Tuning With Harmonics

Lesson 31/34 | Study Time: 5 Min

Course: How To Tune a Guitar

Tuning With Harmonics

Touch string lightly above the fretwire.

Tuning with harmonics is popular tuning method with experienced guitarists. This option is difficult at first to execute but with practice will prove to be a useful and accurate tuning method. A harmonic is a 'bell like' sound that is produced by lightly touching the string directly above the fretwire as the string is picked.

The string is not pressed against the fretboard. The most common harmonics are found at the 5th, 7th and 12th frets. There are many options for using harmonics for tuning with harmonics. The most common option is described below.

Step 1 Tuning the 5th String to the 6th String

This method is similar to tuning the guitar to itself (page 18) as the strings are tuned in order from the sixth string to the first string. The 6th string will need to be in tune using methods outlined earlier in the book.Play the harmonic on the fifth fret of the 6th string.

Now play the harmonic on the seventh fret of the 5th string. Adjust the tuning key for the 5th string until the harmonic on the fifth fret of the 6th string (E) is the same as the harmonic on the seventh fret of the 5th string (E).

Step 2 Tuning the 4th String to the 5th String

Play the harmonic on the fifth fret of the 5th string. Now play the harmonic on the seventh fret of the 4th string. Adjust the tuning key for the 4th string until the harmonic on the fifth fret of the 5th string (A) is the same as the harmonic on the seventh fret of the 4th string (A).

Step 3 Tuning the 3rd String to the 4th String

Play the harmonic on the fifth fret of the 4th string. Now play the harmonic on the seventh fret of the 3rd string. Adjust the tuning key for the 3rd string until the harmonic on the fifth fret of the 4th string (D) is the same as the harmonic on the seventh fret of the 3rd string (D).

The final steps of this method involve comparing the seventh fret harmonic of the 6th string with the open 2nd string and the seventh fret harmonic of the 5th string with the open 1st string.

Step 4 Tuning the 2nd String to the 6th String

Play the harmonic on the seventh fret of the 6th string. Now play the open 2nd string. Adjust the tuning key for the 2nd string until the harmonic on the seventh fret of the 6th string (B) is the same as the open 2nd string (B).

Step 5 Tuning the 1st String to the 5th String

Play the harmonic on the seventh fret of the 5th string. Now play the open 1st string. Adjust the tuning key for the 1st string until the harmonic on the seventh fret of the 5th string (E) is the same as the open 1st string (E).

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Class Sessions

1- INTRODUCTION 2- Choosing the Right Guitar For You 3- Fretboard Diagrams 4- The Nylon String Guitar 5- Parts of the Nylon String Guitar 6- Nylon String Guitar Setup 7- The Steel String Guitar 8- Parts of the Steel String Guitar 9- Steel String Guitar Setup 10- The Solid Body Electric Guitar 11- Parts of the Solid Body Guitar 12- Solid Body Electric Guitar Setup 13- The Hollow Body Electric Guitar 14- Parts of the Hollow Body Guitar 15- Hollow Body Electric Guitar Setup 16- General Setup Tips for All Types of Guitars 17- Before You Begin to Tune the Guitar 18- Notes of the Open Strings 19- Standard Tuning - Six String Guitar 20- Standard Tuning - Twelve String Guitar 21- Tuning Methods 22- Tuning Your Guitar to Another Guitar 23- Tuning Your Guitar to the Recording 24- Checking Your Tuning With a Chord 25- Tuning Your Guitar to a Piano or Keyboard 26- Tuning the Guitar to Itself 27- Tuning the Guitar to a Tuning Fork 28- Tuning the Guitar to Pitch Pipes 29- Tuning Vibrations 30- Tuning With Harmonics 31- How to Read Music 32- Music Notation 33- Chord Chart 34- Styles of Playing Guitar

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Tuning With Harmonics