One octave
The easiest and clearest natural harmonic. Begin here on every string.
Harmonics Explorer
Find the notes that
ring beyond the frets.
Choose a harmonic technique and a sounding note to see exactly where to touch the string. Hear each pitch, map movable harmonics over a chord, then turn those clear, bell-like sounds into melody.
Fretboard
1 · Choose a technique
2 · Find a sounding note
3 · Change the view
4 · Choose the detail
Now exploring
Natural harmonics · All notes
Clear harmonic Advanced harmonic
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Touch lightly. Listen closely. Start with three frets.
The fret number tells you where to touch the string, not where to press it. Touch directly over the metal fret wire, pluck, then lift the touching finger away.
Octave plus fifth
A clear, open sound. Both touch points produce the same sounding pitch.
Two octaves
Higher and brighter. Use these for sparkling melody notes.
Major-third colour
More delicate and slightly away from equal-tempered pitch. Move the finger a fraction until it rings.
Melody workflow
How to find one melody note
- Choose the note name.The fretboard keeps only touch points that produce that sounding note.
- Click a marker.Hear the pitch and check that it matches the melody note you want.
- Choose a practical position.Prefer nearby strings and touch points so the melody sits comfortably under your hands.
- Use artificial mode for the gaps.Hold a chord or enter your own frets, then touch the displayed fret wires with the picking hand.
Free guitar lesson and practice tool
Learn how natural and artificial guitar harmonics work
A harmonic is a higher, bell-like pitch created when a light touch makes the string vibrate in smaller sections. Natural harmonics use an open string. Artificial harmonics begin with a fretted note, so the touch points move with your hand and can supply notes that natural harmonics cannot.
What you can learn
- Find the clearest natural harmonic touch points at frets 12, 7 and 5.
- Identify the note that sounds instead of confusing it with the touch-fret number.
- Move artificial harmonics over an open chord or a custom fretted shape.
- Find practical harmonic positions for a melody, then hear and practise them.
How to use this tool
- Choose Natural or Artificial, then select the sounding note you need.
- Touch the string lightly directly over the shown fret wire; do not press down.
- Use the Notes, Touch and Shape views to separate pitch, physical location and pattern.
- Play the displayed pattern, use Guided practice, then export the diagram for later.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my harmonic sound dull or muted?
Use the lightest possible contact directly over the metal fret wire. Pluck closer to the bridge, then lift the touching finger as soon as the note begins. Pressing down or touching between fret wires will usually mute the harmonic.
Is a harmonic the same note as the fret where I touch?
No. The displayed fret is the physical place where you touch the string lightly. The explorer labels the pitch that actually sounds. For example, touching an open E string directly over fret 12 produces E one octave higher.
Can every melody be played with natural harmonics?
No. Standard tuning gives a beautiful but limited set of natural harmonic pitches. Artificial harmonics can be produced from any fretted note, so they fill the gaps and make complete melodies possible.
What is the difference between artificial and pinch harmonics?
Both begin from a fretted note. A classical-style artificial harmonic touches a measured fret with the picking-hand index finger while another finger plucks. A pinch harmonic uses the pick and the edge of the thumb near the pickups, so its touch point is found by moving the picking hand rather than by looking at a fret.
Stop memorising spots.
Start hearing the whole neck.
Fretboard Freedom gives you a clear, step-by-step path from isolated shapes to confident movement and musical choices across the guitar.
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