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Guitar Dictionary | A-Z


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Half Note

A note that lasts for the duration of half a bar.

See Also: Bar

Full Article on: note duration

Halfstep

The difference in pitch between two adjacent frets; equal to the distance in pitch between two adjacent notes on the chromatic scale.

Synonymous With: Semitone

Full Article on: intervals

Halfstep Bend

A bend that increases pitch by a semitone.

Hammer-On

The sounding of a note by slamming down hard on the fret with the fretting hand. The opposite of a pull-off. Picking is not always needed for this, however, a hammer-on that is not picked may be referred to as a tap.

Synonymous With: Slur

See Also: Pull-Off

Full Article on: hammer-ons

Hand Crossing

Where the picking hand frets or taps notes that are lower down the neck than the fretting hand, causing the picking hand to literally cross over the fretting hand.

Harmonic
  1. A note of purer tone. A harmonic can be produced at certain fractional points along the length of a string (the halfway point, for example). There are natural harmonics that are produced by plucking open strings and artificial harmonics that invlove holding a fret.
  2. Involving harmony.

Full Article on: natural harmonics

Harmonic Cascade

A technique where the fretting hand slurs continuously whilst a picking hand finger touches the same string to produce harmonics. The finger usually moves from the bridge to the body producing a random assortment of harmonics.

Harmonic Interval

The distance in pitch between two notes that are being played simultaneously.

Full Article on: intervals

Harmonic Minor Scale

Identical to the natural minor scale except for a sharpened 7th degree.

Harmonic Porcupine

A phrase invented by guitar player magazine to describe an unusual harmonic technique. The picking hand is lightly draped over the 12 fret bar whilst the fretting hand slurs between open, 5th and 7th frets.

Harmonise
  1. To add harmony to music.
  2. To form music or chords from a specific scale.
Harmony
  1. The playing of two or more notes at the same time.
  2. The relationship between notes of a chord and chords in a progression with reference to the structure of a piece of music.
Hawaiian Guitar

A guitar played horizontally, on which, a steel bar is used as a slide. Named so because it was invented and popularised by the Hawaiians.

Synonymous With: Lap Steel Guitar, Steel Guitar, Pedal Steel Guitar

HB

Short for humbucker, a type of pickup consisting of two electromagnetic coils of opposite polarity. Specially designed to reduce interference from other electronics that can cause a hum.

Synonymous With: Humbucker, Humbucking Pickup, Pickup

Head
  1. Short for headstock, the section of the guitar attached to the top of the neck. Used to hold the machineheads.
  2. Short for amp head, the amplifier base in which controls can be set, that increases the electrical signal. It is attached to a loudspeaker cabinet to form an amplifier stack.

Synonymous With: Amp Head, Headstock

Head Block

A block of wood found inside acoustic guitars where the neck meets the body. The block provides a structurally sound place to attach the heel.

Synonymous With: Heel Block, Neck Block

Headstock

The section of the guitar attached to the top of the neck. Used to hold the machineheads.

Synonymous With: Peghead

Full Article on: anatomy of the guitar

Headstock Overlay

A thin piece of wood (such as rosewood) that covers the surface of the headstock and may contain decoration.

Heel

The section of the neck that joins onto the body. The heel is much squarer than the rest of the neck and usually curves to allow comfortable access to the higher frets.

Heel Block

A block of wood found inside acoustic guitars where the neck meets the body. The block provides a structurally sound place to attach the heel.

Synonymous With: Neck Block, Head Block

Heel Cap

A decorative finish found on the heel of some guitars.

Hinge Barre

A type of barre chord where more than one finger barres the strings. A hinge barre could include a full barre and one partial barre or two partial barres.

Hum

Unwanted electrical noise produced by the amplifier.

Humbucker

A type of pickup consisting of two electromagnetic coils of opposite polarity. Specially designed to reduce interference from other electronics that can cause a hum.

Synonymous With: Humbucking Pickup

Humbucking Pickup

A type of pickup consisting of two electromagnetic coils of opposite polarity. Specially designed to reduce interference from other electronics that can cause a hum.

Synonymous With: Humbucker, Pickup

Hybrid Picking

Using a pick and fingers to pluck the strings.