Getting Started With...Natural Harmonics
Total Guitar|Summer 2017

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

Getting Started With...Natural Harmonics

“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...

This story is from the Summer 2017 edition of Total Guitar.

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This story is from the Summer 2017 edition of Total Guitar.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

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