HARMONIC SERIES.

Anytime you hear a note played (on any instrument), even though we talk about it as if we were
hearing a single pitch, actually we are hearing that single pitch most clearly, but then a pattern of
other pitches above it that are much quieter in addition. The main pitch we identify (the loudest one
by far), is called the FUNDAMENTAL. The pitches ringing quietly above that are defined and created
by the harmonic series of the fundamental pitch.

E.G. In the example below, if we played the lowest open C of the cello, that low C is the fundamental.

Above that are ringing very quietly these additional pitches shown. They always follow the same
sequence of intervals above the fundamental pitch (an 8va up, then 8va+P5 up, then 28va up, then 28va
+M3 up etc. (Study the intervals in the chart below carefully.)

28va+M3
8va+P5 28ba+P5
8va etc…

28va
Fundamental

When we talk about producing harmonics on strings (those really high pitches with a fluty/airy timbre),
we are talking about creating pitches in a different way than normal. In the usual way of playing a note,
if we play an open string or we put a finger down with the normal amount of pressure (a pretty firm
amount of pressure), the clear note we hear – the normal string instrument sound – is actually the
fundamental pitch of a harmonic series.

When we play/hear a normal note, this is what’s happening:

(Fig. 1)

picture the string vibrating horizontally (finger stops the string

with normal pressure
here)
By changing our playing technique, we can bring out those upper pitches (the harmonics) instead of the
fundamental.

(Fig. 2)

Finger touches the string LIGHTLY here, that changes the way the string vibrates and
produces the higher notes of the harmonic, with that characteristic sound of harmonics
as well.

(Fig. 3)

OR: Finger touches the string lightly here, (notice there are THREE full oscillations of
the wave this time, so we get an even higher harmonic than last time.
(Remember that more oscillations in sound = higher pitches.)

That’s the basic principle. To figure out what harmonics you have available, and – if they are available,
how to play them – you need to know the following:

1) There are two types of harmonics, natural harmonics and artificial harmonics. (This is specific to
string instruments, only)

Natural harmonic: A harmonic produced using one of the open strings of the instrument. The pitches
available are limited to pitches in the harmonic series of that open string.

Artificial harmonic: We put down one note with the normal, firm amount of playing pressure, and then
press lightly in addition to create a harmonic. In effect, we are faking a new open string, to make the
pitches of that harmonic series available, and then playing a harmonic as described above. An example:

AND press LIGHTLY here to

Press FIRMLY here on the C#.
bring out a harmonic from the
This opens up the harmonic
C# harmonic series
series on C#

C string:

N.B. The part of the string to

the left is not vibrating at all!
SO:

- If you are trying to create an artificial harmonic, it is possible if you are able to play the pitch 2
octaves below that note as normal, and at the same time, press lightly a Perfect 4th above the
firm pressure pitch.

Some examples of artificial harmonics:

Pressing on the low C# as normal, light pressure up a

Perfect 4th on the F# produces the pitch 2 octaves above
the fundamental. So you press on C#2, put light
pressure on F# 2, and the harmonic produced is 2
octaves above = C#4.

Pressing firmly on Eb3 as a normal stopped note;

Plus light pressure a perfect 4th above that on Ab3

= produces the harmonic 2 octaves above the

fundamental (Eb5)

NATURAL HARMONICS

These are a bit more complicated, but hinge on you knowing:

1) That the pitch you want is available on the harmonic series of one of the open strings of your
instrument.
2) You have to know where to press on the string to produce that harmonic. 1

We can keep it simple for our purposes by not worrying too much about the ratios and physics, but just
memorizing a short table:

1
This is all to do with how many full oscillations you can split the string to vibrate in. As in Fig 2 and 3 earlier in this
document, if you get the string vibrating in 2 parts, you hear one harmonic, if you split it in 3 parts, you’ll hear a
higher harmonic, in four parts one higher still. Etc. etc
Definitions (I suggest memorizing this yellow part of the One example on the cello low C string
table)

(Harmonic) Sounding Interval to press (lightly) (Harmonic) Sounding Interval to press (lightly)
pitch = the note you will above open string pitch above open string
hear.

To get this pitch (below) You need to press here:

Fundamental (open
string)

Octave up Octave up (same as what

you hear)

Octave + P5 P5

Two octaves P4

Two octaves and major M3 (6th)

3rd

OR

(both options produce the

same sound)