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FENDERPLAYERS CLUBHARPHARMONICS
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A harp harmonic, also known as the Koto Technique, is produced by lightly touching (or "stunning") the string with theindex finger of the picking hand at the twelfth fret above the fretted note. The string may be plucked either with thethumb [see photo] or with a pick held between the thumb and middle finger.When harp harmonics are used to play a chord, the fretting hand will provide the chord shape while the plucking handwill outline that chord shape twelve frets higher. In Figure 1, the Am11 chord shape consists simply of a barre at the fifthfret. Your picking hand should outline this shape at the seventeenth fret.
AUDIO-FIG.1FIG. 1
FENDERPLAYERS CLUBHARPHARMONICS
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Now let’s add some normally fretted notes between these harp harmonic notes. I will refer to these normally fretted notesas "true tones" to differentiate them from the harp harmonics.Using the same chord from
FIGURE 1
, start with a true tone on the fourth string, fifth fret (G), then play a harp harmonicon the sixth string, fifth fret (A). If you’re playing harmonics with your thumb, use your middle finger to play the truetone. On the other hand, if you’re playing harmonics with a pick held between your thumb and middle finger (stunningthe strings with your index), then play the true tone with your ring finger. Next, play a true tone on the third string, fifthfret (C), followed by a harp harmonic on the fifth string, fifth fret (D). Then play a true tone on the second string, fifthfret (E), followed by a harp harmonic on the fourth string, fifth fret (G). Finally, play a true tone on the first string (A),followed by a harp harmonic on the third string (C).
continues with harp harmonics on the second and first strings, then it reverses the pattern to descend.
AUDIO-FIG.3FIG. 3
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