Six Strings
In this section: Techniques
Techniques

Natural harmonics

You rest a finger on the string without pressing, right over a fret wire, and pluck: a clear, crystal-like note rings out, like a bell. Over the 12th, 7th and 5th frets, it’s the easiest way to make a guitar shimmer.

Notation
Fret number in angle brackets (<12>)
Hand
Fretting hand
Difficulty
Beginner
Style
Folk, rock, every style

Listen

e|------------------------------<12>-|
B|--------0-<12>-----------<12>------|
G|-0-<12>-------------<12>-----------|
D|---------------<12>----------------|
A|-----------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------|

What it’s for

A natural harmonic doesn’t sound like an ordinary note. It’s purer, softer, with no hard attack, and it rings for a long time: the sound of a bell or a music box. A few harmonics are enough to open a song, close it, or let an accompaniment breathe.

You can hear them in the intro of “Roundabout” by Yes, played by Steve Howe, and in the intro of “Red Barchetta” by Rush, from Alex Lifeson. They’re also good for something completely different: tuning your guitar by ear.

How to do it

The example at the top of the page, on the G string, 12th fret.

  1. Rest the pad of a finger on the string, exactly over the 12th fret (the metal wire), not in the middle of the fret space like a normal note.
  2. Don’t press. Your finger touches the string, barely, without pushing it toward the fretboard.
  3. Pluck the string firmly with your picking hand, a bit closer to the bridge than usual.
  4. Lift your fretting finger right after: the note keeps ringing, clear and soft.
  5. Move on to the 7th and 5th frets. Same motion, but you have to hit the spot to the millimeter and pluck even closer to the bridge.
10111213EADGBe3ab

Natural harmonics: touch right over the fret

  1. The pad of your ring finger right over the fret (the metal wire), not in the middle of the space, and without pressing: the string doesn’t touch the fretboard.
  2. As soon as the note rings, lift your finger: the harmonic keeps ringing on its own, clear as a bell.

Drawn like tab: high E at the top, low E at the bottom.

Why does it work? A string vibrates along its whole length, but also in halves, thirds and quarters. Touch it at the halfway point (the 12th fret) and you stop the full-length vibration, leaving only the halves: the note sounds an octave above the open string. At one third (the 7th fret), an octave and a fifth higher. At one quarter (the 5th fret), two octaves higher.

In tab, a harmonic is written in angle brackets: <12>. You’ll also see “Harm.” or “N.H.” above the tab.

Examples

The example at the top of the page compares the open string with its 12th-fret harmonic, on the G string and then the B string: same note name, one octave up. Then four 12th-fret harmonics, from the D string to the high E, ringing together.

At the intermediate level, a melody in G major played entirely in harmonics. It moves between the 12th, 7th and 5th frets: every note asks you to aim precisely.

e|-----------------------<12>-------------------|
B|------<12>---------<7>----------<12>----------|
G|-<12>------<7>-<5>----------<7>----------<12>-|
D|-------------------------------------<7>------|
A|----------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------|

At the advanced level, fingerstyle: your thumb plays an open bass note, then three harmonics follow. Em, D, Bm, Em: the chords change with the fret (12, 7, then 5), and your fretting hand moves while the bass rings.

e|-------------<12>-------------------------<7>-----------<5>-|
B|--------<12>----------------<7>-------<7>-----------<5>-----|
G|---<12>-----------------<7>-------<7>-----------<5>---------|
D|--------------------<7>---------0---------------------------|
A|------------------0-----------------------------------------|
E|-0--------------------------------------------0-------------|

Licks

A folk lick in E minor on acoustic guitar: a short phrase in open position, then four 12th-fret harmonics that unfold one by one and hang in the air.

Loop it in the Studio →
e|-----0-3-2-0----------------<12>-|
B|-0-3-------------------<12>------|
G|------------------<12>-----------|
D|-------------<12>----------------|
A|---------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------|

A rock lick in E minor with a distorted tone: a palm-muted riff on the low E, with harmonics on the D and A strings to end each bar. With distortion, they scream.

Loop it in the Studio →
   PM--  PM  PM    PM--  PM
e|--------------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------------|
D|-------------<7>----------------------|
A|-----------------------------<12>-<7>-|
E|-0-0-3-0-5-0-----0-0-3-0-5-7----------|

A country lick in G major with a clean tone: a climb in open position, then bell-like harmonics that carry it all the way up to a high G.

Loop it in the Studio →
e|---------------------------------|
B|-----------0-3------<12>---------|
G|-------0-2-----<12>------<7>-<5>-|
D|---0-2---------------------------|
A|-2-------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------|

Practice routine

Set your metronome to 60 bpm, one harmonic per click.

  1. 12th fret, all six strings, from low E to high E and back. Each harmonic should ring clean, with no regular note behind it.
  2. 7th fret, then 5th fret, same route. If a harmonic doesn’t come out, play it again before moving to the next one.
  3. The intermediate melody at 60 bpm, then up to 85.
  4. The advanced example at 80 bpm, then up to 120: the open bass note has to land right on the beat while your fretting hand changes frets.

Common mistakes

You hear a dull note instead of a bell? You’re pressing. Your finger should only touch the string, not push it against the fretboard.

Nothing comes out? Your finger is in the middle of the fret space. The harmonic sits right over the metal fret wire, not between two frets.

The harmonic dies right away? Your finger moves or presses while it stays on the string. Lift it cleanly, right after you pluck.

The 7th and 5th frets won’t sound? They’re pickier. Pluck closer to the bridge, and move your finger a millimeter toward the headstock or the bridge until you find the exact spot.

Variations

  • Harmonic chords. Lay one finger flat across the four high strings, right over the 12th fret, without pressing, and pluck them together: an Em7 made of bells.
  • Other spots. The 19th fret gives the same note as the 7th, and over the neck pickup (around where a 24th fret would be) you find the 5th-fret note again. Just before the 4th fret and around the 9th, which are harder, you get a note two octaves and a third up.
  • Tuning your guitar. The 5th-fret harmonic on one string and the 7th-fret harmonic on the next string give the same note, except between G and B. If they beat against each other, one of the two strings is out of tune.
  • Artificial harmonics. Hold a note with your fretting hand, touch the string twelve frets higher with your picking-hand index finger, and pluck with your thumb: the harmonic follows the chord. Jazz guitarist Lenny Breau built a whole style on them.
  • With the whammy bar. Ring a harmonic, then push down the bar: the bell dives.

Acoustic or electric

On acoustic guitar, harmonics sound rich and long. Pluck near the bridge, with the flesh of your thumb or a pick, and let them ring.

On electric guitar, the bridge pickup brings them out better, especially at the 7th and 5th frets. With a clean tone and a little reverb, they sparkle. With distortion, they turn into squeals, and the 5th and 7th frets on the low strings come out with no effort at all.

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