Harmonic tuning

Harmonic method of tuning

You get the harmonic by just touching the string straight above 5th and 7th fret once the harmonic is made you may lift the finger and the tone will continue to sound

Harmonic from 7th fret (octav + fifth)

Harmonic from 12th fret (octav)

Harmonic from 5th fret two octaves above

Hit the string rather close to the end of the string

Click here to get a description

All steps See Video Step 1 (Tuning fork) Step 2 (The upper e-sring) Step 3 (The low e-string) Step 4 (D-strin) Step 5 (B-string) Step 6 (G-String) View on Piano

E-A-D-G-B-E

Click to hear the strings

Harmonic tuning

The harmonic tuning is more accurate than the fret tuning, because you use the same string as reference for the whole guitar, and because you avoid the inaccuracies

• imposed by the tuning of the fret itself
• imposed by pressing on the string

When you slightly touch the string at certain points without pressing it down, you allow the string to form only its harmonics (see the animated pictures below) the sound is a litle like a flute, and it is called flagolet, after a French flute.

Click in the table and see how you use the metod.

We are here using the 3rd and 4th harmonic which comes when touching the string slightly (without pressing down) exactly above the 5th and 7th fret.

Octave flagoletts

You may use octave flagolettes as well for tuning. You get the octave flagolets above the 12th fret. (The method using octave flagolets is not described here)