Harmonics are produced every time you play the guitar, but it takes a defined ear to hear them. And then it takes practice to learn how to use them in your playing. This post is dedicated to recognizing harmonics and learning how to use them effectively in your playing. I'll start with an introduction to what harmonics actually are and then provide some practice methods that will help you start using them in your playing. Playing harmonics and utilizing natural overtones is a good skill to have on guitar.
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Playing harmonics high on the
fret board. |
This first article features harmonics and natural overtones on the guitar. It introduces what the are and where they can be found on the guitar. Check it out here at
http://www.blackbeltguitar.com/news/show_news.php?subaction=showfull&id=1082587552&archive=.
This lesson has presents a very cool and unique quality of the guitar as an instrument, namely its your ability to play harmonics on the guitar. Harmonics are produced any time you strike the string of a guitar, but you don't always hear them, because they are naturally occuring overtones, or tones on top of the loud fundamental tone you hear.
To briefly review what you learned in your lessons on major scales and intervals, the fundamental tone is the tone the string produces when the entire length of the open or fretted string vibrates. If you touch the vibrating string lightly at certain points, you dampen the fundamental tone, allowing a softer overtone to be heard. There are an infinite number of points along the string, each producing an overtone, but the loudest and most recognizable overtones correspond to points which divide the vibrating string into equal lengths. The smaller the equal length, the softer the overtone.
As you study this picture, here are some observations that will help you rembember where the loudest natural harmonic points are along any given string:
- Half of the string length is an octave above the fundamental.
- One-quarter string length is two octaves above the fundamental.
- One-eighth string length is three octaves above the fundamental... and so on, ad infinitum.
- One-third string length is a perfect 5th above the first octave.
- One-fifth string length is a major 3rd above the second octave.
- One-sixth string length is a perfect 5th above the second octave.
- One-seventh string length is a minor 7th above the second octave.
Also, in the picture, take note of the similar colors, corresponding to notes in the chromatic scale, as well as the size of the dots, corresponding to the relative strength of the harmonic tone.
The diagram does not show harmonics above the 12th fret, but they do exist there, in reverse order. Learn the ratios, and play them above the 12th fret as well.
Not All Guitars Created Equally
Some guitars project harmonic overtones more ably than others. If you are using an acoustic top guitar, a thin solid-top model will project louder than a thicker plywood top. If you are using an electric guitar, a hot bridge pickup will detect and amplify harmonics more than a warm jazz neck pickup. Some pickup models are especially built to maximize the effect of harmonics, riding the airwaves on high distortion and volume.
Problems with Natural Harmonic
Natural harmonics are can be very cool, but also problematic if not tamed. Because harmonics arise from touching the string at certain points when vibrating, they can happen accidentally when your left or right hand changes position and touches adjacent strings in those ticklish places. Harmonics can also occur in the form of feedback, when playing loudly, your strings can naturally resonate with its own frequency coming through the amplifier or from other instruments. For this reason, muting with the left and right hand is the antidote to feedback and unwanted harmonic noise. Learn the harmonic points on the guitar also to know what not to play, accidentally.
Who Uses Harmonics?
This list of players is by no means exhaustive, but you might have heard of them: Eddie Van Halen, Steve Morse, Steve Howe, Eric Johnson, Steve Vai, Liona Boyd, Andy Summers, Adrian Legg, John Williams, Andres Segovia, Fernando Sor, Joe Satriani, David Gilmour to name a few. You can add your name to this list of creative virtuosos.
Other Uses for Natural Harmonics
Natural harmonics are a good way to tune a guitar with itself. Playing the same harmonic tone or octave on two vibrating strings at once will allow to you fine tune your guitar. If you cannot get open string tuning and harmonic tuning to sound reasonably in tune on your axe, you might need to take it in to your local luthier for adjustment.
Exercises
Don't try to absorb this picture all at once. Break it down into small digestible pieces, such as:
- Pick a string and learn the harmonics names up and down the string, one string at a time.
- Pick a fret and learn the harmonic names across all strings one fret at a time.
- Pick a note and learn the position of that note everywhere on the fretboard.
The harmonics on the fretboard are learned by repetition. Here are a few useful ideas:
- When you do have your guitar with you (and nobody is around to make fun of you) sing the names of the harmonics as you play them. This makes the learning "sticky", and you will internalize it much more quickly than by playing alone.
- Look for and visualize patterns, and play those patterns as you discover them.
- Learn the note locations relative to the inlays (dots) and frets of the guitar neck.
- When you can't have your guitar with you, quiz yourself by drawing the fretboard on a piece of paper.
- A little bit every day is better than a lot at once. Don't try to cram for your test. Just make a point of knowing your stuff, and when you realize that you might have some fuzzy areas that need sharpening, just revisit them and you'll see that a little attention will quickly fix them.
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| Harmonics with a slide. |
Natural harmonics can be found in most scales on the fretboard. This next article provides detailed information on the location of these harmonics here at
http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/lessons/for_beginners/natural_and_harp_harmonics.html.
NATURAL HARMONICS are produced with the fretting hand slightly touching open strings at some frets (3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 12, 16 and also some places over the soundhole) with te tip or back of your fretting hand fingers.
You must have in mind that when you are playing chords you put your fingers right in the middle of two consecutive frets, but when you are playing scales (mostly when you play fast) it is advisable to put your fingers right behind the fret which is closer to the bridge, not the one closer to the neck, and If you are playing harmonics even over it, not just in the space between frets as with chords.
Harmonics come high and clear on frets 5, 7, 9, 12, 16, etc., but those produced on frets 3, 4 and on other places between neck and bridge may prove a little more difficult to produce, although it's all a matter of practice. Frets 4 and 9 produce the same harmonics (maybe at the 9th fret they come a little easier than on the 4th). Every guitar is different from all the rest so look for the best spots on your guitar to produce them.
Of course good guitars will produce more and better harmonics than cheaper models. You can pluck the strings with your fingers (mostly thumb and index) or with a pick, but remember that you must release the touch of your fretting hand's fingers just as you pluck with the other.
Repeat some examples a few times as slow as you need at first and they'll come out very easily.
+ + + + +
e|---------5---------7---------9--------12--------16---------|
B|---------5---------7---------9--------12--------16---------|
G|---------5---------7---------9--------12--------16---------|
D|---------5---------7---------9--------12--------16---------|
A|---------5---------7---------9--------12--------16---------|
E|---------5---------7---------9--------12--------16---------|
+ + + + + + +
e|-----------------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------------------|
G|-------12--------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------7------12-----------------------------------|
A|------------------------------7------12--------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------7------12-----|
+ + + + + + + +
e|---------------------------------------------------5-------|
B|--------------------------------------------5--------------|
G|-------------------------------------5---------------------|
D|----------------5-------------4----------------------------|
A|--------4--------------3-----------------------------------|
E|3----------------------------------------------------------|
G Lydian
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e|-------------------12---------------12---------------------|
B|-------12---------------7-------7--------------12----------|
G|12--------------------------5---------------------------12-|
D|----------------5-----------------------5------------------|
A|----5-------9-------------------------------9-------5------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------|
You can alternate harmonics with real notes R as seen below.
Em pentatonic
+ + + + + + R + R + R + R
e|-----12----------------------0-----------------------------|
B|12------------12----------------------0--------------------|
G|----------7-------------12---------------------0-----------|
D|--------------------7------------12---------------------0--|
A|------------------------------------------12---------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------12------|
(.
+ R + R + R + + + + + + +
e|-----------------------0---------------------12-------5----|
B|--------------0---------------------12---------------------|
G|-----0---------------------12------------7--------9--------|
D|------------------12------------7--------------------------|
A|---------12------------------------------------------------|
E|12---------------------------------------------------------|
HARP HARMONICS are produced on fretted strings not with the fretting hand, which you use for chords, but with the tip of the index finger of the plucking hand.You pluck the strings either with your thumb or using a pick between your thumb and middle fingers. You must keep your thumb slightly separated from the index and at the height of the index's last phalange (where the tip of the finger bends).
The rest of the fingers must remain grouped and slightly separated from the two working ones. Always Try keeping your hand as relaxed as possible. It is pretty easy making both movements at the same time (touching the spot you want with the index and plucking the string with the thumb).
With this technique you can reproduce harmonics from any chord you like. You just got to outline the very same chord shape you choose with your fretting hand twelve frets up with the tip of the index finger of your plucking hand and ¡You got it!
Fretting hand
(frets chord)
Plucking hand (index touches over
frets and thumb plucks the strings)
+ + + + + + + + +
Asus2
e|0-----------------------------(12)-------------------------|
B|0-----------------------(12)--------(12)-------------------|
G|2-----------------(14)--------------------(14)-------------|
D|2-----------(14)--------------------------------(14)-------|
A|0-----(12)--------------------------------------------(12)-|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------|
+ + + + + + + +
Fmaj7 Cmaj7
e|0-----------------(12)-------------------------------------|
B|1-------------(13)--------------0----------------(12)------|
G|2--------(14)-------------------0------------(12)----------|
D|3----(15)-----------------------2--------(14)--------------|
A|--------------------------------3----(15)------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------|
Bm7 E7+5
+ + + + + + + + +
e|-----------------------------0------------------------(12)-|
B|3-------------------(15)-----1-------------------(13)------|
G|2--------------(14)----------1--------------(13)-----------|
D|4---------(16)---------------0---------(12)----------------|
A|2----(14)--------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------0----(12)---------------------|
Am7 D7-9
e|-----------------------------------------------------------|
B|5-------------------(17)-----4-------------------(16)------|
G|5--------------(17)----------5--------------(17)-----------|
D|5---------(17)---------------4---------(16)----------------|
A|0----(12)--------------------5----(17)---------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------|
(.
C9
e|0------------------------(12)------------------------------|
B|3-------------------(15)-------(15)------------------------|
G|3--------------(15)----------------------------------------|
D|2---------(14)---------------------------------------------|
A|3----(15)--------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------|
You can also use harp harmonics ( ) along with natural ones.
Ascending B Dorian
+ + + + + + + +
e|---------------------12----------------------5(17)---------|
B|12---------------------------7-----------------------------|
G|------------------------------------5-----------------9----|
D|---------------5-------------------------------------------|
A|--------4--------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------|
Descending A Mixolydian
+ + + + + + + +
e|5(17)-------------------12---------------------------------|
B|----------------7-------------------------------12---------|
G|--------5--------------------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------5--------------------------|
A|----------------------------------------4--------------5---|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------|
G# Phrygian
+ + + + + + + +
e|-----------------------------------12------------4(16)-----|
B|-----------------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------5-------------9---------------|
A|--------5-------------4------------------------------------|
E|4--------------3-------------------------------------------|
Here are real notes and both kinds of harmonics combined.
Whole tone
R + R + R + R + +
e|----------------------------------------0------------------|
B|---------------------------1-------------------------------|
G|--------------2---------------------------------------12---|
D|3--------------------------------0-----------4(16)---------|
A|-------------------2(14)-----------------------------------|
E|-----3(15)-------------------------------------------------|
And, as a farewell, a couple more chords.
E7/6 A13
R + + + + + R + + + +
e|---0----------------(12)-------7----------------------(19)-|
B|---0------------(12)-----------7-------------(19)----------|
G|---6--------(18)---------------6-----(18)------------------|
D|---6----(18)-------------------5(17)-----------------------|
A|---5(17)--------------------0------------------------------|
E|0----------------------------------------------------------|
+ Harmonic
R Real note
( ) Up twelve frets
/ Slide up
\ Slide down
H Hammer-on
P Pull-off
~ Vibrato
x Mute note
. Play note like a dot in standard notation
^ Ties two notes together
(. Pause
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| Harmonics in a solo |
The next three articles all belong to the same series. It's a great feature on harmonics and how to use them in your guitar playing. Find the first part here at
http://www.guitarworld.com/riffer-madness-dimebag-darrell-harmonics-part-1.
This entry comes from Dimebag Darrell's classic Guitar World column, "Riffer Madness."
This month we're gonna talk about harmonics-how to get 'em, where you can find 'em and what you can do with 'em. There are a number of different ways you can make harmonics happen. You can induce 'em with your pick (pinch harmonics), you can tap 'em like Eddie Van Halen does sometimes (tap or touch harmonics) or you can get 'em by lightly resting one of your left-hand fingers on a string and then picking it. The last type are called natural harmonics, and they're the suckers we're gonna be dicking with.
How
The easiest place to get a natural harmonic on any string is at the 12th fret. All you do is lightly rest one of your lefthand fingers on a string directly above that fret and then pick it. Don't let the string touch the fret, though, or it won't work, dad! When you do this right you'll hear a bell-like note that's exactly one octave higher than the open-string note. To help make harmonics easier to get, use your lead (bridge) pickup and a lot of gain. When I first started experimenting with harmonics, I'd sometimes hook up two distortion boxes just to get my strings "frying," which helped bring out the harmonics. Also, once you've chimed the harmonic, it's not necessary to leave your finger on the string-in fact, if you let go of the string immediately after you pick it the harmonic will ring twice as well.
Where
You can also get harmonics happening above other frets like the 7th, 5th and 4th. Some dudes seem to think that these are the only points where harmonics happen but, as far as I'm concerned, there is literally a harmonic to be found at any place on any string. Check this out and you'll hear what I'm saying: rest your left-hand bird (middle) finger lightly over the highest fret of your fat E string. Then start chugging out a groove on that string with your pick. While you're doing that, keep your left-hand finger resting lightly on the string and start moving it slowly towards the nut. You should hear a shit-load of different harmonics all over the string!
Some of my favorite harmonics are located between frets. There are two really cool ones between the 2nd and 3rd frets that I use a lot. One is at about a quarter of the way between the 2nd and 3rd frets and the other is at about three quarters of the way. They're pretty hard to get, so once you find 'em make a mental note of exactly where they are.
I use some pretty radical harmonics at the beginning of "Heresy" [Cowboys From Hell.] FIGURE 1 shows a riff similar to the one I'm talking about and, as you can see, it uses harmonics on the low E string.
The best way to make sure you're playing this right is to listen to the record real carefully and then find the exact spots where all the harmonics are. Use your ears and your eyes, man--look and listen!
To Bar or Not To Bar
A lot of guitarists tend to only use harmonics when they want to make weird noises with their whammy bars. That's cool but, as FIGURE 1 shows, you don't need a tremolo arm to make harmonics wail. Two of my favorite players, Edward Van Halen and Randy Rhoads, did some real happening things with harmonics without reaching for their bars! FIGURE 2 is similar to the verse riff of "Mouth For War" [Vulgar Display Of Power].
In bar 4 I play a simple little fill using harmonics a quarter of the way between the 2nd and 3rd frets on the G and B strings to create a high-pitched percussive sound that gives the riff an extra dimension. And, once again, no whammy shit is going on.
Harmonics are cool to screw around with, so don't be afraid to experiment with 'em. As long as you remember to look and listen you'll do just fine. Next month I'll tell ya all about how I get my trademark harmonic screams, like the ones at the end of "Cemetery Gates" [Cowboys From Hell.]
Part 2 of the series can be found here at
http://www.guitarworld.com/riffer-madness-dimebag-darrell-harmonics-part-2-harmonic-screams.
This entry comes from Dimebag Darrell's classic Guitar World column, "Riffer Madness." In case you missed part one, go here
What's shakin', tough guy? Like I promised at the end of last month's column, this time I'm gonna light you up on how to do "harmonic squeals," like the ones at the end of "Cemetery Gates" (Cowboys From Hell.) A bunch of you have written in asking about this technique.
To get "harmonic screams" (same shit, different term) happening, you need a whammy bar. So, if your axe doesn't have one, then you're gonna have to sit this lesson out-sorry, dude! Also, just so you know, we're gonna be doing some pretty brutal dives that will definitely knock a non-locking tremolo system way out of tune. So a locking one, like a Floyd Rose-type, is kind of essential.
In case you're not exactly sure what I mean by a harmonic scream, there's a real long, slow one in "This Love" (Vulgar Display Of Power) which starts at 6:21 (CD time) and runs to the very end of the track. You can also hear me doing a bunch of them in "Cemetery Gates, " between 6:14 and the end, where I imitate Phil's [Anselmo, Pantera's vocalist] screams. I love that sort of vocal stuff, but there's no way in hell I can do it with my voice-I don't have that kinda range! So, harmonic screams are my way of "singing out, " using my guitar instead of my throat. That's why I really dig this technique.
I stumbled on harmonic squeals when I was dicking around one day. A lot of people think I use a harmonizer or a [Digitech] Whammy Pedal to do them, but I don't; all I use is my bar and some natural harmonics. To make harmonics scream, I first dump my Floyd Rose real quick, hit a harmonic with my left hand while the string is still flapping, and then use the bar to pull it up to the pitch I wanna hit.
If this sounds kinda complex to you, don't schiz; it's actually a pretty simple thing to do once you've got the technique down. So, let's learn how to do a real basic harmonic scream in "slow motion," by breaking the idea down into four easy steps. Let's use the harmonic that's directly above the 5th fret on the G string ('cos it's a pretty easy one to nail) and make it "scream" up to its original pitch of G. First though, dial up a distorted sound (remember, gain helps harmonics happen) and switch to your lead (bridge) pickup.
Step 1: Position your left hand so you're ready to hit the 5th-fret harmonic on the G string with your bird (middle) finger. Then mute the high E and B strings with your left-hand index finger, and the low E, A and D with your thumb by wrapping it around the top of the neck.
Step 2: Flick the G string with your bird finger and dump the bar down to the pitch you want the scream to start out at. You can take the bar down as little or as far as you want; just don't take it down too far, or the string will die of shock and the harmonic won't happen.
Step 3: As soon as the bar is dumped, sound the harmonic by lightly tapping the G string directly above the 5th fret with your bird finger. While you're doing this, make sure you're still keeping the other strings quiet with your thumb and index finger.
Step 4: As soon as you've hit the harmonic, release pressure on the bar and let the G string return back up to pitch. As long as you've sounded the harmonic properly, it'll "scream" up to G (as shown in FIGURE 1).
The first few times you do this you're gonna hear the open G string "growl" before the scream starts happening. This is just because you're doing everything in slow motion.
Once you've got this technique down, though, you won't hear the growl because you'll be doing the first three steps so quickly they'll almost be simultaneous. If it takes you some time to get these squeals happening, don't skid-it took me a while too.
Work on this technique until you can nail FIGURE 1 no problem, then move onto FIGURE 2.
This one stays on the G string but has you "screaming" a bunch of different harmonics up to pitch. The last one can be a bitch to hit, but stick with it 'cos it sounds real cool when you nail it. Once you get this one down, try doing the same thing on the other five strings.
 |
| Closeup of guitar fret board. |
The third and last part of the series on harmonics can be found here at
http://www.guitarworld.com/riffer-madness-dimebag-darrell-harmonics-part-3.
This entry comes from Dimebag Darrell's classic Guitar World column, "Riffer Madness."
What's up Dad, we're back! Last time we got into using the whammy bar to make natural harmonics scream back up to pitch. In this column we're gonna be using the bar to to pull these jewels up to notes that are higher than their regular pitch. One example is screaming the harmonic at the 4th fret (regular pitch is B) on the G string all the way up to D (Figure 1).
For you to be able to able to do this your bridge needs to be floating so you can yank the bar up as well as push it down. It's up to you to decide how you set your bridges up, but just so you know, I have my Floyd set up so that I'm able to pull a note on the G string up about two-and-and-half steps.
Basically, the technique you need to get these high-pitched bitch-bastards screaming is exactly the same as the one we talked about last month: flick the string with your left hand, dump the bar down, lightly tap the harmonic you want and then let the whammy come back up real smoothly--so the harmonic squeals. The only difference is that this time out you've gotta pull up on your bar, so that the harmonic goes past its regular pitch and up to the note you want the "scream" to end on. To do this you've gotta use your ears as well as your hands--your hands do the work and your ears tell 'em how far to go.
Backwards or forwards? The choice is yours!
To pull a harmonic up to an exact higher pitch requires some pretty close control of the bar. I've found that with the bar pointing towards the back of my guitar--towards the end strap button--I can more accurately get the note I'm aiming for, because I have to push down on the bar to get there--think about it! But whenever I'm aiming for a gut-wrenching squeal, I go for it with the bar facing the front. There's a different feel to both ways, so experiement to find which one works best for you. Backwards or forwards? The choice is yours.
Anyway, enough rapping about whammy bars and shit; let's get into some jamming. To get cooking on this new idea, check out FIGURE 2.
This has you screaming the harmonic at the fifth fret of the G string up to four different notes: G (return to pitch); A (up a whole step); B (up two steps) and C (up two-and-a-half steps). I've got you hitting a power chord before each scream, so you can hear the pitch you're aiming for just before you go for it with the harmonic. Use your ears and pay atention to the pitch. Once you've got FIGURE 2 down, try FIGURE 3, whichi s the same exact deal except without the power chords to help you out. This time you're flying blind!
Once you can nail FIGURE 3 every time, you're ready to start cuttin' up. Try squealing every harmonic you can find on every string, and never be afraid to experiment; that's how most of us come up with some of our coolest shit. The great thing about this technique is you can use it to make your guitar sing a melody or just squeal wildly outta control--it's up to you.
To finish up, I'm gonna leave you with a challenge, FIGURE 4.
This is the first melodic squeal at the end of Cemetery Gates (Cowboys From Hell), where I follow Philip's vocal melody. Here I scream the harmonic at the 4th fret on the G string up to E, which is two-and-a-half steps above its resting pitch of B. Then, after holding it there for a measure, I drop it smoothly down to C, which is half a step above its resting pitch. Thje touch thing about FIGURE 4 is that you never get to use the harmonic's resting pitch (B) as a reference point--you're either above or below it, but never on it. Good luck--and if you get this one right, treat yourself to a six-pack of beer!
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Have fun and stay tuned!
Mike
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