Many guitarists marvel at the shimmering
cascades of octave harmonics the late
Lenny Breau wove into his runs and progressions.
Breau took harmonic techniques Chet
Atkins pioneered and expanded them in ways
that left other guitarists shaking their heads
in disbelief. Breau’s technique was spectacular,
matched only by his restless imagination. If
you haven’t heard him yet, drop everything
and search out some YouTube videos—there’s
a wealth of mind-blowing material out there.
(Search for “Lenny Breau harp harmonics.”)
In this lesson, we’ll adapt—and greatly
simplify—Breau’s approach, and use it to generate
chord voicings that would be difficult
or impossible to play with standard guitar
technique. The idea is to insert a single octave
harmonic into a typical chord form to give it
a chimey texture and create intriguing interval
clusters that differ from what you’re actually
fretting. I call these “sparkle voicings,” but
I’m sure they have other (and probably more
rigorously academic) names. If you’re new to
the concept of playing harmonics on demand,
check out “Mastering Artificial Harmonics”
on the next page before you go any further.
Fig. 1 illustrates the basic concept. We
begin with a standard five-note Am7 (A–G–
C–E–A) at the 5th fret. Holding this grip,
slowly arpeggiate the chord, starting from
low A, as shown. As we cruise across strings
6, 4, 3, and 2 for the first two beats, things
are perfectly straightforward. But on beat 3,
we return to string 4 and again play the G,
but this time as an octave harmonic. In the
process, we cancel out the lower G, but with
all the other vibrating strings and the arrival of
the octave harmonic, the missing low G goes
virtually unnoticed. Instead, it sounds as if
we’re continuing to sweep through the Am7.
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Then, as we press forward to hit A (beat
4), we get the big payoff—a ringing major
second composed of the harmonic G and
fretted A. This tangy dissonance floats
above the still-ringing lower strings.
So that’s the deal: We slip an octave harmonic
into a group of fretted tones to extend the
chord’s range and create an ear-grabbing close
interval. Now, let’s put this technique to use.
In Fig. 2, a diatonic Am7–Gma7–F#m7b5–Em9 progression gets the sparkle treatment.
Notice how in this progression, the chords in
measures 1-3 each comprise four fretted notes,
yet we’re able to create the illusion that we’re
playing five-note voicings, thanks to the extra
octave harmonic. And the last chord sounds
like a seven-note arpeggio. That’s a cool trick
to pull off with a 6-string, wouldn’t you agree?
Download audio or listen:
As you work through this passage, pay
attention to dynamics. We want the harmonic,
which is inherently quieter than
its fretted siblings, to stand with them as
a sonic equal. With a little effort, you’ll be
able to balance these different timbres.
Now let’s try octave harmonics on the
third string (Fig. 3). We’re fretting four-note
chords in measures 1-3, yet producing what
sounds like five-note voicings. And each chord
contains a second as the highest interval, courtesy
of the additional harmonic. Cmaj7 has
a minor second (B–C), Bm7 and Am7 each
have a major second (A–B and G–A, respectively),
and Gmaj9 has a major second (A-B).
Download audio or listen:
This last chord—Gmaj9—offers an
opportunity to engage in a bit of flashy
fingering. Some tips: After hitting the open
E (and of beat 2), hammer the F# and A,
then duck back to the 3rd string to hit the
harmonic before plucking the A again. As
you fret the low G with your thumb, hold
all the other notes so they sustain and fade
out together. With the harmonic, the voicing
spans two octaves plus a major third—wow!
You can use judiciously placed artificial
harmonics to spice up riffs too. Fig. 4, a
“Secret Agent Man”-inspired turnaround,
hints at the possibilities. In this case, the
octave harmonics emphasize the chromatic
B–C–C# motion on the 5th string, while
generating a unison, minor second, and
major second against the ringing open B
string. As you strike the harmonics, make
sure all the remaining strings continue to
ring. Play this passage slowly, and strive
for clarity and sustain. Some throbbing
tremolo wouldn’t hurt.
Download audio or listen:
This sparkle-voicing technique has
many applications, and you can modify
your approach to fit different musical contexts.
For example, instead of plucking the
harmonic, you can lightly tap it. This adds
a percussive “ping” to the harmonic that’s
useful in rock or other rhythmically active
genres. Or try using a wah pedal to add a
sudden treble bite to the harmonic as you
pluck it.
Next month, we’ll play a game I call
“Guitar George.” See you then.
Mastering Artificial
Harmonics
With a little practice, you can play any
fretted note as an octave harmonic. First,
fret a note as usual and hold it. Then, gently
touch your picking-hand index finger
exactly 12 frets above the note you’re fretting.
Photo by Tedra Walden
Contact the string directly
over the
metal fret (not behind it), and lightly rest
your finger on the string without depressing
it. As you touch the string, simultaneously
pluck it with your picking-hand
thumb. You’ll hear a bell-like tone, which
is your cue to remove your index from the
vibrating string to allow it to sustain. Keep
holding the note with your fretting hand
as the octave harmonic rings.
Andy Ellis is a veteran guitar journalist
and Senior Editor at
PG. Based
in Nashville, Andy backs singer-songwriters
on the baritone guitar, and also
hosts
The Guitar Show, a weekly on-air
and online broadcast. For the schedule,
links to the stations’ streams, archived audio
interviews with inspiring players, and more,
visit
theguitarshow.com.