Violin Natural

Harmonics
Handbook

Osvaldo Glieca
Referenced from: Enzo Porta,
"Il Violino, I suoni armonici: classificazione e nuove tecniche"
Ricordi (1985), english translation by Anna Herklotz.
 This handbook finds the resultant note of the harmonics through all the fingerboard. Some of
the harmonics are in between micro-tones with notation similar to a micro-tone plus a little finger
inflection. This gives in many case contrasting results as two different resultants may arise interfer-
ing each other irregularly without a clear pitch even though the fingering may be perfectly stable.

In this study Porta seems a bit vague whether some fingering positions produce or not a
sounding pitch. In some he refers to a null sound, while in others he avoids clearly the finger posi-
tion without stating if it is a null sound. This could be assumed that an unidentifiable pitch may
arise - there may be cases where two resulting pitches can interfere each other.

Also, as Porta suggests, the type of strings used affect the resultant of the pitch, questioning
the reality of the sounds obtained. This is an important point as in some clear fingering points, the
harmonic results in a clear pitch, while in the rest of the fingerboard the same pitch is quite difficult
to be repeated twice. This seems to be a grey area as the harmonics will never sound the same
with the same fingering, uncertain pitches arise from places where a clear resultant might be
achieved.
The performer should be aware that the slightest minimal movement can make another
sounding pitch - a perfect intonation is not easy to be fully achieved.

Osvaldo Glieca
British Library
London
22 July 2011
 Violin Natural Harmonics

Referenced from; Enzo Porta,

"Il Violino, I suoni armonici: classificazione e nuove tecniche"
Ricordi (1985), english translation by Anna Herklotz.

IV = G string nulla = nothing

III = D string s. reale = real sound
II = A string
I = E string

“” “” “”
œ #œ nœ “” œ nœ œ
nulla œ œ nœ nœ œ nœ œ œ œ
IV & O # O BO nO bO nO O #O
œ b O BO nO µO bO nO µO

“” “”
#œ s. reale #œ œ
n œ n œ “”
nœO œ s. reale “”œ œ “#”œ s. Oreale
nulla
n #O O bO nO O #O
& ˜O nO #O nO bO nO

“” “”
#œ #œ nœ œ œ œ ”
œ “œ # œ œ œ “œ” # œ “” œ
nulla œ
#œ nœ
III & œ bO BO nO #O ˜O O bO nO O #O
nO µO nO #O ˜O

<“> “” “” “#”œ “”
#œ
n œO #O n œO # œO # œ
# œ nulla
s. reale n œ #œ
nœ s. reale b O nO œ O
O
O bO nO J
& ˜O
Copyright © MMXI Osvaldo Glieca
 ◊ÿ “”œ “”
nulla
#œ #œ nœ
œ œ #œ ◊ÿ œ “”œ œ
II & œ bO BO nO µO nO #O ˜O O ##œO O

<“>
œ n œ œ “” “n”œ “”œ “” “”œ ◊ÿ s. reale
s. reale # œ nO #O # œ O #O œ O
O ##œO nO #O O b OJ J
nO
J J J J
&

22 ¿ ◊ÿ
ma “” ◊ÿ “” ◊ÿ
#œ #œ #œ œ œ #œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ
&
nulla

I O bO BO nO O
œ O µO #O O #O ˜O
&

“” # œ ◊ÿ #œ 22 ma ¿ ◊ÿ
œ #œ #œ #œ #œ nœ œ #œ #œ
#œ
&
s. reale
s. reale O
O O #O O #O O #O
#O O #O ˜O
&