| If you're a beginner, you're probably learning some | | | | length from your finger to the nut. You don't hear |
| really good basic techniques, like alternate picking | | | | this when doing a hammer on because the length |
| and good left hand technique. Once you've gotten | | | | of the string in the direction of the nut is too |
| those things down, you may want to consider | | | | short to make an audible sound, as your other |
| picking up a few more of the basic techniques | | | | finger is still holding the note. If you're interested in |
| that build a good guitarists' repertoire. In this short | | | | this technique, it's best employed on an electric |
| article I'm going to touch on hammer-ons, pull-offs | | | | guitar, where the second length between the nut |
| and trills. | | | | and your finger isn't picked up by the pickup and |
| All three of these different techniques can be | | | | isn't heard. |
| used to create interesting music on the guitar. In | | | | A pull-off is much the same thing as a |
| addition to that, they can help you with speed. By | | | | hammer-on, but in reverse. You'll be holding down |
| employing these different techniques, you can | | | | a particular fret, having struck the note, and with |
| take some of the workload off of your right hand | | | | another finger prepared, fretting a note below |
| and have more control with your left. | | | | that one, you'll pull the finger off of that fret, |
| First, the hammer-on. This is simple and you | | | | allowing the lower fret to sound. You can simply |
| probably already have an idea of what I'm going | | | | pick the finger up, or you can pull it down to |
| to tell you. The hammer-on in its simplest form is | | | | "pluck" the string with the finger that's already |
| sounding one note and then, while holding the | | | | holding the string. |
| note, placing your finger on a higher fret. The | | | | A trill is like doing a hammer-on, then a pull-off, |
| term "hammer-on" is used to describe this | | | | and then anther hammer-on, over and over and |
| technique because you'll be using a little force | | | | over. You'll hear trills prominently in the songs and |
| when you "hammer" the subsequent note. This is | | | | solos of Stevie Ray Vaughn if you're looking for |
| a very easy way for you to sound another note | | | | an example. To do a trill, simply sound a note |
| without having to use your pick. In fact, you can | | | | that's fretted, perform a hammer-on then pull-off |
| use this technique by itself instead of picking. | | | | and continue to do these in succession. You'll find |
| Without holding down any notes, you can use the | | | | that you can actually sustain a trill infinitely without |
| fingers to strike any fret and sound the note on | | | | picking the string again. |
| that fret. You'll notice doing so produces a sound | | | | After you've got the basics down, you should |
| that's not very pleasant. This is because you're | | | | move on to learn these other techniques. They'll |
| actually striking two notes using this technique. | | | | help you to gain some accuracy and speed in |
| The string is actually vibrating along two lengths, | | | | your playing as well as take a lot of the strain off |
| the length from your finger to the bridge and the | | | | your right hand. Good luck & have fun! |