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Lesson 29 Advanced Chapter IV — Advanced & Beyond

Guitar Hammer-On, Pull-Off, Slides & Bends

Hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides, and bends are the techniques that make guitar playing sing. They allow extra notes to be played without plucking — creating a smooth, legato flow that separates expressive playing from mechanical note-picking.

Why These Techniques Matter

All the notes you have played so far have been produced by the right hand — by plucking or strumming. The techniques in this lesson produce additional notes using the left hand alone, after an initial pluck. This creates a smooth, connected sound called legato — notes flowing into one another without the attack of repeated plucking.

These techniques appear in every style of guitar music: folk, blues, rock, classical, and country. Learning them adds enormous expressive range to your playing.

Hammer-On

A hammer-on allows you to play extra notes between plucks using left-hand pressure alone.

How to do it:

  1. Pluck the 3rd string open (note G)
  2. While the string is still sounding, firmly press (hammer) your 2nd finger onto the same string just behind the 2nd fret
  3. The impact of your fingertip causes the new note (A) to sound clearly

Press hard enough and quickly enough that the new note rings clearly. Too slow or too light and the note will be weak or silent. The key is a decisive, targeted drop of the finger.

✦ Notation

In guitar music, hammer-ons are shown by a curved slur line going upward between two notes, or by the letter H placed between them. In TAB, the numbers are connected with a curved line: 0h2 means hammer from open to 2nd fret.

Pull-Off

A pull-off is the reverse of the hammer-on — you sound a lower note using only left-hand movement.

How to do it:

  1. Press both your 1st finger (1st fret) and 2nd finger (2nd fret) onto the 3rd string simultaneously
  2. Pluck the string (note A, from the 2nd fret)
  3. Pull the 2nd finger slightly downward off the string — the slight lateral tug causes the lower note (G#/Ab, 1st fret) to ring

The pull must be sideways as well as off the string — if you simply lift the finger straight up, the lower note will not sound. Think of the pull-off finger as slightly plucking the string from below as it releases.

In Classical Guitar

Hammer-ons are called ascending ligados (the pitch goes up). Pull-offs are called descending ligados (the pitch goes down). The notation uses slur marks in both cases.

Combining Both

Try hammering from open to 2nd fret, then pulling off back to open, repeatedly on one string. Count 1-&-2-&. One pluck gives you four notes. This is the basis of legato runs in solos.

Sliding Notes

A slide (or glissando) creates a smooth glide between two notes by moving a pressed finger along the string while maintaining firm pressure throughout.

How to do it:

  1. Press the 3rd string at the 2nd fret with your 1st finger
  2. Pluck the string
  3. While the string is still sounding, slide your finger smoothly up to the 4th fret — maintaining firm pressure throughout the slide
  4. The pitch glides continuously from A to B

You can also slide downward. In both cases, keep the string pressed firmly enough that the sound continues through the entire movement — do not let the pressure drop mid-slide. Slides are marked in notation with a straight line between two notes, or with the letter S.

⚠ Maintain Pressure Throughout

The most common mistake in sliding is releasing finger pressure mid-slide, causing the sound to die. Keep the string pressed down firmly — use about the same pressure as you would for a normal fretted note — throughout the entire length of the slide.

String Bends

A string bend raises the pitch of a note by physically stretching the string sideways across the fingerboard, increasing its tension.

How to do it:

  1. Press the 3rd string at the 2nd fret with your ring (3rd) finger, with your 1st and 2nd fingers also resting on the string behind it for support
  2. Pluck the string
  3. Push the string upward (toward the ceiling) while maintaining full finger pressure
  4. The pitch rises smoothly — a full push typically raises it by one whole tone (equivalent to two frets)

Bends are marked with a curved arrow and the number of tones to bend: (1) = full tone, (½) = half tone. The supporting fingers behind the bending finger are essential — without them, bends are physically much harder and less accurate.

Half Bend (½)

Push the string until the pitch rises by one semitone (one fret's worth). Common in blues and country for a slightly tense, crying sound.

Full Bend (1)

Push the string until the pitch rises by two semitones (two frets' worth). The most common bend in rock and blues lead guitar.

What's Next?

Lesson 30 covers classical guitar techniques — plucked chords, arpeggios, rest stroke, and free stroke — techniques from the classical tradition that are useful and beautiful in any style of playing.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about guitar hammer-on, pull-off, slides & bends

A hammer-on is played by plucking a string and then firmly pressing (hammering) a higher-fret finger onto the same string while it is still vibrating. The impact of the finger tip itself causes the new note to sound — no second pluck from the right hand is needed. In notation, hammer-ons are marked with an upward curved line (slur) between the two notes, or with the letter H.

A pull-off is the reverse of a hammer-on. Press two notes on the same string simultaneously with different fingers. Pluck the higher note, then pull the fretting finger slightly downward and off the string — the lateral movement causes the lower note to sound on its own. In notation, pull-offs are marked with a downward curved line or the letter P.

A slide (or glissando) means pressing a note, playing it, and then sliding the same finger to a new fret while keeping the string pressed firmly enough to maintain sound throughout the movement. The pitch glides smoothly between the two notes. In contrast, shifting position means moving to a new fret and re-pressing — the two notes are separate, with no glide between them.

To bend a string: press the note with your ring finger (supported by your middle and index fingers behind it for extra leverage). After plucking, push the string sideways across the fretboard (upward on lower strings, downward on higher strings) — the increased tension raises the pitch. A full bend raises the pitch by one whole tone (two frets). Listen carefully and aim for a specific target pitch.

Yes — hammer-ons and pull-offs appear in virtually every guitar style. In classical guitar they are called ligados (ascending and descending). In rock and blues they create smooth legato runs. In folk guitar they connect melody notes in fingerpicking arrangements. Mastering them opens up expressiveness in any style you play.