HOW TO do hammer-ons and pull-offs

In this post, I will be talking about how to be able to do hammer-ons and pull-offs. Many people have asked me this question over Youtube before.

So, before I begin, I'll explain what they are.

Hammer-on
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No, this has nothing to do with an actual hammer. The "hammer-on" is called a hammer-on because of the action your finger makes. It is as though you are "hammering" your finger onto the fretboard to achieve the effect.

Why is a hammer-on used in songs? Well, in my opinion, it give a song more flavour and also sounds more fluid.

Pull-off
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A pull-off is using your finger to pull-off from the fretboard, so as to achieve the effect. It is "pulled off" (no pun intended) when you play a chord or note, and use one of the fingers involved to pull-off from the fretboard.

Why is a pull-off used in songs? Like the hammer-on, it is used to also add flavour and fluidity to the song. Pull-offs can be used right after a hammer-on, or on its own.

Okay, I realise that trying to explain what they are using words can be pretty confusing. So here's a video how to play hammer-ons and pull-offs.



From my experience of teaching others, I know most people will have the problem of achieving a clear sound when attempting the above. This is common, so don't be disappointed. Here it comes...: to improve, you have to PRACTICE. Hopefully, the video will show you the right way to achieve a hammer-on and pull-off. The rest is really just practice.

Hope this post has clarified any doubts you had.