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How is armonico naturale played?
Italian for “natural harmonic”. Rest a finger lightly at a node of an open string—commonly at one-half, one-third or one-quarter of its speaking length—and bow or pluck. The touch suppresses vibration modes that are incompatible with that node, so the corresponding higher partial predominates; it is safer than saying that the fundamental simply vanishes and only one partial remains. Depending on the notation system, the score may show a small circle at the sounding pitch or a diamond notehead at the touched node, often with a string indication. Natural harmonics are limited to the harmonic series available from the instrument’s open strings rather than a fully chromatic set.
How does armonico naturale sound?
The purest of all string colours: a clear, ringing, flute-like tone with a bell-like bloom, more open and resonant than an artificial harmonic because the whole open string is free to vibrate. Carries surprisingly well even pianissimo.
In context
Armonico naturale is the Italian instruction for a natural harmonic. University acoustics material explains the open-string nodes, while Dorico’s notation reference distinguishes sounding-pitch and fingered systems. Circles, diamonds, string numbers and 0 signs must therefore be read as contextual notation, not as abbreviations of the text. Natural harmonics are typically clear and resonant, but the result still contains a spectrum in which the selected partial predominates.
Music theory and score context
See also
- String harmonic — Wikipedia
- Techniques of Strings, Part II (natural harmonics, nodes, notation) — Young Composers wiki
- Flageolettton — Wikipedia (DE)
- Dorico Pro 6.1 — Appearances and styles of harmonics
- Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia — Violino: Fisica, onde, musica
- Vienna Symphonic Library Academy — Violine