Double Bass Harmonics - help!

[AndersLasson]

In the upcoming rehearsal, there is a harmonic to be played, see below.
How to play it?
With the finger on C (“5th fret”) on the G-string?

BR, Anders

 

[Mark_T]

In the upcoming rehearsal, there is a harmonic to be played, see below.
How to play it?
With the finger on C (“5th fret”) on the G-string?

BR, Anders

That's how I interpret it, yes. Does that produce a meaningful pitch for you?

 

[neilG]

Also yes. That will produce a sounding G4, the same G harmonic toward the end of the fingerboard.

 

[AndersLasson]

Thanks!

 

[AGCurry]

Also yes. That will produce a sounding G4, the same G harmonic toward the end of the fingerboard.

But not as loud...

 

[Mark_T]

But not as loud...

In my experience that sort of thing can vary from bass to bass, so it can be worth trying both. A piece we played recently had one such harmonic and it was clearer in one place on my bass than another, but my stand partner's bass was exactly the opposite.

 

[the_Ryan]

But not as loud...

If you bow the “fifth fret” harmonic with the same speed, weight, and placement as you would playing the fingered high G it should come out at about the same volume as the “24th fret” harmonic. The main reason lower position harmonics have a harder time speaking compared to higher position harmonics is that our natural tendency is to use the weight, speed, and placement for the fingered note under that harmonic, not the sounding pitch. As we make our way closer to the nut from the octave, the pitch of the harmonics gets higher*, which necessitates a faster bow closer to the bridge.



*Kinda related: the octave harmonic acts kind of like a mirror, where the physical distance a harmonic is from the octave harmonic is the same whether you go towards the nut or the bridge.