Playing harmonics on the ukulele is not an easy task for beginners. It takes time and practice to learn it properly. Let’s know what ukulele harmonics are and how beginners can easily play them.
Defination of Ukulele Harmonics
Harmonics is a string instrument technique that uses the natural melody nodes of a string. It creates a high-pitched melody like a flute. Since harmonics is a string instrument technique you can play it on all types of guitars and ukuleles.
Types of harmonics on ukulele
The technique of playing harmonics on the ukulele is plucking strings by light touch to particular spots to the strings then releasing the touch immediately.
You can play two types of harmonics on a ukulele.
Natural harmonics
A natural harmonic is sounded by picking a string with a light tap on it. it is easy to produce and are most commonly used above the 12th, seventh and fifth frets
Artificial harmonics
Artificial harmonics are created when a string is held down on the neck in addition to being softly pressed on a node. It means you have to tap and pluck the string using your right hand’s index and thumb finger.
Beginner’s Guide: How to Play Harmonics on the Ukulele
Ways to Play Natural Ukulele Harmonics:
Natural harmonics can be played on only a few frets. In this case, natural harmonics are commonly played on the 5th, 7th, 12th, 19th, or near soundhole, but it sounds perfect on 12th frets.
To play natural harmonics on the ukulele, use your left-hand touch lightly on the specific frets (usually 12th) but not press it down. After that, pluck the strings using the right hand and lift the left hand’s fingers immediately. Using this technique, the ukulele gives a harmonic melody that sounds slightly different from regular plucking.
In this picture natural harmonics on the ‘C’ string’s 12th fret. So what you have to do is touch ‘C’ strings 12th frets softly using your left-hand finger, then pluck strings by right-hand finger and lift the touched finger from frets.
Ways to Play Artificial Ukulele Harmonics?
Playing artificial harmonics is a little bit difficult because you have to tap and pluck strings using the same hand.
The artificial harmonics can be played using only the right-hand finger at specific frets. It sounds better at 12th frets, but it also can be played commonly on 5th and 7th frets. to get different harmonics tunes you can tap font strings using your left hand. but in this case, your special place for righthand tapping will be changed.
We divided artificial ukulele harmonics for better understanding. let’s learn how to play artificial ukulele harmonics.
Easy One
To play easy one you have to use your right hand’s index finger to touch gently on specific frets; after that, pluck strings by using the same hand thumb finger and pull up the touched index finger promptly.
Difficult One
There are other types of artificial harmonics that are a little bit harder. By pressing font strings frets with left-hand fingers, the string’s harmonics frets will be changed. For example, if you touch ‘A’ strings 3rd frets using your left-hand finger, you have to play artificial harmonics using your right-hand finger on ‘A’ string’s 12+3=15th frets.
The Bottom Line
We hope our beginner’s guide on ukulele harmonics was helpful to you. Want to know more about different articulation, playing methods, and tabs reading? Read another article “How to read ukulele with tabs“.
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