In this free beginner guitar lesson we'll cover hammer-ons and pull-offs - two of the most versatile and widely used guitar techniques. Mastering these simple concepts and incorporating them into your playing can make your compositions sound better and flow together in a more musical and melodic fashion. Instead of picking each note individually, hammer-ons and pull-offs allow you to slur notes and phrases together so they blend nicely and aren't as disjointed. Let's start this free beginner guitar lesson with hammer-ons.

Hammer-ons

Hammer-ons involve the technique of quickly and firmly fretting a higher note on a string that has already been plucked. You are literally "hammering on" to a higher fret, which produces the effect of blending the lower and higher notes together. Hammer-ons give you the ability to create a smooth and connected sound, as opposed to plucking the 2 (or more) notes invidually individually.

For example, take a look at this guitar tab indicating a hammer-on:

 This tab is essentially telling us that we are going to be playing a hammer-on on the B string. To play this hammer-on, you start by pressing down the string on the 2nd fret, 2nd (B) string. Pluck that note to see how it sounds.

Now, try plucking the string again, except this time as the note is ringing out, quickly and firmly snap your middle finger down on the very next fret, the 3rd fret, on the same string. You should hear the note seamlessly blend and raise in pitch! Try this a few times to get the hang of it.

If you can't hear the second note, make sure you are executing the hammer-on technique properly. Common mistakes include not hammering hard or fast enough, or hammering too far away from the target fret. Your finger should land just behind metal strip on the 3rd fret.

That's it! Hammer-ons are a simple technique, but they can take months or even years to master. To practice your hammer-on skills, try playing through some different guitar scales using hammer-ons instead of plucking each note individually. Re-visit free beginner guitar lesson 2 for some good guitar warm-up exercises you can use to practice your hammering.

Feeling comfortable with hammer-ons? Let's move to the next portion of this free beginner guitar lesson: pull-offs.