Natural harmonics are produced when the plucked/struck/bowed string is touched at particular points with light finger pressure. The string vibrates on both sides of the touching finger.
Artificial or false harmonics are produced by completely depressing the string with one finger (or the thumb) and lightly touching a node point above the stopped pitch with another finger. The stopped pitch becomes the new fundamental whilst the finger lightly touching the string is activating a point of the harmonic series as it relates to the stopped pitch.
Extensive passage based work using artificial harmonics is difficult to execute as it requires the left hand to be relatively rigid in order for a successful execution.
Extensive passage based work using artificial harmonics is difficult to execute as it requires the left hand to be relatively rigid in order for a successful execution.
By placing the finger lightly on the string whilst bowing, a glissando that produces the range of the harmonic spectrum can be enacted.
It is possible to glissando an already resonating harmonic either by placing the finger on the nut and glissandoing upwards or by gently re-depressing at the node point on the string and glissandoing in either direction.