How to play the guitar, guitar lesson on Hammer-On, Tab Explanation

Hammer-On

Listen to audio example of this technique - 29kb

HAMMER-ON: When you hammer a note on the guitar you play the first note using the pick, then the sound is continued when the next finger is hammered or slammed down on the string over the fretboard. Hammering is more about the speed of the finger going down rather than how quickly the second note is played after the first. Don't get timing confused with the speed of the hammer.

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Hammer on Exercises

When playing hammering exercise you are playing all possible combinations of hammering. If you practice these exercises you will then be able to handle and hammering finger combination that arises in any song. The video example shows some of these exercises.

2 Finger Combinations

1st & 2nd fingers

|----------------1h2--------------------|
|-------------1h2---1h2-----------------|
|----------1h2---------1h2--------------|
|-------1h2---------------1h2-----------|
|----1h2---------------------1h2--------|
|-1h2---------------------------1h2-----|

2nd & 3rd Fingers

|----------------2h3--------------------|
|-------------2h3---2h3-----------------|
|----------2h3---------2h3--------------|
|-------2h3---------------2h3-----------|
|----2h3---------------------2h3--------|
|-2h3---------------------------2h3-----|

3rd & 4th Fingers

|----------------3h4--------------------|
|-------------3h4---3h4-----------------|
|----------3h4---------3h4--------------|
|-------3h4---------------3h4-----------|
|----3h4---------------------3h4--------|
|-3h4---------------------------3h4-----|

1st & 3rd Fingers

|----------------1h3--------------------|
|-------------1h3---1h3-----------------|
|----------1h3---------1h3--------------|
|-------1h3---------------1h3-----------|
|----1h3---------------------1h3--------|
|-1h3---------------------------1h3-----|

2nd & 4th Fingers

|----------------2h4--------------------|
|-------------2h4---2h4-----------------|
|----------2h4---------2h4--------------|
|-------2h4---------------2h4-----------|
|----2h4---------------------2h4--------|
|-2h4---------------------------2h4-----|

1st & 4th Fingers

|----------------1h4--------------------|
|-------------1h4---1h4-----------------|
|----------1h4---------1h4--------------|
|-------1h4---------------1h4-----------|
|----1h4---------------------1h4--------|
|-1h4---------------------------1h4-----|

3 Finger Combinations

1st, 2nd & 3rd fingers

|--------------------------1h2h3------------------------------|
|---------------------1h2h3-----1h2h3-------------------------|
|----------------1h2h3---------------1h2h3--------------------|
|-----------1h2h3-------------------------1h2h3---------------|
|------1h2h3-----------------------------------1h2h3----------|
|-1h2h3---------------------------------------------1h2h3-----|

2nd, 3rd & 4th Fingers

|--------------------------2h3h4------------------------------|
|---------------------2h3h4-----2h3h4-------------------------|
|----------------2h3h4---------------2h3h4--------------------|
|-----------2h3h4-------------------------2h3h4---------------|
|------2h3h4-----------------------------------2h3h4----------|
|-2h3h4---------------------------------------------2h3h4-----|

1st, 2nd & 4th Fingers

|--------------------------1h2h4------------------------------|
|---------------------1h2h4-----1h2h4-------------------------|
|----------------1h2h4---------------1h2h4--------------------|
|-----------1h2h4-------------------------1h2h4---------------|
|------1h2h4-----------------------------------1h2h4----------|
|-1h2h4---------------------------------------------1h2h4-----|

1st, 3rd & 4th Fingers

|--------------------------1h3h4------------------------------|
|---------------------1h3h4-----1h3h4-------------------------|
|----------------1h3h4---------------1h3h4--------------------|
|-----------1h3h4-------------------------1h3h4---------------|
|------1h3h4-----------------------------------1h3h4----------|
|-1h3h4---------------------------------------------1h3h4-----|

4 Finger Combination

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

|------------------------------------1h2h3h4-
|-----------------------------1h2h3h4--------
|----------------------1h2h3h4---------------
|---------------1h2h3h4----------------------
|--------1h2h3h4-----------------------------
|-1h2h3h4------------------------------------

-1h2h3h4------------------------------------|
--------1h2h3h4-----------------------------|
---------------1h2h3h4----------------------|
----------------------1h2h3h4---------------|
-----------------------------1h2h3h4--------|
------------------------------------1h2h3h4-|

Open Hammers

|----------------0h1--------------------|
|-------------0h1---0h1-----------------|
|----------0h1---------0h1--------------|
|-------0h1---------------0h1-----------|
|----0h1---------------------0h1--------|
|-0h1---------------------------0h1-----|

Then use your...

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