Hammer on and Pull off

skywalker_208

ive been learning guitar for a while now and am getting on pretty well with tabs.. but could someone please tell me how to do a hammer on and a pull off? hav ean idea but cant get it rite?

or even a link to some site where they have some video clips or summit would be cool..

limpdd

Ye learning these can be a b*tch!!
But there is hope, I found "Total Guitar" magazine to be fairly useful for this type of thing.
Also
http://www.guitarnoise.com
has some good stuff you might like.

Happy Sluring!:D

Doctor J

A hammer on is where you fret the note hard enough so you don't have to play the string with the plec.

For example, put your first finger on the 5th fret of the A string and pluck the string as normal with your right and let the note ring. Now without lifting your first finger, "hammer" your 3rd (ring) finger onto the 7th fret. You should now have a nice, clear note in E. Congrats, that is a hammer on.

A pull-off is the opposite of a hammer on. You remove your finger in such a manner that the note continues to ring after defretting. With your 1st finger on the 5th fret and your 3rd finger on the 7th fret, play that E note and let it ring. Now whip your 3rd finger off the 7th fret and allow the note to ring, you should now be hearing D, as fretted by your 1st finger.

I think pull-offs are harder than hammer-ons, and will require more practice, there's a knack to removing your finger. Try doing it using the second fret and the open string, do hammer ons and pull offs ie

-0-2-0-2-0-2-0-2-0-2-0-2-0-2-0-2-0-2-0-2 etc wher you hammer onto the second fret and pull off to the open string. Hope this makes sense. Good luck.

ShriekingSheet

*note

you may be learning on an acoustic guitar?

If so these are 10 times more difficult than on an electric (especially as the chances are you didn't by a super duper model for your 1st guitar and the strings are probably not light gauge)

Im just saying that hammer on's and pull off's are less relevant to acoustic guitar play, say, if you are into coldplay or damien rice. It's quite difficult on an acoustic and better off leaving it till down the line.

If you are in fact playing electric then disregard this.

On electric, you'll pick it up with a bit of practice! - Good advice from Doctor j.

Giblet

I say still try it on an acoustic

skywalker_208

Thanks for all the advice! gona get stuck into that +now.. i have an electric which ive been learning on but my brother has an acoustic so ive been trying both...

strings are probably not light gauge

thats another thing i was meaning to ask! your rite the acoustic is a cheapy for a beginner with huge strings that are very hard to press down on... only realised the difference when i tried a mates decent guitar...

this guitar is only a few months old but wouldnt it be possible to get some decent light strings and replace the originals?

fitz

Yes, if you're unsure about the effect this may have on your neck, bring the guitar into a shop and get it properly set up.

Practicing hammer-ons and pull-offs on an acoustic is a much better idea than electric.
The acoustic will get your technique right, strengthen your fingers and make using then while playing electric an academic excecise - the reverse is not true.

And as for them being less relevant for acoustic?
ShriekingSheet, you refered to Damien Rice. Have you listened to Delicate?
It's loaded with hammer-ons.

I've a song which has a chord progression made up of triads, three note chords, and I leave out the 4th strum on each chord, playing a triplet pull-off instead.
On an acoustic.

Hammer-ons and pull-offs are relevant on both types of guitar.
Anyone who says otherwise is too lazy to get them right on acoustic, and is merely trying to justify that fact.

ShriekingSheet

Originally posted by fitz

"And as for them being less relevant for acoustic?
ShriekingSheet, you refered to Damien Rice. Have you listened to Delicate?
It's loaded with hammer-ons."

Ah, so you're recommending the proper way of playing this song for a beginner?
So he breaks his heart taking ages to learn this instead of cracking out Am F C G open chords and calling it "cannonball" and actually enjoying himself!?

"I've a song which has a chord progression made up of triads, three note chords, and I leave out the 4th strum on each chord, playing a triplet pull of instead.
On an acoustic."

GO FORTH! do not let such genius be wasted on us mere boardsters! Display your wealth of talent to the WORLD lest they be robbed of ever hearing your dazzling musical ability.

"Hammer-ons and pull-offs are relevant on both types of guitar."

NOT to a beginner you idiot!
...we're gonna start with the basics....
...playing a burning guitar with your teeth...

"Anyone who says otherwise is too lazy to get them right on acoustic, and is merely trying to justify that fact."

*chuckle*

"The acoustic will get your technique right, strengthen your fingers and make using then while playing electric an academic excecise"

Ah how rock 'n' roll !
That's no fun!! fingers get stronger thru playing loads of stuff u like and just jamming it out. Technique comes as you develop!

Academic excercise? Bah!
Sounds like the nazi death camp learning method to me!

NEIN! you VIL leurn ze geetar!!! .............. Ve hav vays of making you play!

fitz

I'm an idiot, and you're a troll..yes...

You should never learn rudimentary things like these on an electric.
Any accomplished guitarist will tell you that.

You try learning to play on an electric and going to play acoustic.
You'll suck.

The reverse is not true, acoustic talent transfers well to electric.

Learn it right, or yeah, go have fun and be happy with being a guitarist with appaling basics cause you wanted to rush to the stage where you could play something the easy way.

My point about my music was that you made a completely sweeping comment about relevance to acoustic guitar which was uninformed and closed minded.

You've responded to that with flaming and muppetry.

Go you.:rolleyes:

NeMiSiS

"You try learning to play on an electric and going to play acoustic.
You'll suck."

Theres another sweeping comment right there.

Tom

Doctor J

Tis true, sweeping or not

fitz

If you go from having only played electric to playing acoustic, you're gonna suck for a while until you get used to the difference in the finger pressure needed.
Does that clarify the sweepingness enough?

NeMiSiS

I pretty much started on electric, I aint ****e on acoustic by any stretch of the imagination. I wanted to play electric guitar, I didnt want to be ****ing round with acoustics, so I dived right in. I dont have any 'classical' technique on acoustic so to speak, but **** it. Two different beasts, but in my opinion, the electric is the one with the third ball.

Play what you wanna ****ing play.

Tom

ShriekingSheet

Originally posted by fitz

Hammer-ons and pull-offs are relevant on both types of guitar.
Anyone who says otherwise is too lazy to get them right on acoustic, and is merely trying to justify that fact.

This little spat (on boards!) at my ability makes u an idiot

Preaching to a beginner about perfecting technique and academic excercises makes u an idiot

"I've a song which has a chord progression made up of triads, three note chords, and I leave out the 4th strum on each chord, playing a triplet pull-off instead.
On an acoustic."

and the sheer casual addition of this still makes me laugh

you're attitude that everyone must take your scientific approach and aim to achieve a pure and sound technique from the very start of learning guitar is, frankly, up your hole.

you're a muppet

ShriekingSheet

Fitz
All that aside, this guy disagrees with my opinion too - he knows loads about guitar - yet look at his post and your post!

Originally posted by Giblet
I say still try it on an acoustic

Same wit Doctor J
Doesn't
wholly agree with me but doesn't jump in sayin Im a lazy, poor guitarist!

fitz

Why would someone want to learn to play an instrument and practice to become someone with bad habits and mediocre ability?

"Hi Mr. Guitar Teacher, I want you to teach me how to be moderately good. I don't wanna actually be able to play things properly, just teach me the shortcuts, I don't care how pants they'll make me sound."

If you're gonna learn to play, learn the basics the right way, otherwise, just stop.
Once you've got the basics, I'm all for doing whatever the hell you want, and developing your own style.

If you think that hammer-ons are less relevant to acoustic guitar, then you're damn right I'm questioning your ability, and your usefulness with regards advising beginners on the best way to learn something.

As for me being up my hole about technique...when you're perfecting the basics is the most important time to get your technique perfect. Once you've got the basics solid as a rock, you can do a lot more.

Shit basics => Shit guitarist, no matter how long they're playing

ShriekingSheet

Originally posted by fitz

learn the basics the right way, otherwise, just stop.

when you're perfecting the basics is the most important time to get your technique perfect

There's your problem right there!

We're not gonna see eye to eye on this

You're not gonna see eye to eye wih many people at all with this kinda attitude whether it's guitars, golf or gardening you're talking about.

fitz

What attitude?
If you're gonna do something, do it right?
That attitude?

I think you'll find more people will agree with me on that than you believe.

ShriekingSheet

Originally posted by fitz
What attitude?
If you're gonna do something, do it right?
That attitude?

I think you'll find more people will agree with me on that than you believe.

Maybe about accountancy or something but come on- this is rock 'n' roll we're talkin about. Not to preach romantic aideals (*continues to preach romantic ideals*) but you said "the right way" "perfect" and "perfecting" in the same couple of lines! There is no perfect.

It's not meant to be a school subject!

fitz

Now you're going back on yourself.

There are right and wrong ways of doing things, regardless of how 'rock and roll' you want to be.

You think Page or Hendrix didn't get they're basics perfect before moving on?

If they hadn't, we probably wouldn't ever have heard of them.

Doctor J

Both of you have valid points, there's no point obsessing about technique to the point where your enthusiasm for the instrument is smothered (but I don't think Fitz said that), on the other hand, if you want to make progress, you've got to get a solid foundation in good technique otherwise you will hinder yourself greatly. The best time to sort out technique is like driving, when you're learning before you develop bad habits. You don' t have to work on sweep picking the day you pick up the thing but good technique is best learned straight away. Fitz is right, acoustic is harder to play than electric, merely through string tension alone and anything learned on a higher tension string (as generally found on steel-string acoustics) will translate more easily to a lower tension setup (as generally found on electrics).

It's not about being perfect, it's about helping yourself by not being ignorant of correct methodology.

fitz

Bingo.

ShriekingSheet

Originally posted by fitz
Now you're going back on yourself.

There are right and wrong ways of doing things, regardless of how 'rock and roll' you want to be.

You think Page or Hendrix didn't get they're basics perfect before moving on?

If they hadn't, we probably wouldn't ever have heard of them.

those guys who play flying v's on the side of grafton/henry st also got their basics perfect before moving on

you're assuming everyone who picks up a guitar wants to be page or hendrix
and i dont mean they don't want to be as good as they can be i mean they don't want to dedicate their lives to attaining "perfection" where only a competant level of skill is required to make inspiring music> see: most good bands of our generation

I see people in most walks of life as either scientists or artists. Its not my own theory obviously, its a widely accepted idea- agree or disagree- i dont care

you are a scientist if u seek to attain perfection

i am an artist (:rolleyes: sounds gay i know) and i just want to make noise that sounds good.


it's clear we're polar opposites and i wanna drop this

but i won't accept that your scientific way is any "better" than my artistic way!

If you saw me or a guy like me play you'd prob think i worked on technique or at least cared about it! cos Im pretty good. Its only a subtle difference in what id be playing rather than how id be playing it

know what im saying?

Doctor J

Originally posted by ShriekingSheet
but i won't accept that your scientific way is any "better" than my artistic way!

It's got nothing to do with being scientific or artistic. There is nothing artistic about RSI or Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, which is a side-effect of bad technique. Being an artist means expressing your emotions through your instrument of choice, however you may do it. If you have shyt technique, you greatly limit yourself and your ability to express yourself emotionally through your instrument.

Surely a true artistic spirit would never stop trying to improve themselves and would not accept the limitations of weak playing ability?

What if Da Vinci stopped after he drew his first stick figure?

fitz

Polar opposites? You make a lot of assumptions.

Believe it or not, I don't know the names of scales, can't read music, don't know proper chord construction theory, and have to get other people to tell me what chords I'm playing most of the time.

But my basics were built up solid as a rock.
I went from that to teaching myself everything else, working things out by ear.

I'm more the 'artiste' than you think.

I'm not saying everyone wants to be Hendrix.
I don't want perfection either, I've my own style, and I'm very happy with it. Doesn't mean I'm ever gonna stop wanting to improve.

I just get pissed off when people tell beginners to take the easy route, cause at the end of the day, it's more damaging than helpful.
Bypassing basics is the reason there are so many guitarists out there who can't play in time, play in more than one time signature, and generally sound poor.

ShriekingSheet

ok i give up

this is a confusing mess

Doctor J

It's really quite simple.

Good technique does not equal poncey muso, unemotive player, fret wanker or jazz musician.

Sloppy does not equal artistic.

You determine what you play, your technical ability determines how well you play it.

ShriekingSheet

Originally posted by Doctor J
It's really quite simple.

Good technique does not equal poncey muso, unemotive player, fret wanker or jazz musician.

Sloppy does not equal artistic.

You determine what you play, your technical ability determines how well you play it.

cheers doctor j!

fitz

Originally posted by Doctor J
Good technique does not equal poncey muso, unemotive player, fret wanker or jazz musician.

Sloppy does not equal artistic.

Much akin to the 'crappy instruments are more artistic' discussion we had here a while ago...

For the ultimate comment on that particular matter, see feylya's sig...

SirLemonhead

There isn't really anything wrong with starting off on an electric. You'll move up string guage soon enough anyway.

skywalker_208

well this is all very interesting!:) but anyway wat about the question i asked about the noobie acoustic (Falken i think) with the huge strings... is it a good idea to go buy some better lighter guage ones and bin the original ones or wat?

Doctor J

Depends... if the strings are so taut that you find it near impossible to play, then change. If it's kind of awkward compared to your electric, then stick with what you've got, I reckon. Bear in mind that if you switch from a very heavy string to a considerably lighter string your guitar will probably need to be set up again (truss rod especially).

funky penguin

I wonder how that chap is getting on with his Hammer ons and Pull offs?

Eoin Madsen

I think mine have improved just for reading all that.

I reckon jumping in at the deep end is the way to go - the sink or swim philosophy as it were. Get a bass and a distortion pedal and learn to fret tap along to speed metal. Then mere hammer ons and pull offs will seem, er... mere. :dunno:

skywalker_208

I wonder how that chap is getting on with his Hammer ons and Pull offs?

getting on ok thanks... not as bad once you get some practice.... pull offs are definately more difficult though...

btw - that site recommended at the beginning of this thread is excellant!

http://www.guitarnoise.com

Crash

....i'm guessing half of us sat here reading this going "ok, pull off. now hammer on" just checking to see if you did it the same way as everyone else

Now for lesson two - covering the guitar in lighter fluid and coaxing feedback out of the flaming wreck