how to do harmonics

jojo321 · Post by **jojo321** » Thu May 20, 2004 11:04 pm

can some one please explain how to do harmonics, cause i think im doin this all wrong.... and my ignorance is embarrassing so im not even going to say how i think to do them, so just a step by step kinda thing would be greatly appreciated

Dancing Ants · Post by **Dancing Ants** » Thu May 20, 2004 11:10 pm

i have been playing for a while and have yet to learn them either, so please enlighten me too.

saleen · Post by **saleen** » Thu May 20, 2004 11:23 pm

hold your finger lightyly on the string DIRECTLY over the fret, not to the side of it like usual, pluck the string and remove your finger.

This only works on certian frets, mainly 5 7 and 12 that I use, also some inbetweens but they are harder. Try 5 first.

Make sure you are directly over the fret and touching the string very lightly (not pressing it down at all) and then plucking and removing.

Thomas · Post by **Thomas** » Thu May 20, 2004 11:27 pm

i'm no expert but i think that the natural harmonics are only on the 5th 7th and 12th frets. so you can do harmonics on any string as long as it's on those frets.

first you LIGHTLY place your finger on the string on one of these frets. you're gonna want to place it OVER the actual fret rather than in the middle like you would normal play a note. while you're JUST BARELY touching the string, hit it with a pick and lift your finger off at the same time. it will take a while to get the timing of this down right and then you'll have to work on getting it to sound out loud enough but after a while it'll just be natural.

now hopefully someone will come along and explain that a little better

*edit
saleen posted while i was typing

jojo321 · Post by **jojo321** » Thu May 20, 2004 11:40 pm

awesome

thanks alot guys

Pickles · Post by **Pickles** » Fri May 21, 2004 7:21 am

and when you use a capo, the harmonics do move with it. that also gives you the idea for slap harmonics - barring one fret and slapping the 5th, 7th, or 12th fret above that (ie when barring the 2nd fret, the 7th, 9th, and 14th frets are the harmonics)

Buck23 · Post by **Buck23** » Fri May 21, 2004 11:51 am

Yeah, Shane's right, it's all based on the geometry of the string. so the 12th fret is halfway, and theres a harmonic there, which sounds one octave above the string. (btw, thats the easiest one to learn at first, by far, since it rings out the loudest and clearest). divide the string into 3 and you're at the seventh fret (a perfect 5th above the 12th fret harmonic). divide the string by 4 and you're at the 5th fret (an octave above the 12th string harmonic). divide the string by 5 and you're at the 4th fret, a major third above the 5th string harmonic.) in a regular sound wave, that division continues ad infinitum (divide the fundamental note into 5, 6, 7, 8... pieces of diminishing strength - so for the calc students in the audience, that's where the term harmonic series comes from - 1 + 1/2 + 1/3 + 1/4 + 1/5 + 1/6 +...). so you get these harmonics every time you play a note, and what you're doing when you play a harmonic is deadening that fundamental note (by resting your finger on the string) and allowing that harmonic to shine. one actually useful note

- I find they sound brighter if you pick the string closer to the bridge. ok end rant

Buck23 · Post by **Buck23** » Fri May 21, 2004 11:53 am

Ok re-start rant. I think it's really cool that when you pluck a regular note, the first 3 harmonics in addition to the fundamental note are the same notes that make up that note's major chord...its like physics is telling us what should sound pretty

ericwormann · Post by **ericwormann** » Fri May 21, 2004 11:55 am

Make sure you're putting your finger over the actual fret (the metal bar). I know people have said this already, but some people don't know that the fret is the actual metal bar.

Snyder · Post by **Snyder** » Fri May 21, 2004 1:03 pm

Buck23 wrote:Yeah, Shane's right, it's all based on the geometry of the string. so the 12th fret is halfway, and theres a harmonic there, which sounds one octave above the string. (btw, thats the easiest one to learn at first, by far, since it rings out the loudest and clearest). divide the string into 3 and you're at the seventh fret (a perfect 5th above the 12th fret harmonic). divide the string by 4 and you're at the 5th fret (an octave above the 12th string harmonic). divide the string by 5 and you're at the 4th fret, a major third above the 5th string harmonic.) in a regular sound wave, that division continues ad infinitum (divide the fundamental note into 5, 6, 7, 8... pieces of diminishing strength - so for the calc students in the audience, that's where the term harmonic series comes from - 1 + 1/2 + 1/3 + 1/4 + 1/5 + 1/6 +...). so you get these harmonics every time you play a note, and what you're doing when you play a harmonic is deadening that fundamental note (by resting your finger on the string) and allowing that harmonic to shine. one actually useful note - I find they sound brighter if you pick the string closer to the bridge. ok end rant

Buck23 wrote:Ok re-start rant. I think it's really cool that when you pluck a regular note, the first 3 harmonics in addition to the fundamental note are the same notes that make up that note's major chord...its like physics is telling us what should sound pretty

Annnnnnnd, you kick ass dude. Thumbs way up.

wakeboarderal05 · Post by **wakeboarderal05** » Tue May 25, 2004 9:50 am

And what's really cool is I just learned all that stuff for AP Physics...it was the AP exam, too...If you have a problem understanding exactly what a harmonic is, open up a physics book.

Artificial harmonics are also really cool but require a little more work and coordination

myonlybliss · Post by **myonlybliss** » Mon May 31, 2004 4:21 am

harmonics are sometimes like farts---they just happen, they vary in intensity, some are loud some are soft, but they are both difficult to control the volume, and both often are honest mistakes

dmfollower · Post by **dmfollower** » Tue Jun 01, 2004 4:28 pm

myonlybliss wrote:harmonics are sometimes like farts---they just happen, they vary in intensity, some are loud some are soft, but they are both difficult to control the volume, and both often are honest mistakes

(fart)

lyrics101 · Post by **lyrics101** » Wed Jun 02, 2004 1:25 am

There are harmonics on 0 (doesn't octave up, but it works, just like the twelfth fret), 3, 5, 7, 9, and 12.

DrFartbrain · Post by **DrFartbrain** » Wed Jun 02, 2004 2:53 pm

myonlybliss wrote:harmonics are sometimes like farts---they just happen, they vary in intensity, some are loud some are soft, but they are both difficult to control the volume, and both often are honest mistakes

Not necessarily. Eventually, you can have such good control that you are consistent with your sound.

I suggest that anyone wondering "what the hell these harmonics are" listens to the first few seconds of "Roundabout" by Yes. Steve Howe is an awesome guitarist.

I say no more.