Guitar techniques: Hammer ons and pull offs

Pull offs on guitar

Now it’s time to get into the other half of guitar’s most popular power couple.

Again, kudos to whoever named this technique – it’s pretty self-explanatory.  

What is a pull off?

To perform a pull off, use your fretting-hand finger to pluck the string and make the note below ring out.

• It’s kind of like a hammer on in reverse.
• You need to use slightly more force in your fretting hand than if you were to pick the string.
• Accuracy is key – be sure not to strike other strings as you pull off.
• Use both your left and right hand to mute the strings above and below.

Beginner pull-off technique

Let’s follow a similar path to how we practiced the hammer on.

• Start with your ring finger on the 9th fret of the G string.
• Place your index finger behind on the 7th fret of the same string.
• Now pick the G string and lift your ring finger away and down slightly (towards the floor).
• Make sure you’re not brushing other strings as you pull off.

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It’s a very small movement but needs strength and accuracy to make the note ring out clearly.

Once you’ve mastered that, you can hammer on back to the 9th fret, then pull off to the 7th – creating a two-note loop that shouldn’t require any work from your picking hand. Cool, huh?!

Intermediate pull-off technique

It’s time for a little self-discovery…

• Take the chord embellishment sequence we learned for the hammer ons
• Play it in reverse!
• Instead of hammering on up to a note, pull off to the one below.

This is an important lesson to learn. You can use both these techniques as a way to mirror licks or phrases.

Take something like a minor pentatonic scale and play from the lowest note to the highest.

• Use hammer ons when going up
• Use pull offs when going down
• Only pick when you move onto a new string.

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Combining hammer ons and pull offs like this is a great way to play fast repeating sequences.

Techniques that stem from hammer ons and pull offs

Guitar techniques tend to evolve over time. You’ll find that once you learn something new, it’ll open up a bunch of other pathways.

Think of it like a ‘technique tree’. There are all these different branches stemming from the trunk, then splitting off into smaller twigs. Let’s take a look at some ideas that grow from the hammer-on/pull-off branch.

What is legato?

Legato is all about creating a string of individual notes that flow into one another seamlessly.

If you pick every note, it creates a sharp attack in between – we don’t want that. So how do we play a long sequence of notes without picking?

You got it – hammer ons and pull offs!

Here’s an amazing demonstration from legato aficionado Tom Quayle:

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What is selective picking?

This term was coined by Tosin Abasi of Animals as Leaders.

He describes selective picking as dividing up your right and left hands when playing a phrase.

• So instead of always picking the first note and then hammering on with your fretting hand, you may ‘hammer on from nowhere’ then pick the following notes.
• Sort of a back-to-front approach to the usual hammer-on technique.
• It will definitely feel a bit weird when you first try it – but stick with it!
• There are some really cool rhythmic opportunities once you get the hang of this technique.

Here’s a little demo from the man himself:

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What is tapping on guitar?

Eddie Van Halen popularized tapping in the late 1970s and since then, many guitarists have added this technique to their arsenal.

Here’s the simplest way to think about tapping.

• You bring your picking hand away from the bridge and up to the neck.
• You then use the index or middle finger on your picking hand to hammer on and pull off notes.

Below is a basic two-handed tapping technique starting on the 12th fret

• ‘T’ indicates a tap – play this note with the middle finger of your picking hand.
• Similar to a hammer on you need to hit the string with some force to make it resonate.
• Then follow up by pulling off and down slightly with – as you would a normal pull off.

The rest of the sequence is done with your fretting hand using only hammer ons and pull offs.

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To better understand how this technique looks – and its potential – here’s Eddie playing possibly the most famous tapping sequence of all time:

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For a deeper dive into this technique, check out our article on tapping.

Conclusion

Learning new techniques like hammer ons and pull offs is crucial for any guitarist looking to increase their musical vocabulary.

There are loads of benefits to these fundamental techniques.

• They serve as a bedrock for any style or genre,
• give you more ways to express yourself; and
• lead on to more advanced concepts - like the ones we just touched on.

It’s always exciting to learn a new trick on the guitar – kinda feels like getting a new toy to play with. If you’re even feeling uninspired, find a technique you’re unfamiliar with and explore it. We guarantee it’ll get the creative juices flowing!

We’ve got tons of lessons covering a range of different topics, genres, and techniques. Whether you have something specific in mind or just want to level up your overall playing – we’ve got you covered.

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Author: Richard Spooner

Richard Spooner is a writer and musician originally from the UK. After studying contemporary guitar at the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance (ICMP) in London, he toured the UK with various groups, playing styles ranging from acoustic to metal.

Richard's diverse experience gigging, studying music, working in guitar stores, and managing rehearsal studios has given him valuable insight into guitar and what it means to be a working musician. Since 2019, he has been traveling and working as an editor for Pickup Music, while also contributing to Total Guitar, Killer Guitar Rigs, and Guitar Pro. After a decade of performing, he now enjoys creating songs, writing about guitar, and taking long walks on the beach.