Articulation

F. Markovich

Some thoughts to start

• Most instruments have slurs. Woodwind and brass instruments don’t tongue notes to slur, strings use one direction of the bow to sound many notes, on guitar it is hammers, pulls, bends, slides etc. that add that.

• Can be used to play faster. Also the articulation helps to convey other ideas other than staccato (detached) articulation the most common on guitar.

• Santana uses this quite a bit as he started on violin and this most closely imitates what a violin would do.

First part is hammer and pulls

• Take you time, these are tough to start with.• Did all triplets – many players use these

examples for exercises.• Also do a double time (1/16th note triplets).• Can add to excitement in solo’s.• Next page has scale that this is based off of.• We will go through many of these but you should

spend time at home on them as we won’t go through them all for sake of time

• Excellent exercises to develop finger dexterity

Scale

• G Dorian built off of the F major scale in the D form of the major scale.

• We will play through this a few times before attempting the slurs (hammers and pull offs).

G Dorian

1 1 2 2 1 1

3 3 4 4 3 3

4 4 4

1 1

As you saw on the slide 2 before there are at least 2 ways to finger this scale. Santana used mainly this way. One reason why is that it is very close to what he would use for a blues in G.

Modern Jazz players would use the next page as an the fingering. Both work but this one will work better with Santana’s songs.

A third method used by modern rock guitarists is the 3 notes per string. We won’t be playing that in this class. But it is on the page 2 below this so you can work on it if you want.

Pick the notes with first all down, then all up then down up (Alternate picking) Latter try hammers going up the scale and pull offs coming down the scale.

G Dorian

1 1 2 2 1 1

3 3 4 4 3 3

4 4 4

1 1

Circled notes are the notes in the chord.

As a reminder for notes in the chord:

Chord NotesGm G Bb DGm7 G Bb D FC C E GC7 C E G BbD7 D F# A CAm A C EAm7 A C E GE7 E G# B D

Formula for major chord: 1 3 5Formula for 7th chord: 1 3 5 b7Formula for minor chord: 1 b3 5 Formula for minor 7th chord: 1 b3 5 b7

Proper Technique for Hammers and Pulls

Both hammering and pulling are techniques used to add articulation and to increase speed of playing. When done properly they can improve a players speed by factors or 40% to 50% in many cases. The issue is that most players do not do them properly. The techniques are not all that difficult but it takes some time and discipline to develop them properly. Following is a description of how to do the techniques and one example for each on how to develop and practice the technique.

For pull offs: The idea is to pluck the string with the fretting finger (for right handers the left hand). If you keep that in mind and use a similar technique to plucking with the right hand you will have the motion. The finger starts on the string and then moves downward in a manner that the tip of the finger (callous) plucks the string. Think of it as a rest stroke with the finger. For example, if you did a pull off on the 3rd string 2nd fret to the 3rd string open the 2nd finger would hold the 3rd string 2nd fret down and then move in a downward fashion plucking the 3rd string as it moved with the 2nd finger ending up touching the 2nd string much as a rest stroke would be done with the other hand. It is vital that the finger does not go flying off the fingerboard towards the open air.

If you are doing a stopped note to another stopped note, both fingers must be down on the string at the same time. Do the same movement with the pulling finger. Note that some players do pulls in the opposite direction (go from a higher pitched string to a lower or up on the fingerboard - this is not the traditional method but works just as good). The key is to do a semi-rest type movement with your fretting finger.

Players also need to be able to do pulls (and hammers) with each of the fingers.

An exercise that works well for developing this is as follows:

On the first string put your index finger on the 1st fret, middle finger on the 2nd fret, ring finger on the 3rd fret, and 4th finger on the 4th fret. Pull off one finger at a time starting with the 4th finger and working towards the index finger. Make sure that each note sounds just a loud as the one before it and the one after it. So you pull the 4th finger off then the 3rd, then 2nd then the first finger. Then move the whole pattern to the 2nd string, then to the 3rd string etc..

Hamming is a bit easier. The key to this technique is to put the finger down very hard and quickly like a hammer hammering in a nail. With your fretting finger about a ½ inch above the fingerboard, above the fret and string you want to sound, move it to the fretting position quickly in a motion like a claw hammer would use hammering in a nail. If done properly the note will sound. Again each finger should be able to do this with equal ease and volume.

An exercise that works well for developing this is as follows:

Starting on the 1st string again. Index hammers on the 1st fret and stays down, then 2nd finger on the 2nd fret and stays down, then 3rd finger hammers the 3rd fret and stays down, then 4th finger hammers the 4th fret and stays down. Important that at the end all 4 fingers are on the 1st string. Then repeat this on each string.

Once you have mastered that try the same exercise without leaving the fingers down.

To then combine the techniques do the following:

Without plucking the string with the picking hand - hammer on the 1st fret of the first string and then pull off. Keep this going (sounds like a trill) as long as you can (at least 5 seconds). Then go on to the 2nd finger at the 2nd fret, then the 3rd finger at the 3rd fret and lastly the 4th finger at the 4th fret. Do on all the strings. Once that has been mastered try holding down the 1st fret with the 1st finger while you hammer and pull off on the 2nd fret with the second finger. Then while still holding the 1st fret down try the 3rd fret with the 3rd finger, then the 4th fret with the 4th finger. Then hold the 2nd fret 2nd finger down while doing the hammer - pull pattern on the 3rd fret with the 3rd finger then 4th fret with the 4th finger. Lastly, do the 3rd finger 3rd fret while hammering with the 4th finger 4th fret.

Again be sure to do this on all strings. When you can do all of the above you will have these techniques mastered.

Proper Technique for Hammers and Pulls

Both hammering and pulling are techniques used to add articulation and to increase speed of playing. When done properly they can improve a players speed by factors or 40% to 50% in many cases. The issue is that most players do not do them properly. The techniques are not all that difficult but it takes some time and discipline to develop them properly. Following is a description of how to do the techniques and one example for each on how to develop and practice the technique.

For pull offs: The idea is to pluck the string with the fretting finger (for right handers the left hand). If you keep that in mind and use a similar technique to plucking with the right hand you will have the motion. The finger starts on the string and then moves downward in a manner that the tip of the finger (callous) plucks the string. Think of it as a rest stroke with the finger. For example, if you did a pull off on the 3rd string 2nd fret to the 3rd string open the 2nd finger would hold the 3rd string 2nd fret down and then move in a downward fashion plucking the 3rd string as it moved with the 2nd finger ending up touching the 2nd string much as a rest stroke would be done with the other hand. It is vital that the finger does not go flying off the fingerboard towards the open air.

If you are doing a stopped note to another stopped note, both fingers must be down on the string at the same time. Do the same movement with the pulling finger. Note that some players do pulls in the opposite direction (go from a higher pitched string to a lower or up on the fingerboard - this is not the traditional method but works just as good). The key is to do a semi-rest type movement with your fretting finger.

Players also need to be able to do pulls (and hammers) with each of the fingers.

An exercise that works well for developing this is as follows:

On the first string put your index finger on the 1st fret, middle finger on the 2nd fret, ring finger on the 3rd fret, and 4th finger on the 4th fret. Pull off one finger at a time starting with the 4th finger and working towards the index finger. Make sure that each note sounds just a loud as the one before it and the one after it. So you pull the 4th finger off then the 3rd, then 2nd then the first finger. Then move the whole pattern to the 2nd string, then to the 3rd string etc..

Hamming is a bit easier. The key to this technique is to put the finger down very hard and quickly like a hammer hammering in a nail. With your fretting finger about a ½ inch above the fingerboard, above the fret and string you want to sound, move it to the fretting position quickly in a motion like a claw hammer would use hammering in a nail. If done properly the note will sound. Again each finger should be able to do this with equal ease and volume.

An exercise that works well for developing this is as follows:

Starting on the 1st string again. Index hammers on the 1st fret and stays down, then 2nd finger on the 2nd fret and stays down, then 3rd finger hammers the 3rd fret and stays down, then 4th finger hammers the 4th fret and stays down. Important that at the end all 4 fingers are on the 1st string. Then repeat this on each string.

Once you have mastered that try the same exercise without leaving the fingers down.

To then combine the techniques do the following:

Without plucking the string with the picking hand - hammer on the 1st fret of the first string and then pull off. Keep this going (sounds like a trill) as long as you can (at least 5 seconds). Then go on to the 2nd finger at the 2nd fret, then the 3rd finger at the 3rd fret and lastly the 4th finger at the 4th fret. Do on all the strings. Once that has been mastered try holding down the 1st fret with the 1st finger while you hammer and pull off on the 2nd fret with the second finger. Then while still holding the 1st fret down try the 3rd fret with the 3rd finger, then the 4th fret with the 4th finger. Then hold the 2nd fret 2nd finger down while doing the hammer - pull pattern on the 3rd fret with the 3rd finger then 4th fret with the 4th finger. Lastly, do the 3rd finger 3rd fret while hammering with the 4th finger 4th fret.

Again be sure to do this on all strings. When you can do all of the above you will have these techniques mastered.

These are all pull offs. Use 4th finger, 3rd index. Pick the first note and pull off for the other notes.

A nice turn to this.

Some high level examples

• Learn the each one and by using the previous examples make up another 6 to 8 of each.

• Then combine ones to develop whole new ideas. For example, take the first ½ of a measure of one and the 2nd ½ of another measure and put them together.

• Use the other forms of the scale – even use other scales.

• The variations are almost endless. If you add tapping, sliding, bending etc. to these the options really increase quickly.

Some examples from Santana

• First on few are from Evil Ways.

Start by counting to 3 before playing any notes. Then this whole first section is off of the G Dorian we just did. First note is a G (1st string 3rd fret – index finger) to a Bb first string 6th fret. (pinky finger). Best if hammered on.

First Measure of the solo

From Jingo Solo

Pull off on all of these.

This section is like a stutter.

Pull off – very fast for this section. Just start slow and work it up.Use pinky, middle, index fingers.

One from Black Magic Woman

End

• This finishes the first part of articulation. There are a number of other techniques that I will cover for the future.

• Slides and bends will be covered next.

• This is really just the start of this topic in many ways. s