One-string legato — hammer-ons and pull-offs
A pure technique exercise on the A string: one note picked, then a hammer-on and a pull-off to the neighbouring frets without ever picking the string again. Unlike the slide (technique-slide-1corde), where the finger stays in contact with the string the whole way, here the sound comes only from the finger's impact as it drops (hammer-on) or the small sideways flick as it lifts off (pull-off) — two different motions to isolate before chaining them.
Tips
The sound must stay audible with no pick on both the hammer-on and the pull-off: press harder and faster than usual as the finger lands or lifts.
Work the hammer-on alone first, then the pull-off alone, before chaining them into the same motion.
On the pull-off, the finger doesn't just lift: it flicks the string slightly downward as it leaves, or no sound comes out at all.
Related sheets
- Pop in D — arpeggios (Level 3)
- Pop in G — chord changes (Level 3)
- Pop in E — fingerstyle (Level 3)