The term “playing legato” on guitar refers to playing long, continuous runs using a combination of hammer-ons and pull-offs to create a smooth stream of connected notes. For most guitarists I’ve met, the hammer-ons come naturally and easily. A good hammer-on is played by picking the first note and then attacking the following notes by hitting the string with your fingertips with some velocity and then holding the string down to sustain each of the notes for as long as you want.
Pull-offs are a little harder to perfect. They’re created by plucking a note fingered lower with a finger that’s placed higher on the string. The essence of a good pull-off is to get a strong, snappy attack as each finger is pulled off of the string.
So here’s the trick: Instead of just pulling your fingers straight down off the string as you do your pull-offs, pull them toward your body and the back of the neck of the guitar. You’ll double the snap of your attack on the notes you play.
[photo: xJasonRogersx]