Pull-offs
The exercises for these are much the same as those for the hammer-on, as all variants are the same but reversed! The main point to remember here is that pull-offs are generally (for most people) more difficult than hammer-ons, beginners will have problems! Take each exercise in turn and concentrate on playing it as best you can, this is as much of a mental exercise as a physical one! Remember to rest and shake out between exercises and stop if you experience any pain.
Pulling-off onto the first finger - 10.9kb wav
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
|--*-*--*-*--*-*--*-*--*-*--*-*--|
|--2-1--3-1--4-1--2-1--3-1--4-1--|
|--------------------------------|
|--4p3--5p3--6p3--4p3--5p3--6p3--|
- Beginners - One or two repetitions, change positions, change string
- Intermediate - Three or four repetitions, change positions, change string
- Experts - One repetition, change positions, repeat, change string.
Pulling off onto the second and third fingers - 13.3kb wav
|-----------------|
|-----------------|
|--*-*--*-*--*-*--|
|--3-2--4-2--4-3--|
|-----------------|
|--5p4--6p4--6p5--|
- Beginners - As above
- Intermediate - As above
- Expert - As above.
Three finger pull-offs - 23.0kb wav
|------------------------------|
|------------------------------|
|--*-*-*--*-*-*--*-*-*--*-*-*--|
|--3-2-1--4-2-1--4-3-1--4-3-2--|
|------------------------------|
|--5p4p3--6p4p3--6p5p3--6p5p4--|
As with the three finger hammer-ons, make sure you're playing the right notes! The last pull-off sequence is very hard, so don't be surprised if you find this nigh on impossible. Practice pulling off onto the second and third fingers until you can perform them adequately, then attempt to master this!
- Beginners - One repetition, change string (see three fingered hammer-ons notes)
- Intermediate - One repetition, change strings, change positions
- Expert - Two or more repetitions, change positions, change string.
Four finger pull-offs - 47.6kb wav
|--------------------*-*-*-*--etc.--------------6p5p4p3--|
|-----------*-*-*-*--4-3-2-1-----------6p5p4p3-----------|
|--*-*-*-*--4-3-2-1-----------6p5p4p3--------------------|
|--4-3-2-1-----------6p5p4p3-----------------------------|
|-----------6p5p4p3--------------------------------------|
|--6p5p4p3-----------------------------------------------|
Play this slloooowwwww! This is a very difficult exercise to perform at speed, so aim for accuracy.
- Beginners - Once only
- Intermediate - Once only, change positions
- Expert:
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|
|--*-*-*-*---*-*-*-*---*--*--*--*--|
|--4-3-2-1---4-3-2-1---4--3--2--1--|
|----------------------------------|
|--6p5p4p3--10p9p8p7--15p14p13p12--|
Repeat then change string... good luck!
Pulling-off to open strings - 14.9kb wav
|-------------------|
|-------------------|
|--*---*---*---*----|
|--1---2---3---4----|
|-------------------|
|--3p0-4p0-5p0-6p0--|
- Beginners - Once, change strings
- Intermediate - Repeat, change positions, change string
- Expert - Once, once backwards (4, 3, 2, 1), change positions, change strings.
What Next?
So, you've mastered hammer-ons and pull-offs? Are you sure? If so (or if you're just bored with playing something not terribly musical) then it's simply a case of joining these techniques together and hopefully getting something out that sounds 'good'. Have a look/listen to these and try and come up with some musical legato things...
Ex.1 - 34.6kb wav
|---------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|
|--4h5--4h5p4--4h5h7p5p4h7-5------|
|------------7--------------------|
|---------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|
Ex.2 - 37.7kb wav
|--7p5----------------------------|
|------7p5-----------5------------|
|----------8p7p5h7h8---7p6p5------|
|----------------------------7----|
|---------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|
That's all for the first installment of Terrifying Technique - remember, next lesson we're looking at slides and tapping and putting together some crazy slurred legato runs. Any comments/corrections mail them to webmaster@mooworldorder.com.
Finished - 10th June 1998
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