Hammer-Ons and Pull-Offs

Hammer-ons and Pull-offs are both very easy techniques. You should be able to pick these up very quickly. I wrote this lesson assuming that the reader knows nothing about hammer-ons and pull-offs. (no offense) We will end the lesson by playing a song using these techniques.  . 

Hammer-Ons

Hammer-ons are pretty basic. The concept is that you play two notes, while actually picking only one. You pick a note, and then fret a higher note. Looking at the diagram below, all you do is pick the D string at the 5th fret and while the note is ringing, fret the D string at the 7th fret. Use your index finger for the 5th fret, the ring finger for the 7th. 

E||------------||
B||------------||
G||------------||
D||--5h---7----||
A||------------||
E||------------||

A hammer on can also be done with multiple notes, as we will see in the next example. To play this, pick the open B string, then hammer-on the 5th fret with your index finger, then while still pressing on the 5th fret, hammer-on the 8th fret with your pinky. Let off with both fingers and pick the open B string again. You are only picking one note, but fretting 3. Its easier than this description makes it out to be. Play it slow at first. 

E||----------------------|------------||
B||--0h---5h---8----0h---|--5h---8----||
G||----------------------|------------||
D||----------------------|------------||
A||----------------------|------------||
E||----------------------|------------||

Here's a riff you can play until your hand falls off. Try to get the full sound of every note. 

E||-------------------|--------------------|------------------|
B||--0h--5h--8----0h--|--5h---8---0h---5h--|--8---0h---4h---7-|
G||-------------------|--------------------|------------------|
D||-------------------|--------------------|------------------|
A||-------------------|--------------------|------------------|
E||-------------------|--------------------|------------------|



----------------------|----------------------|-------||
--0h---4h---7----0h---|--4h---7----0h---4h---|--7----||
----------------------|----------------------|-------||
----------------------|----------------------|-------||
----------------------|----------------------|-------||
----------------------|----------------------|-------||

Pull-Offs

A Pull-off is simply a hammer-on backwards. Start off with both finger on the fretboard. The index finger at the 5th fret of the D string, and the ring finger on the 7th fret. Just pick the note at the 7th fret. While that note is ringing, pull-off  your ring finger and leave your index finger on the 5th fret so the G note sounds.   

E||----------------||
B||----------------||
G||----------------||
D||--7p---5--------||
A||----------------||
E||----------------||

You can also use multiple notes in a pull-off. Here are a couple you can try. Just pick the 4th fret on the G string and pull off to sound the A note at the 2nd fret, the pull off the index finger to sound the open G. 

E||---------------------||
B||---------------------||
G||--4p---2p---0--------||
D||---------------------||
A||---------------------||
E||---------------------||

It does not take very long to learn hammer-ons and pull-offs. If you can play these riffs easily, then you can start playing songs that use hammer-ons and pull-offs. I provided a link to the song Over the Hills and Far Away by Led Zeppelin. Its a pretty cool song and it is surprisingly easy to play. It incorporates both hammer-ons and pull-offs in the intro.