Expanding Technique: Hammer-Ons and Pull-Offs
If you’re a beginner guitar player, you’ve likely dabbled with some different strumming patterns and have practiced alternate picking to increase the speed at which you can play notes. You may have also encountered the challenge of coordinating your fretting hand with your picking hand, resulting in chipped notes or a cluttered sound.
Let’s use shred lord Paul Gilbert as an example. Notice in the video how many notes he can play between actually plucking the strings (the human capo is an interesting touch, too). How is he able to play that fast while making such little use of his picking hand?
To more smoothly play sequences of different notes without having to continuously pluck the strings, guitarists use hammer-ons and pull-offs.
What is a Hammer-On?
A hammer-on is a motion in which you play a note by using the momentum of pressing down on a fret without plucking a string. It requires a bit of extra force to get a sound compared to simply pressing down on a fret and strumming. Starting with your finger hovering over the strings, try pressing down on the fifth fret of any string without plucking. Do you hear a note? If yes, then you’ve successfully performed a hammer-on. If not, try tapping your finger down a little harder and make sure it’s landing at the correct spot on the fretboard.
Next, press down on the fifth fret of any string with your pointer finger and try to play a hammer-on by using your ring finger to press down on the seventh fret. At first, the note may be somewhat quiet and lack sustain. But as you get more comfortable with getting the feel for how much force to use when pressing down on a fret, your hammer-ons will make a clearer sound.
What is a Pull-Off?
A pull-off is performed by using the force of removing your finger from a fret. In essence, you pluck the string with your fretting finger as you remove it from the fret. Try to play a pull-off by beginning with a finger on the fifth fret of any string and then removing it. Did the open string ring? If yes, then you’ve successfully performed a pull-off. If not, try to more so roll your fretting finger off of the string to “pluck” it.
Next, trying playing pull-offs by beginning with your ring finger on the seventh fret of any string and your pointer finger on the fifth fret of the same string. While pressing down on the fifth fret with your pointer finger, remove your ring finger from the seventh fret. If done properly, you should hear the note from the pressed down fifth fret.
Applying Hammer-Ons and Pull-Offs
You could use hammer-ons and pull-offs to play pentatonic scales. Simply pluck the first of each pair of attached notes and do a hammer-on or pull-off to play the next note. You’ll use hammer-ons to play up the scale (from lower to higher notes) and pull-offs to play down the scale (from higher to lower notes). Refer to this blog post if you need a refresher on how to read guitar tabs.
When you’re comfortable using hammer-ons and pull-offs to play through the scale, you can start developing other licks using these mechanics. Below are some patterns that utilize hammer-ons, pull-offs, and the pentatonic scale. Remember to practice slowly to get your hands synchronized before attempting to play them faster. You should always prioritize accuracy over speed.
Many songs make use of hammer-ons and pull-offs. For a couple of iconic examples, check out the songs “Over the Hills and Far Away” by Led Zeppelin and “Paranoid” by Black Sabbath. Both songs utilize these techniques for their main riff. The part from “Over the Hills and Far Away” is quite intricate, but “Paranoid” is largely built upon the aforementioned pentatonic scale and is more beginner-friendly.
Conclusion
Learning to effectively play hammer-ons and pull-offs with each finger takes a lot of practice, but opens up new ways to inflect sequences of notes. These mechanics will help unlock the ability to play faster while gradually exerting less effort. Try creating some of your own licks and patterns that use a mix of hammer-ons and pull-offs. You’re bound to encounter some pretty cool ideas through trial and error.
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