Harmonics

PunkStar · Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2004 11:39 pm Post subject: Harmonics

G'day all, welcome to another guitar lesson hosted by the good people on the Christian Guitar forums.

Just a short one today (alright alright, that's enough celebration. Turn off the music, get rid of that pinyata and pay attenion. Uggh, I sound like my teachers at school). At Jeff's request, today's lesson is on how to do
harmonics. Harmonics are a really interesting little technique, but it can be an absolute pain to pull off unless you know how. They aren't so much hard, they just require a bit of practice.

Basically, a harmonic is bell-like sound that can be created by using strings that have been deadened, not fretted, deadened. You can deaden a string by just placing your finger on the string very lightly. Just light enough to stop the string vibrating. You want to make sure the string doesn't hit the fretboard, otherwise you're fretting the note. And for once, we don't want to do that. Remember when you were just learning how you could never get a chord to play cleanly. Then you found out your fingers were resting on strings they weren't supposed to, and deadening them. Remember and learn from those days. You're gonna need that technique here. In summary, to deaden a string. Just lightly touch the string, only enough to stop it vibrating.

Ok, now that I've pounded some bad technique into all our skulls. Let's continue.

Pulling off a harmonic is pretty easy with a bit of practise. The technique works basically like this.

1. Find which fret you want to do it at. I guess that's a bit of a no-brainer, but it's important. It's easier to do harmonics at the higher frets, where the string is a bit higher off the fretboard. Harmonics are often done at string divisions, like 1/2, 1/4, 3/4.

2. Put your finger lightly on the string at the fret you want to play. You actually have to push the string down a very little bit. NOT TOO MUCH! That's better.

3. Here comes the challenging part. As you play the string, you have to gently pull your finger off the string. If you do it right, you should get a nice bell-like tone. If you did it wrong, you get mostly a deadened tone. You'll only get it with practice. Just keep working at it, you'll get it eventually.

These are easier to play on a guitar with higher action. If your strings are too close to the fretboard, you aren't going to be able to push the string down far enough without hitting the fretboard (thus fretting the note). It's easier to do these on an acoustic because their action is normally set a bit higher than an electric's action. That being said, there is no reason why you can't do it on an electric. You just need to make sure the action is set high enough to do the job.

Thanks for listening, hope this helps.

jeff_osu · Tiger Joined: 17 Sep 2003 Posts: 838 Location: Oklahoma

Thanks for the lesson. Cool

Steve · Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2004 7:02 am Post subject:

The cool thing about "harmonics," or "bell tones," is that they are always a component of every note.
When you deaden the string at a null point, say, the fifth, seventh, or twelveth fret location (or any artificial you can find 12 frets, or halfway to the bridge from/above a fretted note) you are basically damping the fundamental note, which lets you hear the harmonic content that is always there, but usually drowned out by the fundamental.
I learned how to pick out bell tones 12 frets above a open D chord (at the 14th & 15th fret positions). You can expand this concept for many chords and notes.
I've heard some masterful stuff on records!

Thanks for opening up these lessons. I always wondered,
"How dey do dat?"

Brian · Pit Bull Joined: 26 Aug 2003 Posts: 373

I've listened to Chet Atkins play lines of harmonics as fast as I can pick normally that weren't based on the fixed fret positions. Anyone here have that technique down?

PunkStar · Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2004 7:36 pm Post subject:

Well, you don't have to play harmonics at certain positions, you can pretty much do them where you like. But people usually do them at string divisions.

But as for playing that fast, nope.

sharring · Tiger Joined: 04 Feb 2004 Posts: 812 Location: Texas

Brian-I think I know what you are talking about. Lenny Breau also does this-Him and Chet were buddies. When you play a chord-say a D position on the 2nd and 3rd fret with the D string open-you can pluck the string with your thumb (right hand) while "lightly touching" the string with your right index finger exactly 12 frets higher. Lenny can somehow fret strings and pluck open strings within a chord so that it makes a harp-like cascading sound. He was an amazing player.

jdragon · Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2004 1:13 am Post subject: Harmonics

Hey punkstar, How about a lesson on some classical guitar stlye. I would like to learn something on that.

Jay

jdragon · Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2004 1:16 am Post subject: Harmonics

By the way,

I'm going to check that out Scott. I never even thought of that, but it makes perfect sence to me. Pretty cleaver!

Jay

PunkStar · Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2004 9:11 pm Post subject: Re: Harmonics

ACfixer · Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2004 6:19 am Post subject:

Punkstar, I am so enjoying your lessons and the fact you take your time to wirte this stuff that I am creating your own forum for such... good stuff brother!

markm2553 · Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2004 9:20 am Post subject:

I would like to see someone post something about scales. I don't understand anything about them.

Just call me "lost ball high weeds".

PunkStar · Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2004 9:28 pm Post subject:

ACfixer · Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2004 10:56 pm Post subject:

markm2553 · Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2004 5:18 am Post subject:

We use to have some of them there scales in our bathroom, but my wife said they was a lie from satin himself, and threw um out! Very Happy

I was kinda glad to see um go, she kept hittin me with um, ever time she looked at um. Makes my head hurt just thinking about it. Very Happy

Steve · Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2004 6:52 am Post subject: