Harmonics

Heya fellas I gotta queston for you!
How do you do a natural harmonic?
I just learned tapping harmonics + pinch harmonics
but i havnt quite gotten the hang of natural harmonics
can anyone explain how to?
Thanks!

P.S > Do you have to pinch harmonic with your thumb? cuase i find it easier to tap it with my Pick instead of my thumb

Thanks a million!

-Luke

natural harmonics are placing your finger on the string, directly over the fret ( 12th would be easiest) but dont press down. just touch your finger to it lightly. hope that helped.

Yep Yep Thanks man!!

Whatever works for you!

Another cool thing you can try is, well I am not sure what it is called, but I call it pickup harmonics. It's a cool technique to use while playing a heavily distorted riff. Play a note, say, G on the 3rd fret 6th string. Pick the note and then lightly tap the same string, but do so over the pickup area. It might take a while to find the sweet spot. But when you do it'll sound awesome.

Rock on!

there are also tapped harmonics which EVH does. For example, pick the E on the 3rd fret, then on the 15th fret and you'll get a harmonic. This is because both notes are a G-note. Plus, you can do hammer ons and pull offs, and kind of move your hand over the string from the bridge up to the other hand as long as you're getting a harmonic sound.

watch Lenny Breau he is the master of harmonics, while also one of the best guitarist to ever live, In modern times any way.(unfortunately there aren't any real good quality videos on you tube, his cds are unreal, so this is the best i could do the harmonics start at about 1:00)

>-- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EKnCEWaETI&feature=related --<

the key to understanding harmonics(natural or whatever) is knowing the nodes. Music, in case you don't know, is basically sonic fractions. You start with a note then divide it in 1/2 you get a octave, 2/3 a fifth, 3/4 a fourth. Know at each of these points you have a node. So like GMG said if you touch(don't press down just touch) at the 12 fret(1/2 of the open string) then hit the string you get a harmonic. what happening is, because you finger is there both half's of the string are moving. So form the nut to the 12 fret is vibrating, stopping then from the 12 fret to the bridge it vibrating. both independent but in perfect unison. you can test this by doing a harmonic at 3/4(5th fret) then touch at the 12 fret and the harmonic will still be going, but touch at the 11th fret and it will stop. because the sting is vibrating in four parts and touching the 11th fret will stop it because it is note a 3/4 node for a open string.

here is a chart of where the nodes are(kind of hard to read but look hard and you will get it) for open strings.

>--- http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/Table_of_Harmonics.svg ---<


Now how to do natural harmonics?
I'll tell you the best way i know the classical way, and the way Lenny Breau and so many other guitar greats do it. It requires no pick.

get you index finger and put it over the node. Then with your thumb(helps to have a bit of a nail/thump pick) pick behind your index finger. this allows you to fret and play natural harmonics. SO play 3rd fret low E string (aka G) then play the harmonic with your right hand at the 15th fret(or 12 half steps from G, 1/2 is always 12th frets away). This maybe confusing but look it up on you tube tons of how to videos


@Gslinger- The rhythm pick up is almost always put under the 3/4 node for open strings, that would be why. So you can use the classical tech to pinpoint other nodes in the area. also to find them when fretting as the nodes move, hope it helps as i find that to be easier then just smacking around, you can just slowing move up and down and get pinpoint placement.

Thanks all!!
Ive tried all of them Im gonna keep trying until I get good at it though.
:) :) :)

I believe this video shows what RA is talking about. It's also called harp picking. Kinda tricky but sounds awesome. The lick is first used at 00:14.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ryc5tkyE6QQ&playnext_from=TL&videos=b6sX94lRZGw

G'day
The 3rd and 5th fret give you the most high pitched harmonics, 7th and 12th are probably the easiest though - remember, it sounds killer when you bring a whammy bar into the mix!
Hope that was of some help, rock on!
:)

Whereever you play on the fret board an octave up you can get harmonics.

quick question:

Is the 6th fret area considered a harmonic even though it doesn't really ring out like the others?

Just curious :B

The three main areas are the 5th, 7th, and 12th but you can sometimes get harmonics from other frets too like on Crazy Train over the 2nd and 4th during the chorus. They dont ring out with sustain but you can get certain effects.

yeah, I can pull harmonics off at the 2,3,4,5,7,12,15,19,24, between the pickups(haha seriously it's cool)

Every time I've tried to get the sixth at all it doesn't really ring out, it just sounds really high pitched and obnoxious for about half a second haha pretty cool for a quick hit though ^^

Frets 5 7 9 12 even 19 are easiest. I think.

But i say expierement around searching for harmonics.