How to Play Natural Harmonics on Guitar

Natural harmonics often resemble the sound of a bell.

There are many techniques that you as a guitarist can use to make your playing more interesting, and among them are the many types of harmonics that a guitar can sound. Natural harmonics are the place to start when first learning about the different kinds of harmonics that can be sounded on a guitar. Once you have mastered natural harmonics, you can move on to more complicated techniques like tap harmonics and pinch harmonics.

Things You'll Need

• Guitar

Instructions

Playing Natural Harmonics

1. Rest your finger on one of the 12th fret of your high E string. Do not press down on the string.

2. Pluck the string and quickly remove your finger. When you do this correctly, you will get a ringing, high-pitched tone. This is a natural harmonic.

3. Repeat the process with all of your strings until you can sound the harmonic with ease. Once you have mastered natural harmonics on the 12th fret, try them on the 7th and 5th frets.

4. Experiment hitting natural harmonics all over the fretboard. There are several places you can get ringing harmonics on a guitar, and they are not always directly on top of a fret. Natural harmonics can also be hit over the body of the guitar (off of the fret board).

Tips & Warnings

• If you are having trouble getting your harmonics to sound properly, try adding distortion to your tone (if you are using an electric guitar).

• Once you learn to play harmonics by themselves, try mixing them in with single note lines and chords. Harmonics can liven up your playing in many different ways.

References

• Guitar For Beginners.com: Guitar Harmonics, 2010