Harmonics??

[mcarty1]

I was just wondering how to put harmonics in the right key in a song. I have heard many recordings with them on it and I know how to make them, but how do you put them into a certian key? Or in a certian song? Is there a certian pattern to it? Take Jim Croce and "time in a bottle". OK, at the end of the song, he does some good harmonics with his accoustic guitar. But are they comming from a scale or pattern in the key he is playing in? I am kinda new to harmonics and how to apply them, but they do seem to intrest me.

[Peter]

Well, you get harmonics at the 12th, 7th, 5th, and 4th frets, and after that they get tricky. And those harmonics are: octave up, octave + fifth up, 2 octaves, 2 octaves + major 3rd. If you can't find the notes you need on any of your six strings, then it's likely a capo was used (or an alternate tuning, mybe?)

Here are the notes from natural harmonics on open strings:
1: E, B, E, G#
2: B, F#, B, D#
3: G, D, G, B
4: D, A, D, F#
5: A, E, A, C#
6: E, B, E, G#

With a capo, you would just raise all the notes and frets accordingly (Capo on 4th fret would give you G#, D#, G# C harmonics on the E string, for example)

You can also get "artificial harmonics" by fretting a note and touching it lightly at a node above the fretted note. Example: fret the 6th srting at the 15th fret (G) and lightly touch the 19th fret, and you'll get a very high B.
I'm terrible at that technique, personally, and it seems impossible to play any fast sequence of notes. But it's there nevertheless.

Hope this helps.

[jas]

Nice work, Peter.

An easier way to get a harmonic of any note is to pluck it 12 frets away from where you're fretting it while "splitting" it somehow. I sometimes use part of my index finger that juts out from the pick to ping the note. It also works to use the meat of your right hand as you sweep behind your pick. You can do chords if you angle your right hand while sweeping. (Edit: the meat of your hand should be 12 frets away from the note(s) you're fretting).

The key though is to split the note somehow 12 frets away.

-John

[Tom Gross]

The other "12 notes away" method is to fret the note with your left hand, and 12 notes away with your right -
1) tap above the note with the tip of your index finger
while
2) plucking the string with your ring or third finger

This is the Lenny Breau jazz method.