Misc - Basic Harmonics guitar tab
BASIC HARMONICS
By PJVillanueva
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
