# Pull offs! I used to..............



## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

Hate them with a passion! I finally got the physical mechanics behind them. After blood, sweat and many tears I have somewhat mastered the suckers. 

When I was doing them beforehand my finger that was doing the pull off would physically hit the adjacent string and make it sound outs and be miles high away from the string. I have managed smaller finger movements when I perform pull offs. I just now lay my finger on the string and pull back just a tiny bit and voila I now have half decent pull offs. My teacher gave me a couple exercises to practice with using just your basic pentatonic scale. He said to take my time and think about what my finger is doing and try to keep the movement minimal. I am so happy to announce that I can finally do this after 4 years of struggling with this. Now it's a matter of practice! 

Hammer ons are so much easier!


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Try learning them with heavy strings!

I did.--hated it--but when I got them down and switched to lighter strings--and it was so easy then.

The guitar I learned pulloffs on (My Les Paul Copy) now has the same gauge again--I switched to it after I modded the guitar & set it up for slide.
I didn't realize this at first, until I was playing it without the slide--the strings seemed gargantuan then-and while they are bigger than what I'd normally play (Although close to my archtop gauge), they don't feel gargantuan.

If you have persistance--learn pull offs on heavy strings...


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

zontar said:


> If you have persistance--learn pull offs on heavy strings...


I play with 9/42's. After last night sitting for an hour doing pull offs in every conceivable pattern my fingers have shredded at the tips. There a little sensitive this morning. I think if I persevere with what I have I will be fine. 

I think that heavier strings would add to my frustration not to mention sorer fingers.


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## JBFairthorne (Oct 11, 2014)

Lately I've been working on hammer ons/pull offs within chording. Adding and removing 7ths, suspended 2nds etc. and as rolling bass lines between chords, chording, muting the chord, then working within a scale before chording the next chord. It really brings the pinky more into play but adds a lot of texture to some, otherwise, uninspired sounding chord progressions. Being a person that hits the strings relatively hard and a percussive type player when playing chords, I'm having a bit of a tough time with the volume differential between the individual notes and the chords though.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

It never ends...

When I was taking lessons a couple of years ago, I was working on a tune/exercise where I was holding down two fingers (index & ring) while doing pull-offs with the other two - it hurt!!! There's always something to work on!


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Lola said:


> I play with 9/42's. After last night sitting for an hour doing pull offs in every conceivable pattern my fingers have shredded at the tips. There a little sensitive this morning. I think if I persevere with what I have I will be fine.
> 
> I think that heavier strings would add to my frustration not to mention sorer fingers.


9-42s is what I was using--so imagine switching to 11-50 from those--and learning pulloffs and hammer ons...


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

zontar said:


> 9-42s is what I was using--so imagine switching to 11-50 from those--and learning pulloffs and hammer ons...


In theory it's a good idea but I am not going to try it! 

I went so far as to try 8's but went right back to 9's! The 8's felt mushy.


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## Clean Channel (Apr 18, 2011)

When doing a pull off, it's not finger that's pulling off that's most important, it's the finger you're pulling off to that matters most. (for example, this is why pulling off to an open string feels easy).

Try pushing upwards with the target finger at the same time as your pull-off finger is plucking the string. This will counteract the bending of the string, and facilitate a stronger pull off with less overall movement.

To build this strength, try using both fingers at once to push the string in opposing directions, making the string zig-zag.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Lola said:


> In theory it's a good idea but I am not going to try it!
> 
> I went so far as to try 8's but went right back to 9's! The 8's felt mushy.


I had to try 8's once as well--and didn't like it either.

But I'm glad I experimented--I know I don't like them.

I also tried a plain 24 as a D string once--that didn't last long--it was a pain to change it & tune it--and it just sounded awful.


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

Clean Channel said:


> When doing a pull off, it's not finger that's pulling off that's most important, it's the finger you're pulling off to that matters most. (for example, this is why pulling off to an open string feels easy).
> 
> Try pushing upwards with the target finger at the same time as your pull-off finger is plucking the string. This will counteract the bending of the string, and facilitate a stronger pull off with less overall movement.
> 
> ...


 t

_I have tried this but it's hard. my god I overthink this!_


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## JBFairthorne (Oct 11, 2014)

Frankly, I can't see why hammer ons or pull offs would be more or less difficult based on the string gauge you're using. Bends, yeah I can see the difference, but it doesn't take much difference in finger strength to depress the string behind a fret, it certainly doesn't take ANY more strength to remove said finger.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

JBFairthorne said:


> Frankly, I can't see why hammer ons or pull offs would be more or less difficult based on the string gauge you're using. Bends, yeah I can see the difference, but it doesn't take much difference in finger strength to depress the string behind a fret, it certainly doesn't take ANY more strength to remove said finger.


Maybe your fingers are different--but trust me on this one--it makes a difference.
Or at least it did when I was in my teens.


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

Clean Channel said:


> When doing a pull off, it's not finger that's pulling off that's most important, it's the finger you're pulling off to that matters most. (for example, this is why pulling off to an open string feels easy).
> 
> Try pushing upwards with the target finger at the same time as your pull-off finger is plucking the string. This will counteract the bending of the string, and facilitate a stronger pull off with less overall movement.
> 
> To build this strength, try using both fingers at once to push the string in opposing directions, making the string zig-zag.


I have to ask you is this the proper physical etiquette for performing pull offs? I think this would be time consuming! I tried this and I had to slow myself down and think about everything that I was doing! I mean I am always thinking ahead when playing as we all do but for this exercise I had to be in the moment and not think ahead. It was weird.


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## Clean Channel (Apr 18, 2011)

Lola said:


> I have to ask you is this the proper physical etiquette for performing pull offs? I think this would be time consuming! I tried this and I had to slow myself down and think about everything that I was doing! I mean I am always thinking ahead when playing as we all do but for this exercise I had to be in the moment and not think ahead. It was weird.


Yes. With a little work, it becomes second nature and will require no thought whatsoever.

For reference, I'm a classical guitarist who once-upon-a-time competed and won at the national level. I have a master's degree in music and I've been teaching for 20 years. I currently teach over fifty students per week and my former students have been accepted into every major classical and jazz performance program in Ontario. (sorry to toot my own horn, but just want to make clear that I'm not just making stuff up when it comes to playing the guitar)

Performing slurs is even more challenging on nylon string guitars, so a complete understanding of proper pull-off and hammer-on technique is essential. 

I know it when I write it out here it sounds way too complicated, but really, I promise it's an easy thing to incorporate. And, it makes perfect sense: as the string is pulled down by one finger, the anchor finger needs stay firmly in place. By counteracting the downward motion of the pull-off finger, this helps keep the string tight and responsive. 

When you really get good at it, you'll find you can just as easily push the string up from beneath the pull-off finger, making a pull off happen while hardly pulling off at all.


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

Thank you so much for your response. This makes complete sense to me. It's just a matter of fine tuning this technique which may take me sometime. I have heard of this method used before but I really didn't pay attention to it that much. It just seemed like too much work. I really have to think about doing this every time I perform a pull off in this manner. I need to practice this until it becomes second nature. Thanks again for your insight into something that I might have passed right on by!


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## Clean Channel (Apr 18, 2011)

Happy to help!

I'd say, just to limit your frustration level overall, only focus on this technique when doing dedicated pull-off practice. Find a short exercise (or better yet, invent one) that focuses on pull-offs, and make sure you also find it musically pleasing. Worry about the technique only then, and don't let it get in the way when you're just playing/having fun or working on other things. If you just focus on it during the exercise, it'll eventually work its way into your everyday playing.

Good luck, and have fun!


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## Guest (Apr 28, 2015)

Clean Channel said:


> Find a short exercise (or better yet, invent one) that focuses on pull-offs, and make sure you also find it musically pleasing


The pull-offs on the second lead of sweet home alabama are challenging.
4:00 min mark.

[video=youtube;HDkaoGpVP_M]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDkaoGpVP_M[/video]


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

Lola said:


> In theory it's a good idea but I am not going to try it!
> 
> I went so far as to try 8's but went right back to 9's! The 8's felt mushy.


You should consider using 0's. That's how I started


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

Clean Channel said:


> When doing a pull off, it's not finger that's pulling off that's most important, it's the finger you're pulling off to that matters most. (for example, this is why pulling off to an open string feels easy).
> 
> Try pushing upwards with the target finger at the same time as your pull-off finger is plucking the string. This will counteract the bending of the string, and facilitate a stronger pull off with less overall movement.
> 
> To build this strength, try using both fingers at once to push the string in opposing directions, making the string zig-zag.


That is well put. That's how you really get some good stink on it.

The only thing I can contribute is that if I could learn guitar again, I would have gone easy on the hammer and pulls. 

I use too much legato-style movement when doing ay sort of run on the fretboard to compensate for my weak alternate picking skills. I'm going to blame in on learning Satriani (trying to). Pull-offs and hammer-ons are great forms of expression (at times), but I rely too heavily on them now. Thanks Satch.


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

I have been trying to learn that damned Home Sweet Home solo for 2 years. It's a PITA!

Tone Dr./Dale is a really nice guy. So polite and so helpful! I love his band! Have you heard them play?


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

OMG this IS getting frustrating. I am constantly trying to practice this technique and I am getting nowhere fast!


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