Pull-Off

Listen to audio example of this technique - 26kbPULL-OFF: Play the 1st or higher note then pull your finger down sounding the lower note from that action. Think of a pull-off as the opposite of a hammer on.

A common mistake when people are learning the pull-off technique is just to lift the finger rather than pull down. This technique usually follows a hammer-on.

Pull-Off Exercises

If you learnt the previous hammer-on exercises then these are the same only in reverse. Remember, your timing has to be constant & even. Pull-off's are shown on text tab as a "p" but on print tab it will usually be a curved line joining the two notes with a "p.o." above or below it.

2 Finger Combinations


3 Finger Combinations

4 Finger Combination

4th, 3rd, 2nd & 1st fingers

|------------------------------------4p3p2p1-
|-----------------------------4p3p2p1--------
|----------------------4p3p2p1---------------
|---------------4p3p2p1----------------------
|--------4p3p2p1-----------------------------
|-4p3p2p1------------------------------------


-4p3p2p1------------------------------------|
--------4p3p2p1-----------------------------|
---------------4p3p2p1----------------------|
----------------------4p3p2p1---------------|
-----------------------------4p3p2p1--------|
------------------------------------4p3p2p1-|

Open Pull-Offs


|----------------1p0--------------------|
|-------------1p0---1p0-----------------|
|----------1p0---------1p0--------------|
|-------1p0---------------1p0-----------|
|----1p0---------------------1p0--------|
|-1p0---------------------------1p0-----|

Then use your...

  • 2nd to open
  • 3rd to open
  • 4th to open

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