Harmonics

Davy28 · Post by **Davy28** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 1:21 pm

Another thing that always impresses particularly better guitarists is the abiliy to tune harmonically, but I havent figured out how to tune the G string with the B string harmonically since the harmonics are not aligned. Any ideas?

grock · Post by **grock** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 10:32 pm

Davy28 wrote:Another thing that always impresses particularly better guitarists is the abiliy to tune harmonically, but I havent figured out how to tune the G string with the B string harmonically since the harmonics are not aligned. Any ideas?

you just tune that regularly. or tune the High E to the 4th harmonic (5th fret) of the low E and then tune tune the B string 3rd harmonic (5th fret) to the 4th harmonic (7th fret) on the high E string.

but tuning by harmonics DOES NOT REALLY WORK. it should only be done for a specific song to get a note right here is a quick explanation.

http://www.precisionstrobe.com/apps/gui ... rharm.html

Code: Select all

Harmonic:Fund           2nd           3rd            4th  
Fret:                12th fret     7th fret      5th fret  
E        82.407       164.814       247.221       329.628  
A       110.000       220.000       330.000       440.000  
D       146.832       293.665       440.497       587.330  
G       195.998       391.995       587.993       783.991  
B       246.942       493.883       740.825       987.767  
E       329.628       659.255       988.883       1318.510

notice how the 3rd and 4th harmonics DO NOT line up right. so you have to listen for the beat rate and adjust the Hz and stuff. most guitarists that think they can tune by harmonics don't know this and don't do it right. so whatever you do, don't try to tune by zero beating the harmonics, it just won't end up sounding right.

Davy28 · Post by **Davy28** » Tue Sep 16, 2003 1:19 am

I actually prefer tuning regularly. I just like to play around with harmonic tuning without actually doing anything just to impress people. Hell, the one reason I picked up the guitar in the first place was just to impress people.

Appfro · Post by **Appfro** » Tue Sep 16, 2003 1:24 am

not me....i do it for the music. i just love the music. that's all

grock · Post by **grock** » Tue Sep 16, 2003 2:47 am

word app soldier.

i am just a stickler for doing things the right way and i am always so impressed with the bad habits some people pick up and how readily available that info i got really is. i don't miond doing things the hard way but wrong i just can't understand. i used to play in a band with a guy that tuned with harmonics and arghh. i just quit the band. it wasn't worth convincing him he was wrong.

Trippin Hillbilly · Post by **Trippin Hillbilly** » Tue Sep 16, 2003 5:23 am

TrippnBill686 wrote:
matthews123 wrote:hey trippin....

ur from london? i thought u lived in the south somewhere....but maybe that was a diff person
he's living in london, not from london

edit: i think... right miguel?

Well, kinda but not really...born in portugal, grew up in south africa...now i'm livin in london.....haha...i have funny accent

Davy28 · Post by **Davy28** » Wed Sep 17, 2003 4:56 am

Isn't Steve Lillywhite English?

fatjack · Post by **fatjack** » Wed Sep 17, 2003 4:57 am

Davy28 wrote:Isn't Steve Lillywhite English?

yep

geekmug · Post by **geekmug** » Wed Sep 17, 2003 6:09 am

Also keep in mind that you can vary the pitch of a guitar by more than 1Hz (as most of those harmonics are off by) by just pressing with different force. So, tuning is an artform as much as playing is. Besides the fact that intonation on an acoustic is a joke in most cases :-p

And yah, you can tune the G to the B if you play the 4th harmonic on the G and the 3rd on the B.. G at 4th fret and B at 5th fret. But you'll find the 4th fret to be slightly off from the actual node. good luck with that. it is easier to just not.

Btw, the 1st and 2nd harmonic are the only real good ones.. the 3rd one, maybe in a bind.. but any higher and (at least on a guitar, never had a bass to try on) are impossible to make sound decent unless you are buried in distortion.. and even then only the lower couple strings are viable.. the 8th harmonic on a the high-e is like "huh did you just play something?"

grock · Post by **grock** » Wed Sep 17, 2003 8:42 pm

geekmug wrote:Also keep in mind that you can vary the pitch of a guitar by more than 1Hz (as most of those harmonics are off by) by just pressing with different force. So, tuning is an artform as much as playing is. Besides the fact that intonation on an acoustic is a joke in most cases :-p

And yah, you can tune the G to the B if you play the 4th harmonic on the G and the 3rd on the B.. G at 4th fret and B at 5th fret. But you'll find the 4th fret to be slightly off from the actual node. good luck with that. it is easier to just not.

Btw, the 1st and 2nd harmonic are the only real good ones.. the 3rd one, maybe in a bind.. but any higher and (at least on a guitar, never had a bass to try on) are impossible to make sound decent unless you are buried in distortion.. and even then only the lower couple strings are viable.. the 8th harmonic on a the high-e is like "huh did you just play something?"

i disagree. intonation on an accoustic is no worse than any other fretted instrument. and i can get all the way up to my 5th harmonics to ring out quite nice.

gcom007 · Post by **gcom007** » Wed Sep 17, 2003 8:46 pm

I can play harmonics of any note and form complete melody's

Appfro · Post by **Appfro** » Thu Sep 18, 2003 12:16 am

gcom007 wrote:I can play harmonics of any note and form complete melody's

must be nice. i don't even know which ones i can use in what key yet.

Davy28 · Post by **Davy28** » Thu Sep 18, 2003 1:28 am

I've been told the intro to sweet child o mine can be played with harmonics.