Tune-up

If you've ever listened to recordings of guitarists playing fiddle tunes and other melodies, you may have found yourself thinking, "Hey now, wait a minute. I can play that melody, but it doesn't sound like that. How do they get it to sound so smooth?" Chalk some of it up to experience—like stones worn smooth by the constant flow of water, your favorite performer's repertoire has likely been worn smooth through countless practice sessions, rehearsals, and performances. But you can also use certain left-hand techniques–hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides—that will help you slur your notes together and cut down on right-hand picking motion, which helps your melodies flow. We'll take a look at these techniques individually and then incorporate them all into the traditional tune "Sail Away Ladies."

Hammer-ons

A hammer-on is when you pick a note and then hammer a finger down at a higher fret on the same string, sounding a second note without picking the string again. Look at the difference between measures 1 and 2 in Example 1 below: in the first measure, both notes are picked; the second time, the first note is picked and the second note is hammered on, creating a smoother transition between the notes. As you can see, a hammer-on is indicated with a connecting line between the two notes, called a slur, plus an H above the tab.

Ex. 1

So try it. In Example 2, play the open G string, then drop your second finger onto the fingerboard at the second fret to sound the note A.

Ex. 2

Here's the most important thing to remember in getting the second note to sound: this is called a hammer-on, not a press-on. If you pick the first note and then slowly press your finger into the string, you're going to kill the string's vibration before it actually makes contact with the second fret. You'll hear your first note and then a depressing little phhthht sound where your second note was supposed to happen. Drop your finger to the fretboard with conviction! Bring it down in a single quick gesture and aim for the fretboard, not the string—think of the string as something getting crushed on your way to the wood below.

In Example 3, try doing a handful of hammer-ons in a row. Then in Example 4, try switching back and forth between hammer-ons on two different strings.

Ex. 3

Ex. 4

Example 5 combines hammer-ons with regular picked notes on the same string, while Example 6 combines hammer-ons with regular picked notes on an adjacent string. Finally, Example 7 is a short run in the key of G that works as a cool ending phrase.

Ex. 5

Ex. 6

Ex. 7