HARMONICS

Basic Study of Harmonics

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Diagram
Harmonics

The above diagram shows how to produce harmonic sounds on the bass. One example of this is pressing the string lightly (without letting the string touch the fret) and directly above the 12th fret of the G string. This is absolutely one half of the whole string length from the bridge to the nut. Plucking the string while pressing on this area will produce a chimelike sound one octave higher than the normal plucked open G string.

The principle of harmonics or harmonic nodes is as follows : One half of the whole string length,- One fourth of the whole string lenght,- One eight of the whole string lenght and so forth. Below is a chart of harmonic nodes on the four string bass fingerboard. Studying these and creating combinations can do interesting effects and overtones on basic chordwork and chord patterns..................rdl

4-String bass Harmonic Chart

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fingerboard

Chart for the above diagram w/ bass tuning in standard E-A-D-G
1a
D
 2a
B
 3a
G
 4a
D
 5a
B
 6a
G
 7a
F
 8a
G
1b
A
 2b
F#
 3b
D
 4b
A
 5b
F#
 6b
D
 7b
C
 8b
D
1c
E
 2c
C#
 3c
A
 4c
E
 5c
C#
 6c
A
 7c
G
 8c
A
1d
B
 2d
G#
 3d
E
 4d
B
 5d
G#
 6d
E
 7d
D
 8d
E

Align the numbers above to the letters on the right for exact location

Plucking the string while pressing lightly (without letting the string touch the fret or fingerboard) on the coordinates will produce the notes in the center of the squares in the chart. Experimenting on other locations by discovering other nodes yourself will add more new notes but I have only written the areas where the notes produced are significant and loud enough........................rdl
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