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harmonics?

#2
Easiest way to play a harmonic is to place a finger over the twelfth fret (over as in just barely touching) and then plucking the string with your right hand. Even though you're not fully pushing down the string it should sound an octave above the string you're playing, as if you were fretting completely. Where you place your left hand determines the note. For Example, over the 5th fret is another octave above the string, over the 7th fret is a 5th above the string.

To hear harmonics more easily boost your midrange on your amp.
 
#3
Sounds to me like your guitar-playing friend is describing a technique used to create harmonics where they don't naturally occur. If you fret a string at the 3rd fret, you can get an octave harmonic at the 15th fret, using your right hand thumb over the fret while plucking with the right hand index or middle finger. I think Jaco Pastorius was known for doing this on bass, and Eddie Van Halen often does it on guitar.

Chas
 
#4
chasfr said:
Sounds to me like your guitar-playing friend is describing a technique used to create harmonics where they don't naturally occur. If you fret a string at the 3rd fret, you can get an octave harmonic at the 15th fret, using your right hand thumb over the fret while plucking with the right hand index or middle finger. I think Jaco Pastorius was known for doing this on bass, and Eddie Van Halen often does it on guitar.

Chas
Click to expand...


what do u mean "naturally occure"? are u saying that i cant do them at every fret?
 
#5
Brad Taylor said:
Easiest way to play a harmonic is to place a finger over the twelfth fret (over as in just barely touching) and then plucking the string with your right hand. Even though you're not fully pushing down the string it should sound an octave above the string you're playing, as if you were fretting completely. Where you place your left hand determines the note. For Example, over the 5th fret is another octave above the string, over the 7th fret is a 5th above the string.

To hear harmonics more easily boost your midrange on your amp.
Click to expand...


so how far down should i push? just slightly or close to the fret but just not touching it?

and my mids are usualy all the way up :)
 
#6
beyondhairy said:
what do u mean "naturally occure"? are u saying that i cant do them at every fret?
Click to expand...

This comes down to the physics of string vibration, and I'm no expert, but harmonics can be found "naturally" at the halfway point of the string--on basses and guitars that's over the 12th fret--and at other points like over the 5th and 7th frets. At those points, if you gently touch the open string with your fretting hand while plucking, you'll get a harmonic note that's related to the note the open string is tuned to. Don't push it down to the fret, just touch. At the 12th fret it's an octave above the open note. The technique I think your friend is describing is a way to manipulate the length of the string by fretting it, while getting a harmonic from the halfway point of the shortened string--for example, if you fret the low E string at the third fret to produce the note G, you've effectively shortened the string. You can get a harmonic G an octave above the fretted G by using your right thumb to touch the string at the halfway point (fret 15) while plucking with your right index finger.

Clear as mud? Start by experimenting with open strings. When you hit the harmonic, you'll know. You can actually take your finger away once you produce the harmonic and it'll still ring.

Chas
 
#7
chasfr said:
This comes down to the physics of string vibration, and I'm no expert, but harmonics can be found "naturally" at the halfway point of the string--on basses and guitars that's over the 12th fret--and at other points like over the 5th and 7th frets. At those points, if you gently touch the open string with your fretting hand while plucking, you'll get a harmonic note that's related to the note the open string is tuned to. Don't push it down to the fret, just touch. At the 12th fret it's an octave above the open note. The technique I think your friend is describing is a way to manipulate the length of the string by fretting it, while getting a harmonic from the halfway point of the shortened string--for example, if you fret the low E string at the third fret to produce the note G, you've effectively shortened the string. You can get a harmonic G an octave above the fretted G by using your right thumb to touch the string at the halfway point (fret 15) while plucking with your right index finger.

Clear as mud? Start by experimenting with open strings. When you hit the harmonic, you'll know. You can actually take your finger away once you produce the harmonic and it'll still ring.

Chas
Click to expand...



oooo this is very interesting.

but now im confussed on a different level, im trying to play disposition by tool. and i have to the 9th fret of the A string, but its supposed to be a harmonic. but im not doing anything but lightly touching the string and it seems to be working nicely. so how do u explain that?
 
#9
Now I have to go home and see if I can get a harmonic at the 9th fret, but I'll take your word for it that it exists. 12th, 7th and 5th frets are where I normally play them. You can also use the harmonics on the 5th and 7th frets to check your tuning-- 7th fret of the A string should be the same tone as 5th fret of the E, 7th of the D should match 5th of the A, and 7th of the G should match 5th of the D.
 
#11
Beyondhairy, this is one seriously large can of worms, you've just opened. Not that it's a bad thing. But just so you know, the topic of harmonics is pretty broad.

You might try doing a search on Harmonics in the TB forums. There's probably several very in depth discussions by very knowledgable people.
 
#12
OK, to try to clarify.....a vibrating string length can be divided into different sections. If you play a harmonic on the 12th fret look at the string, it wont be moving at the 12th fret but it will be moving on either side of the 12th fret.

What you have done is divide the string into 2 seperate vibrating entities at the halfway point. You dont need much pressure to do this, you just need to lightly touch the string.

Because only 1 of the vibrating halves is over a pickup, that is the only section that is heard.

The physical nature of a vibrating string can be divided at many places into many intervals, 12th fret (1/2) 7th fret (1/3) 5th fret (1/4) 4th fret (1/5) etc.

After the fourth fret the harmonics dont really line up with the frets any longer but they are still there.

What your guitarist is referring to is false or artificial harmonics. When you are fretting a note with your left hand you have created a shorter string length. This string length can also be divided into 1/2, 1/3, 1/4 etc but since your left hand is already busy fretting a note, you need to somehow place something on the string at one of those intervals to create the harmonic. guitarists pick at one of those intervals while using their thumb on their picking hand to play the harmonic.

as an example, play an open G but with your plucking hand pluck at the 13th fret. with the thumb of your plucking hand touch the string over the 12th fret at the same time you pluck and the 12th fret harmonic will sound.

Now since you did that all wilth one hand lets play an artificial harmonic. Fret an A flat on the G string with your left hand. move your plucking hand up 1 fret from before and pluck on the 14th fret with your plucking hand thumb on the 13th fret.

You have divided the new string length in half and played an A flat harmonic. There are many ways to physically play false or artificial harmonics but the principal is the same......Good Luck
 
#13
jady said:
OK, to try to clarify.....a vibrating string length can be divided into different sections. If you play a harmonic on the 12th fret look at the string, it wont be moving at the 12th fret but it will be moving on either side of the 12th fret.

What you have done is divide the string into 2 seperate vibrating entities at the halfway point. You dont need much pressure to do this, you just need to lightly touch the string.

Because only 1 of the vibrating halves is over a pickup, that is the only section that is heard.

The physical nature of a vibrating string can be divided at many places into many intervals, 12th fret (1/2) 7th fret (1/3) 5th fret (1/4) 4th fret (1/5) etc.

After the fourth fret the harmonics dont really line up with the frets any longer but they are still there.

What your guitarist is referring to is false or artificial harmonics. When you are fretting a note with your left hand you have created a shorter string length. This string length can also be divided into 1/2, 1/3, 1/4 etc but since your left hand is already busy fretting a note, you need to somehow place something on the string at one of those intervals to create the harmonic. guitarists pick at one of those intervals while using their thumb on their picking hand to play the harmonic.

as an example, play an open G but with your plucking hand pluck at the 13th fret. with the thumb of your plucking hand touch the string over the 12th fret at the same time you pluck and the 12th fret harmonic will sound.

Now since you did that all wilth one hand lets play an artificial harmonic. Fret an A flat on the G string with your left hand. move your plucking hand up 1 fret from before and pluck on the 14th fret with your plucking hand thumb on the 13th fret.

You have divided the new string length in half and played an A flat harmonic. There are many ways to physically play false or artificial harmonics but the principal is the same......Good Luck
Click to expand...



oooo this sounds really nice :)

ill show this to my guitarist friend too.

thanks everyone
 
#15
It also matters where you pluck when it comes to the loudness of the harmonic. If you pluck at a point that is one of the nonvibrating parts of the string the harmonic won't sound very loud.
Invalid Link Removed, although for violin, but it's the same thing happening in bass/guitar.
 

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