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→Common Issues
The most common point of failure is a bad picking hand technique. Either there's not enough or too much thumb pressure, or the timing is off with the thumb contact being removed before the string is picked. Sometimes, the thumb touches too "wide" of an area on the string, extending too far from the pivot point and muting the string.
Sometimes the pick and thumb are both touching the same point, which means that the thumb isn't on a pivot point, or the pick is plucking a pivot point. The pivot point is dead - plucking the string here will not produce any sound. For example:
pluck string exactly over 12th or 24th fret.
e--<5>--
This will not make any sound. Now try plucking the string at the 17th fret, or behind the neck pickup. Now it sounds. You can't pluck a pivot point and get a harmonic.
Artificial harmonics are by nature very weak in volume, particularly as you use higher and higher harmonic orders (particularly 6th or 7th orders). If not using compression/distortion, it can be difficult to hear them at all. Lack of compression/distortion shouldn't be assumed as bad technique; however, the notes should still be audible on an acoustic guitar if you have good technique.
= Tapping Technique =