Hammer On

One of the basic techniques in legato playing is hammer on. You pick one note and let the left hand fingers "hammer on" other frets to make the notes come out. The following is an exercise that you can do to build up some strength in your left hand fingers. Click on it for a bigger image.
























After the 2nd, 4th and 5th fret, go up to 3rd, 5th and 6th fret, then keep going up.

It should sound like this. I only went up to the 9th fret, but you should go higher.


Try playing it faster when you are comfortable at the slower speed.


You should take a rest if your arm muscles start getting sore. Think of it as work out for playing guitar better! When you become a famous rock star, you can pick yourself up one of these.

Gibson Custom Shop 1957 Les Paul Custom 3 Pickup VOS Electric Guitar Ebony