Physics of natural harmonics

Since a many years harmonics has been used in acoustic guitar as a new taste of sound...
Harmonic notes are being used in every type of music format..
We often use the natural harmonics to produce greatest sound in our solos or compositions
Guitar harmonics also produce a different sound quality than fretted notes, and are one of many techniques used to create musical variety..

however the physics of harmonics are unknown to many of beginning guitarists ..
Have you ever think how harmonics are created & the most important thing why they are produced at some exact frets?? i.e. 5th ,7th or 12th ... to understand the fact I will let you know this in detail so that you can jump into the section & make your own because understanding Music with Physics is the coolest thing ever ....

according to physics ,
Harmonics are the sounds having frequency integral multiple of base frequency ...
so whats base frequency?
in case of Guitar open string frequency is base frequency ...
again we know
freq is inversely proportional to the string length [ n=1/2l*sqrt(T/m)].......................(1)
in order to create harmonics we have to make frequencies 2n,3n,4n,.......... etc
thereafter we have to create exact node points on the string such that harmonics creates...

let 'l' is the open string length now
1) if i create node at l/2,
    n becomes 2n      (from 1)
       again
2) creating a node at l/3 distance
     l=l/3, n'=3n......    so on
so we can see to find the integral multiples of base frequencies(2n,3n,...) we are creating node at integer divisor (l/2,l/3,....) of string length .....

& these are the positions where i have to create nodes for harmonics
lets check out this picture where harmonics of strings has been shown ....

                                                                                                                   

harmonic oscillations of a string

These are positions of harmonics on the frets

Mode	Length Fraction	Fret	Note
1	1	open	unison
2	1/2	12	octave
3	1/3, 2/3	7, 19	octave + perfect fifth
4	1/4, 3/4	5, 24	2nd octave
5	1/5 to 4/5	3.9, 8.8, 15.9, 27.9	2nd octave + just major third
6	1/6, 5/6	3.2, 31.0	2nd octave + perfect fifth
7	1/7 to 6/7	2.7, 5.8, 9.7, 14.7, 21.7, 33.7	2nd octave + septimal minor seventh
8	1/8, 3/8, 5/8, 7/8	2.3, 8.1, 17.0, 36.0	3rd octave
9	1/9, 2/9, 4/9, 5/9, 7/9, 8/9	2.0, 4.4, 10.2, 14.0, 26.0, 38.0	3rd octave + neutral second
10	1/10, 3/10, 7/10, 9/10	1.8, 6.2, 20.8, 39.9	3rd octave + just major third

1

1

open

unison

2

1/2

12

octave

3

1/3, 2/3

7, 19

octave + perfect fifth

4

1/4, 3/4

5, 24

2nd octave

5

1/5 to 4/5

3.9, 8.8, 15.9, 27.9

2nd octave + just major third

6

1/6, 5/6

3.2, 31.0

2nd octave + perfect fifth

7

1/7 to 6/7

2.7, 5.8, 9.7, 14.7, 21.7, 33.7

2nd octave + septimal minor seventh

8

1/8, 3/8, 5/8, 7/8

2.3, 8.1, 17.0, 36.0

3rd octave

9

1/9, 2/9, 4/9, 5/9, 7/9, 8/9

2.0, 4.4, 10.2, 14.0, 26.0, 38.0

3rd octave + neutral second

10

1/10, 3/10, 7/10, 9/10

1.8, 6.2, 20.8, 39.9

3rd octave + just major third

 mode 1= op st.

mode 2= 1st harmonics

mode 3=2nd harmonics                                                             CONFUSED !?!? WHERE TO PICK   .....                                                                                                       WHICH HARMONICS??

.....

.....                                                                                       EXPLORE THIS VIDEO 

mode n= (n-1)th harmonics

in practical 1st harmonic is plucked at 12th fret,

2nd harmonic at 7th & 3rd harmonic at 5th ... etc 

See video presentation of the guitar harmonics here & learn more ....

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