Harmonics

Touch lightly above the 5th, 7th, or 12th fret wire; pluck; release. Also try 4, 9, and 3 for more pitches. Map them on every string.

The marks show where your finger goes. Clicking the neck plays the fretted note there — to hear what the harmonic actually sounds like, use the chart below, which plays the real chime pitch.

A harmonic does not sound at the pitch of the fret you touch. Touching a node stops the string from vibrating as a whole and lets it vibrate in equal parts instead, so what you hear is much higher — and how much higher depends only on how many parts, not on the fret number. That is why fret 5 rings higher than fret 7, which surprises everybody once.

Frets 4 and 9 give the same pitch — they are two nodes of the same vibration. Useful when one of them is in the way of your hand.

Always touch directly above the fret wire, not in the middle of the fret space. Fret 12 is the most forgiving; 7 and 5 are strong and common in intros and endings; 4 and 9 are thinner and good for melodic chains; 3 needs the lightest touch of all.

The TAB seed further down as sound: two octave harmonics, then the same two strings at the twelfth-fret node's neighbour at fret 7. Four chimes rising in open fifths, which is the shape most harmonic intros are built from.

BPM Play the chain Stop

Fret a note normally; pluck with the thumb while the edge of the index simultaneously touches the string (guitarists’ pinch harmonic). On bass it is harder but useful for metal accents and lead colour — less common in straight gallop grooves.

Start on fretted notes around frets 3–7 on the G string where the speaking length is shorter.

Chain natural harmonics into short motifs, then slide into fretted melody. Add wah for vowel-like sweeps. Keep dynamics — harmonics disappear if you dig too hard with the left hand.

• Pressing through — left hand frets normally; chime dies.
• Touching between frets — wrong node location.
• Leaving the finger down — must lift after the pluck for a clear ring.
• Plucking too soft — harmonic needs a decisive right-hand attack.

Convention here: <12> means natural harmonic at that fret.

G|-------<12>--------<7>--
D|-<12>--------<7>--------
A|------------------------
E|------------------------|  D3 · G3 · A3 · D4 — the chain above

Answer with fretted notes:

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

1. 12th-fret harmonic on each open string — consistent chime.
2. 7 then 5 on E only — same touch weight.
3. Cross-string 12–7–5 motif (seed above).
4. Harmonic → fretted answer in the same key center.
5. Optional: one pinch accent on G-string fretted notes.

• Bell-like onset, not a dud thud.
• Pitch is obvious (octave / fifth relationships feel right).
• Fretted answers match the harmonic’s key center.

Fret a low root and let it sustain softly while you chime a harmonic on a higher string — then mute and reverse roles. Teaches independence for lead arrangements.

• Mild OD can make natural harmonics bloom — mute neighbors harder.
• Wah: sweep during the sustain of a 12th-fret harmonic; park the pedal after.
• Browser audio will not replace pedals; rehearse the musical shape acoustically first.

• 12 / 7 / 5 clear on at least two strings?
• Left hand lifts after pluck?
• One fretted answer in the same center?

Invent a 4-note harmonic melody using only nodes 5, 7, and 12 across strings. Repeat it; then answer with fretted Am pent notes in the same register neighborhood.

G|-<12>--<7>------
D|------<5>--<12>-
A|----------------
E|----------------|  rewrite freely

1. Natural 12th on G — reference chime.
2. Fret G-string fret 5; attempt pinch; compare brightness to the natural.
3. Use pinch only as an accent on beat 1 of a lead phrase once per take.

• Dud thud → lighter left hand, touch above the wire, stronger pluck.
• Wrong pitch → wrong node; slide slowly along the string until it locks.
• Dies instantly → lift the left finger after the attack.

Scales · Lead bass