Home > Lead Guitar Lessons > Using hammer ons and pull offs together
Combining Hammer-Ons and
Pull-Offs Effectively
This page continues on from the individual hammer-on and pull-off
lessons. Basically, we're now going to combine these two techniques to
create more interesting lead guitar.
Think of breaking your solo/scale down into phrases,
similar to how you break up a paragraph with sentences. Each phrase has
its own character, defined by the notes you play and the way in which
you play them. One phrase can be straight, slow picking, the next
phrase can be a quick run of hammer ons and pull offs punctuated by a bend... it's up to you how you express yourself, just like you would with words...
It's the best analogy I can think of!
When using hammer ons and pull offs one after the other in a phrase,
your fingers need to be physically strong and capable of applying both
techniques with various finger combinations. Make sure you go through
both lessons to ensure you're physically confident.
Introductory hammer-on lesson
Introductory pull-off lesson
When you're ready, we can take our fingers to the gym with some exercises to combine these two techniques effectively...
Hammer on and Pull off exercises
Just like in the introductory lessons, we're going to make use of different finger combinations so we can physically get used to the different note intervals we'll come across in scales when we use hammer ons and pull offs in sequence.
The most common way to apply both techniques together is to apply the
hammer-on and immediately pull-off back to the starting note. You can
obviously do this at various speeds.
Let's try the interval exercises below...
You should use a metronome to help you gradually build up speed and confidence with your lead guitar techniques.
Click the diagrams and tabs in this lesson to hear examples
== Half step (one fret) interval ==
 So
you can hear in the example above that kind of skip effect we can
create by applying the pull off straight after the hammer on.
Let's look at the different finger combinations for this interval...
1) Using your index finger and middle finger
2) Using your middle finger and ring finger
3) Using your ring finger and pinky finger
== Whole step (two fret) interval ==
1) Using your index finger and ring finger
2) Using your middle finger and pinky finger
== Larger interval ==
1) Using your index finger and pinky finger
 Now,
all these intervals (and even larger ones) can be used when you're
soloing around a scale. It's all about using your personal judgement
and musical expression to pick out these intervals in the scale and apply hammer ons and pulls offs however you think sounds good.
Remember, hammer ons and pull offs are just another texture to liven up your solos, so only use them when they compliment the music you're trying to create!
More interesting hammer on / pull off rhythms
This is where it gets slightly more difficult physically.
Once you're comfortable with the above intervals and finger
combinations for simple hammer on - pull off phrases, you can move onto
larger, more complex phrases.
The most important thing in larger runs is to know when to pick in between the hammers and pulls. This essentially keeps the rhythm stable (as picking has a firmer texture to hammering on/pulling off).
Try your best with the exercises below - I know
it's hard to interpret tab when hammer ons and pull offs are used in
runs, but listen to the audio and try and gauge the rhythm and timing
of the picks. Use these as strict marker points in between the hammers
and pulls...
As long as those picks stay strictly in place, you'll eventually naturally iron out the creases in between!
Remember the metronome to help build up speed (although speed is not the most important thing - rhythm & timing is!!!)
Take a look at the sequence of hammer ons and pull offs below (and click the diagram to hear example!)...
 We
can hear that the first note in the sequence is picked, but the rest is
just hammers and pulls. That initial pick should be quite an aggressive
one so we can get enough sustain to work with our hammers and pulls.
Now listen to that sequence above as part of a simple blues lick...
>> Click to hear
And finally, we can expand on this sequence to create a run...
 So
it has a kind of rolling effect. The secret is, like I said before, to
keep your picks firmly in time with the rhythm, let the hammer ons and
pull offs in between come naturally over time.
Use a metronome to speed up gradually - you must start slow or you'll just hit a brick wall and get frustrated... I know!!!
...And a final one for you
Take a listen to the clip below and see if you can pick up the hammer-on pull-off rhythm used to create its effect. Try to identify when the hammer on / pull off is applied...
>> Click to hear
Just a little homework for you there ;)
After following the
exercises in all three hammer-on / pull-off lessons, you should be
physically confident to experiment with these techniques in your solos.
You should now have the freedom to use any finger combination for the
interval and sound you're trying to achieve!
Like I keep saying though, this is only the physical side of things covered - you need to know your scales in order to know which hammer on / pull off intervals can be used... and when you can use them.
There are scales lessons back on the main lead
guitar page, but the physical freedom we've gained from these lessons
means we're half way there already!
Thanks for your time and effort. See you soon!
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