Pizzazz My Sunshine Part 2

Next up are pull-offs. Pull-offs are the opposite of hammer-ons, and another great way to create variations for our arrangements. If you’ve never done a pull-off here’s how: when performing a pull-off you’re going from a high note to a low note. You have to have both of the notes fretted at the same time, because there’s no way to put your finger on the lower note fast enough to make the transition smooth. So, fret the high note you want to start with, and the lower note that you’re pulling off to. For instance fret the first fret, and the second fret. Then you’re going to pick the second fret note, and then pull-off that note to the first fret note. The first fret note is sounded by the pull-off from the higher note. The pull-off is almost like plucking with the finger fretting the higher note. Some people find it comfortable to pull-off with a downward pluck, and some like to push up with the pull-off, either way is fine. I would experiment with both and see which way seems most comfortable for you. Here’s an example:

Just like the hammer-on, you want the second note to sound as loud as the picked note. Always strive for clear and even tone. If it’s not, you can do some exercises that will help you develop the strength, volume, and clarity. We can do that by taking the above examples, and playing them across the strings. I would recommend adding these to the previous exercise and performing them daily until you develop the desired strength, volume, and clarity. These make great warm ups, so you could use them at the beginning of your practice sessions. Here are the exercises:

Now we’re going to apply it to our good ol’ friend (or at least it should be at this point), “You Are My Sunshine.” As with the hammer-ons the melody gets displaced somewhat, which makes for some interesting variation. Here it is:

Now we have our second variation using pull-offs. I would encourage you to experiment with both the hammer-ons and the pull-offs, and start applying these ideas to other tunes.

If you enjoyed this stay tuned for the next session where we’ll explore the last of the slurs–the slide– in Pizzazz My Sunshine Part 3.

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Happy Picking!