Getting Started With...Natural Harmonics

Make your guitar ring like a bell by adding some natural harmonics to your palette

“I’ve heard people talk about natural and pinched harmonics, but I don’t know what they are...”

There are two main kinds of harmonics: pinched and natural. Pinched harmonics produce a high squealing sound and are quite tricky to play since you pinch the string between your thumb and the pick. Natural harmonics are what we’ll be looking at here, though. They are played by touching the strings lightly at certain ‘node’ points. These produce a clear, bell-like tone that are higher in pitch than the regular fretted notes in the same position. There’s a science-y explanation for this, but frankly it’s more fun to play than talk, so let’s get stuck in...