Harmonics: Natural and Artificial

Rest a left-hand finger lightly (without pressing down) directly over the fret wire of the 12th, 7th, or 5th fret of a string, lift the left hand off the instant the right hand plucks, and out comes a clear, bright harmonic. The 12th fret comes out the easiest, so start there.

Natural harmonics ring loudest only at the few frets that divide the string into whole-number parts; the three most common: the 12th fret = half the string length, giving the same-named note one octave above the open string (the easiest to get, practice it first); the 7th fret = a third of the string length, giving the note an octave-plus-perfect-fifth (a twelfth) above the open string; the 5th fret = a quarter of the string length, giving the same-named note two octaves above the open string (on the hard side on steel strings). Closer to the headstock there are higher, weaker harmonic points like the 4th fret, but you don't need to touch those at the beginner stage.

Example: the open 6th string is E, and its 12th-fret harmonic is still E (an octave up), its 7th-fret harmonic is B (a twelfth up), its 5th-fret harmonic is E (two octaves up); work out the other strings the same way from their own open-string note.

Harmonics can also tune a guitar against itself when you have no tuner — because harmonics are long and steady, the “beating” between two notes (that wobbling hum) is especially easy to hear. Using the 6th string as the reference: ① play the 6th-string 5th-fret harmonic, then the 5th-string 7th-fret harmonic — both should be E — and turn the 5th-string tuner until the “hum” of the beating disappears into one steady long note; ② the same way, match the 5th-string 5th fret against the 4th-string 7th fret (A); ③ the 4th-string 5th fret against the 3rd-string 7th fret (D); ④ for the 2nd string switch references: play the 6th-string 7th-fret harmonic (B) against the open 2nd string; ⑤ the 1st string: play the 5th-string 7th-fret harmonic (E) against the open 1st string.

An honest note: the 7th-fret harmonic is a “perfect fifth” harmonic, which is about 2 cents off from equal temperament, so tuning the whole guitar in a chain will accumulate a slight error — which makes it good for a pinch and for ear training, but once you've tuned, double-check with a tuner if you can.

Use this when you want a harmonic on a chord you're already fretting: the right-hand index finger i lightly touches the node at “the fretted fret + 12,” the ring finger a plucks at the same time, and it turns the fretted melody note into a harmonic. Example: with the left hand fretting the 3rd fret, the touch point is at the 15th fret (3 + 12); fretting the 1st fret, it's at the 13th. Often used to light up a high melody.

Fret a note with the left hand, then with one right-hand finger tap sharply at the node of “the fretted fret + 12” and snap right back, sounding a piercing, percussive harmonic. It has more impact than a plucked harmonic, often used to spotlight a single note.

Slap the flat of your finger directly over the node (snapping back as if you'd touched a hot stove), and you can slap a whole chord at once. On open strings the 12th fret comes out best; on a fretted chord the node shifts up accordingly. It's much louder than a plucked harmonic, bright and percussive — a gateway toward percussive fingerstyle, which is exactly where the next lesson picks up.

For natural harmonics, first find the “easiest to ring” touch point on each string at the 12th fret: touch the string lightly, directly over the fret wire, and lift the left hand off the instant the right hand finishes plucking. If it won't come out, it's usually because the finger pressed too hard or the position was off.