The Hammer-On

Fret Hand Slur #2

The hammer-on is a useful slur on open strings or closed strings. The hammer-on that you'll be learning today moves from an open string to a closed position.

To play the hammer-on notated below in the tab, play your 4th string without fretting any notes. After playing that note, bring your middle finger down on the 2nd string with enough force to hear a second distinct pitch. This is a hammer-on. You'll be playing a forward roll with this slur and the hammer-on happens at the very beginning of this lick. Watch the lesson below to learn the timing with the roll pattern.

How to Play the Hammer-on

As mentioned before in the lesson on slides, the tab doesn't fully portray what the hammer on should sound like at the beginning of this roll pattern and is an approximation. Watch the lesson above to learn the timing and then practice with the tab.