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problem with hammering onto a new string with clean sound


Santuzzo

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Posted

Hi,

 

I have been working on some legato exercises that incorporate hammer-on's onto a new string.

I usually try to practice (almost) everything with a clean sound, but with these kinds of exercises I have problems with the hammer-on to a new string, it is too soft compared to the other notes.

When playing the exercises with distortion it's no problem, everything is fine, it's just with the clean sound that the hammerd notes on the new string are hardly audible, or very soft at least.

 

Is this a common problem, do you guys have the same issue?

 

I'd appreciate any kind of thoughts/advice.

 

Thanks,

Lars

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Posted

Well I always say practice lifting high like it's a piano drill. Problem here is guitarbos seem to know better with the light touch and zero movement and what not.

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Posted

Hey Lars!..that's a very common problem..and as usual the answer for me at least was to keep practicing..but you knew that already. :)

 

The recent work I've been doing on fingerstyle playing (the "pumping nylon" book) has actually really helped me here where I've really focussed on making sure I attack the string quckily and cleanly and with just enough pressure to get a good tone. Without my usual gained out Stratocaster sound..I found this really tough at first..especially my pinky :facepalm:

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Posted

Try using the tip of your finger and hammerin close to the fret (if you're not
already doing this).

I don't have a particular problem with hammering to a new string with a clean
sound. Making a note sound and ring clearly is generally easier with a dirty
sound.

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Posted

Try using the tip of your finger and hammerin close to the fret (if you're not

already doing this).


I don't have a particular problem with hammering to a new string with a clean

sound. Making a note sound and ring clearly is generally easier with a dirty

sound.

 

 

Thank you!

Yes, I already paid close attention to hammering on the very tip and right next to the fret.

I think part of the problem might be due to the action on my guitar, it's quite high, I think.

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Posted

In my opinion, legato only really sounds good with distortion, so you should practice with distortion, not clean. This is especially important when it comes to learning how to mute adjacent strings. If you only practice clean you aren't going to hear the other strings being rubbed or resonated by your playing. Crank up the gain; forget the whole "practice clean" thing.

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Posted

Interestingly, I was also thinking "in a clean setting, would you really be hammering on to a new string?"

 

I guess there's a time and a place for everything, but hammering a new string while clean seems an unusual thing to be doing? Why not just pick the darn thing?

 

GaJ

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Posted

For the difference in inflection for one. Another more obvious would be technical concessions. Like say your pick is two strings away going in the wrong direction.

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Posted

Yeah, there is a difference in inflection for sure. In fact, with typical coincidence, just yesterday I realised that a run I've been playing needs the new string hammered on. But this is still in a distorted-legato context.

 

Are there any examples of a clean lead where new-string-hammeron is being done that we can listen it.

 

Another more obvious would be technical concessions. Like say your pick is two strings away going in the wrong direction.

 

My mate Steve Morse told me I have to be able to alternate pick it no matter where it is :D

 

GaJ

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Posted

Thanks everybody for your replies.

 

In my opinion I should be able to play this with distortion AND a clean sound. Why don't I pick the note? It's a difference in sound. The pick direction would not be a reason for me here, I could pick it, but, again, it's the 'as legato as possible'-sound I'm practicing to achieve with this.

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Posted
Yeah, there is a difference in inflection for sure. In fact, with typical coincidence, just yesterday I realised that a run I've been playing needs the new string hammered on. But this is still in a distorted-legato context.


Are there any examples of a clean lead where new-string-hammeron is being done that we can listen it.




My mate Steve Morse told me I have to be able to alternate pick it no matter where it is
:D

GaJ



Enviable picker that guy although he'd easily find reason to hammer an open string. Stanley Jordan would be a good place to start. It's all two handed tapping. You might find other examples from Preston Reed and Adrian Legg just off the top of my head. Any good acoustic guy, uh Leo Kottke too.

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Posted

Lars, I happen to play a fair bit of legato stuff with a clean tone, so I may be of some assistance... Basically, what you may want to do for a little while is put down the pick COMPLETELY and try THIS: play a 3 note per string scale of your choosing by hammering EVERY SINGLE NOTE (no picking at all). Make sure all the notes, and I do mean ALL of them, are of equal volume and duration (this is not a legato exercise per se, as you can make the notes all staccato, if you like...) and then descend doing the same thing. This gets your fingers to really understand the strength, angles and rate at which you need to hit the fingerboard to produce a good, even sound.

I do agree with MetalJon, though, with respect to muting and distortion. While I don't agree that you need distortion for this technique to sound effective (listen to Guthrie Govan's clean legato lick in "Wonderful Slippery Thing"... I think that is the name of it...) I do agree that distortion brings a whole new set of problems into the mix: muting, accuracy, 60 cycle hum, etc.

I find it (obviously) much easier to DESCEND onto a new string in legato than to ASCEND with a "hammer-on from nowhere" (it's a bit of an awkward motion for your index finger in most cases... though with practice you can get quite masterful at it...)

I hope that gives you some more insight. Good luck with your legato aspirations, my man!

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Posted
Lars, I happen to play a fair bit of legato stuff with a clean tone, so I may be of some assistance... Basically, what you may want to do for a little while is put down the pick COMPLETELY and try THIS: play a 3 note per string scale of your choosing by hammering EVERY SINGLE NOTE (no picking at all). Make sure all the notes, and I do mean ALL of them, are of equal volume and duration (this is not a legato exercise per se, as you can make the notes all staccato, if you like...) and then descend doing the same thing. This gets your fingers to really understand the strength, angles and rate at which you need to hit the fingerboard to produce a good, even sound.


I do agree with MetalJon, though, with respect to muting and distortion. While I don't agree that you need distortion for this technique to sound effective (listen to Guthrie Govan's clean legato lick in "Wonderful Slippery Thing"... I think that is the name of it...) I do agree that distortion brings a whole new set of problems into the mix: muting, accuracy, 60 cycle hum, etc.


I find it (obviously) much easier to DESCEND onto a new string in legato than to ASCEND with a "hammer-on from nowhere" (it's a bit of an awkward motion for your index finger in most cases... though with practice you can get quite masterful at it...)


I hope that gives you some more insight. Good luck with your legato aspirations, my man!



Thanks Danny !:thu:

This is a great idea. I will give it a try.

I know of the problems distorted playing brings with it (muting and such), those are easier for me to solve than my issue described here.
I try to practice almost everything with clean and distorted sound.

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Posted

As you should, my friend... They both pose different and uniqe problems...

I actually got that tip from a friend of mine, who happens to be buds with Guthrie Govan... Guthrie told him to do that very exercise when he wanted to get into the whole legato/string skipping/no picking thing a la Greg Howe, Michael Romeo, or to a greater degree, TJ Helmerich....

It's all about keeping it all EVEN.. The speed matters not in the initial phases... Just get them to all respond with the same dynamics.

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Posted

As you should, my friend... They both pose different and uniqe problems...


I actually got that tip from a friend of mine, who happens to be buds with Guthrie Govan... Guthrie told him to do that very exercise when he wanted to get into the whole legato/string skipping/no picking thing a la Greg Howe, Michael Romeo, or to a greater degree, TJ Helmerich....


It's all about keeping it all EVEN.. The speed matters not in the initial phases... Just get them to all respond with the same dynamics.

 

 

Thanks again!

 

BTW, I added you on MySpace. Your tunes on there are AWESOME !!!!

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Posted

Thanks again!


BTW, I added you on MySpace. Your tunes on there are AWESOME !!!!

 

 

Lars, thanks alot man.. It means alot. I am glad you like the tunes.. Those are from my new (upcoming) album.. The older stuff is actually alot more metal-based and has alot more guitar pyrotechnics.. I am trying to get away from it, to a certain extent.

 

The next CD I make will most likely be a "pop" album. Pop being loosely defined and then mutilated through my warped brain before reaching the recording apparatus...

 

Yeah, I will write lyrics and whatnot and yes, I will sing...

 

But we shall see what style it takes on...

 

Anyways, in the meantime, I still have one or two more tracks to finish to get the album done.

 

I hope you will dig it when it is all completed. (I will add you back as soon as I get access to my myspace, when I get home...)

 

And good luck with your legato aspirations!!!

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