Harmonics in Taj Mahal's Freight Train

[RonH]

I have a question I am pretty sure someone out there will know the answer to. In the December 2006 issue of Acoustic Guitar is a tab arrangement of this song. The last measure contains harmonics and looks something like this:

E
B-----------------------12(dot) --1
G---------------12(dot)
D--------12(dot)
A--3 -----------------------------2
E

... with slurs between the notes on Strings 2 and 5.

What are harmonics, and more importantly how is this last measure of Freight Train executed? Thanks.

[RonH]

C'mon guys ..... help a struggling newby out!

[Brent Hutto]

I'm more of a newbie than you and completely clueless about the answer. However, you may find that by posting your question in Acoustic Guitar's own forum it will be seen by more people familiar with the article.

[RonH]

Good idea Brent. I'll try that. Thanks.

[MGM60]

Ron I'm no expert but here's how I'd do it.

Practice the harmonic first if you haven't done them before. Use your left hand ring finger to barely contact the stings at the 12th fret and strike the strings one at at time. That ringing sound is the harmonic.

To execute the measure play the A sting at the 3rd position then quickly move to the 12th fret and play the harmonics as noted. While they ring out, end by playing the D string at 2nd position and B string at 1st poisition. It happens pretty quick in four beats.

[badboy2k]

I remember playing this from the magazine. My recollection is that the ending of the song is an arpeggiated harmonic C-chord.



The C-chord is fretted in the normal way by the left hand in the first position, while the harmonics are played by the right hand, using two fingers for each note.



The right index finger touches each string (lightly, not to fret it but to create the harmonic) in turn at the appropriate fret while the right thumb plucks it:

C- 5th string 15th fret

E- 4th string 14th fret

G- 3rd string 12th fret

C- 2nd string 13th fret

(all the while the left hand frets a C-Chord in the first position)



It's a great-sounding ending.

[cyclistbrian]

Originally Posted by badboy2k

I remember playing this from the magazine. My recollection is that the ending of the song is an arpeggiated harmonic C-chord.

The C-chord is fretted in the normal way by the left hand in the first position, while the harmonics are played by the right hand, using two fingers for each note.

The right index finger touches each string in turn at the appropriate fret while the right thumb plucks it:
C- 5th string 15th fret
E- 4th string 14th fret
G- 3rd string 12th fret
C- 2nd string 13th fret
(all the while the left hand frets a C-Chord in the first position)

It's a great-sounding ending.

Where have you been? The OP has been waiting almost nine years for this information

In all seriousness. Thanks for sharing this idea. I play Freight Train all the time and will try tossing this in at the end or even work it into an intro.

[badboy2k]

I know, Brian, right?

I searched for the Taj Mahal FT Tabs because I was too lazy to go into my guitar room to find my copy, was trying to remember a variation he does in the middle. Then I saw this question about the unusual harmonic ending and the response to it (which missed the point, IMO).

I was so proud of myself years ago when I learned this so I couldn't NOT share it, though I'm quite surprised to see anybody reading it!

- Jay

[zmf]

Originally Posted by cyclistbrian

Where have you been? The OP has been waiting almost nine years for this information

I love long stories with a happy ending.

[badboy2k]

So, did anyone learn this ending? It´s very cool and very unusual.

The reason it works is that you are changing the length of each string when you fret it with the left hand, so to get the 2nd harmonic you still have to press lightly on the midpoint of the string, but your left hand is busy so you need to use the right index finger, while plucking upwards with the right thumb.

Sound hard, but it´s not terribly hard.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by badboy2k

I remember playing this from the magazine. My recollection is that the ending of the song is an arpeggiated harmonic C-chord.



The C-chord is fretted in the normal way by the left hand in the first position, while the harmonics are played by the right hand, using two fingers for each note.



The right index finger touches each string (lightly, not to fret it but to create the harmonic) in turn at the appropriate fret while the right thumb plucks it:

C- 5th string 15th fret

E- 4th string 14th fret

G- 3rd string 12th fret

C- 2nd string 13th fret

(all the while the left hand frets a C-Chord in the first position)



It's a great-sounding ending.

Except that's not how he does it here:

- check 4:40.

It's exactly as that (now 13-year-old!) tab has it: natural harmonics on 12th fret of the D-G-B strings (touched with the fret hand), and back to a C chord shape.
I.e., the harmonics spell a G major triad, resolving to the standard C.

I say "exactly", but of course the final fret 2 on the 5th string in the OP's tab is wrong (typo I guess).