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There are many different techniques used with
guitar to play notes faster and create other interesting sounds.
This section will explain how to do many of these.
Hammer on's
Pull off's
Bending
Vibrato
A hammer on is where you play one note, and
then put a finger on a fret, one or two above that note. You must
"hammer" your finger onto the fret board. In other words, put it
on real fast. Then the sound will continue to ring, but the note
will be higher. This can make music go faster because you won't have
to pick every note. Practice this technique and you will find that
it opens whole new worlds of sound!
Click here
to hear a hammered note.
A pull off is a fairly simple technique used
by guitar players. What you do is play a note by plucking the string
with one of your fingers on the fret board, and then pull that finger off.
When you pull it off, pluck the string with that finger. So instead
of lifting it straight up off of the string, pull it down so it will ring
the next note down, which could be either another finger a fret or two
lower, or the nut. With practice, this method will make you able
to play notes faster. Using this you can play an extra note without
having to pluck the string.
Click here
to hear a pull off.
Using combinations of hammered notes and
pull off's can make very nice sounds.
Click here
for an example.
Bending a note is a technique used to raise
the pitch of a note. This can be used in a transition from one note
to another, or to allow for vibrato. In order
to bend a note, you are actually bending the string. Play a note
and hold it. With the finger you have on the fret board holding that
note, apply pressure upward so the string bends. If you are bending
the low E or A strings, you may have to pull it down instead of pushing
it up. The images below show how to do this.
 
When the string is pushed up, it
stretches, causing the pitch to rise.
Click here
to hear a bent note.
Vibrato is the rapid bending of a note.
One way to do this it to shake the hand while holding a finger on the fret
board. This creates a slight vibration in the sound and it will allow
the note to have a longer duration. This is used a lot in classical
playing as well as other types of music. Another method is to bend
a note, and then bend it more and less quickly. This takes a bit
of practice to master. When guitarists solo they use this method
to "shake" the note as they bend it, and it creates a unique sound.
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