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Hammer ons and pull offs


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  • Members
Posted

Hi there,

 

was wondering if someone could tell me how to correctly do the fore mentioned actions. Is there some basic excercises you could recommend.

 

Thanks

  • Members
Posted

Hi there,


was wondering if someone could tell me how to correctly do the fore mentioned actions. Is there some basic excercises you could recommend.


Thanks

 

 

Try going through and learning some Hendrix/SRV songs. Thats where I picked up a lot of my hammer on pull off technique. Idk about specific workouts, except trying to use them.

  • Members
Posted

Just sit there and do that little move Jimmy Page does in Rock and Roll, towards the end of the song (maybe in the solo) when its just guitar for a few seconds. I think thats some kind of what you are talking about... but I dont know .. I dont really look into the names of stuffs :idk:

  • Members
Posted

I often practice hammer ons by going back and forth from picking each note individually to 1 or 2 note hammer ons. I try to make them sound as similar as I can. It helps the technique. A good practice for pull offs is to pull off double stops. If you can handle those, then single notes become a breeze. And, like everything else in music performance, put in the time and work.

  • Members
Posted

With the usual string of good advice, I thought I would throw in my two cents.

Step 1: Familiarize yourself with the actions that you really need to do. Do you know how to properly do a hammer on and pull off? I'll give a description of what should be done, but it would be better if you could check out some videos online, or maybe get a teacher.

To do a hammer on, first sound the note. Try an open string, that's probably the easiest. Now, using your index finger, press it down as if you were going to fret the note, but use more force. Try to use enough force that it makes the string ring louder than it was before. Try to make it ring as loud as if you were picking it - this will be really tricky at first. The action isn't over once you fret the note, however. You have to make sure that this new finger isn't muting the note and killing the sound shortly after sounding it. Practice so that the finger frets the note in the correct place, and that the sound doesn't die (apply a little finger vibrato if necessary). With practice you can get this to sound almost as fluent as if it were picked.

The pull off can be equally tricky. The name implies that all you must do is pull off of the string, but this is not truly the case. To perform a pull off, fret a string, and then pluck it. The action you want to do with the fretting finger is not so much pulling up, away from the fretboard, but rather pulling your finger up or down laterally along the fretboard, as if you were going to bend the string. Once it is bent a little, let it go, and it will sound again. You are essentially plucking the note with the pulling off finger so that it sounds as if you were plucking it conventionally with your picking hand. Practice this over and over until you can get it to ring just as loud as if you were picking it conventionally.

Step 2: Practice these actions. A lot. This is one of the skills in playing guitar which takes quite a lot of practice. Pay attention as you practice, too. Pay particular attention to the dynamics - if you are doing a Hammer/Pull riff, check to see that the hammers are sounding just as loud as the pulls. Check to see how they are both sounding in regards to picking conventionally. Also, pay particular attention to your body, and see that the tension generated by doing this action is being released and not hindering the next action, be it another hammer or pull, or a slide, or whatever. Practice using all your fingers for both hammers and pulls, and try it on all locations on the fretboard.

Good luck.

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