just alot more confused then i thought i was? lol

edit:
i was looking at picture of a fretboard and it says the 5th fret of the E string is an A and the 7th fret of the A string is an E = /

[Edinburgh_Bass]

Hi, both ways are correct.

The harmonic @ the 5th fret on the E string produces an E note (ie: an interval of a fifth higher than the actual note A).

The harmonic @ the 7th fret on the A string also produces an E note (ie: the same note as the fretted note). So, when you play this, and the low open E string, you can tune with them.

I tend to tune using the first method, and then do a quick run down the strings using the second method.


Hope this helps...

[Edinburgh_Bass]

Checkout studybass.com - click the fretboard printer, and then the "harm" tab. It will show you where all the harmonics are on the bass, and what note you will actually hear when you play it (not the note on the fret, but the harmonic - different things)

[mightybjorn]

Originally Posted by Edinburgh_Bass

Checkout studybass.com - click the fretboard printer, and then the "harm" tab. It will show you where all the harmonics are on the bass, and what note you will actually hear when you play it (not the note on the fret, but the harmonic - different things)

alright thanks alot, that cleared up my confused, (i thought the harmonic and the fretted note were the same)

and i acctually do use studybass.com pretty often too, it does wonders

thanks bros