How do you do your pull-offs? (Nuni? TO? Others?)

[JammerMatt]

Been working on this technique awhile, and sorta not getting where I want to be. My pull-offs lack definition and articulation. First, I was just raising my finger off the string, but when you do that, there isn't enough vibrational energy to have any definition.

Now, I've lowered my arch a little and am trying to grab the string more with the meaty part of the finger and sort of pull/pluck as I do the pull-off. Also, I've slowed Waaaaay down. It seems to help some, but it's taking a way long time to get any kind of speed.

My practice technique is to start on the high E-string (nearest the floor for righty's). I do a triplet pull off with either 4-3-1 fingers, or 4-2-1. Then I transfer to the next string (B) and do the same thing. I try to do a minor scale while I'm doing it, so it might be 4-3-1 on the E string, then a 4-2-1 on the B, or 4-3-1, 4-3-1, 4-2-1, 4-2-1, etc.

Does this sound okay? How did you develop your legato fleet-fingered style? And how do your pull-offs FEEL?

-Matt

 

[iDunnoMang]

Re: How do you do your pull-offs? (Nuni? TO? Others?)

i dunno man, i had that same problem. my guitar teacher told me i should start plucking it when i pull it off, but like you said, it slows me down.

 

[Simon_F]

Re: How do you do your pull-offs? (Nuni? TO? Others?)

I've been playing pull-offs for years and I'd never really thought about it, so I just had to go and pick up my guitar to see how I do it.

I pull my finger slightly towards the floor as I lift it off the string, so the hard tip of the finger plucks the string as it leaves. Guess that's why they're called pull-offs!

If you just raise your finger off the string it won't make any noise. You have to move the finger sideways.

 

[Guitarist]

Re: How do you do your pull-offs? (Nuni? TO? Others?)

Maybe you're just merely lifting your finger off the string and hoping the string will pluck itself! Give it a little "pull" before you release it to the next note.

When it comes to legato, when you hammer on just make certain that you're hitting the note firmly so it gets heard.

It sounds you've got a pretty good excercise for pull offs, but when it comes to legato, you should try to throw in some more hammer ons and maybe some new positions.

PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE.

BTW - If you haven't heard much Satch, I recommend it. Playing along with his stuff really helps your technique and endurance. Here's a link to "Flying in a Blue Dream", which features some great legato. The legato comes in shortly after the high C on the E string.
http://www.mxtabs.net/tabs.php?path=Guitar,j,653,Joe+Satriani,Flying+In+A+Blue+Dream,128062

 

[Armotron]

Re: How do you do your pull-offs? (Nuni? TO? Others?)

Ya, i never really thought about ive been doing it that way ever since ive been playing, as you pull of u pull the string too, and i can do it VERY fast. Just keep practicing it in songs and itll happen before u know it.

 

[SoCalSteve]

Re: How do you do your pull-offs? (Nuni? TO? Others?)

I've been playing pull-offs for years and I'd never really thought about it, so I just had to go and pick up my guitar to see how I do it.

I pull my finger slightly towards the floor as I lift it off the string, so the hard tip of the finger plucks the string as it leaves. Guess that's why they're called pull-offs!

If you just raise your finger off the string it won't make any noise. You have to move the finger sideways.

Exactly! Pull your finger DOWN and off the string to pluck it.

 

[aleclee]

Re: How do you do your pull-offs? (Nuni? TO? Others?)

Another plucker. I suspect you're plucking too hard if it's slowing you down.

 

[HolyDirt]

Re: How do you do your pull-offs? (Nuni? TO? Others?)

Another plucker. I suspect you're plucking too hard if it's slowing you down.

Agreed, It doesnt take much pluck, now i need advice also, is anyone else able to pull of really fast on the higher strings, but when you do it on the lower strings it sounds sloppy and junky? thats my case, i'm talking mainly about triplet pulling off.

 

[Armotron]

Re: How do you do your pull-offs? (Nuni? TO? Others?)

Agreed, It doesnt take much pluck, now i need advice also, is anyone else able to pull of really fast on the higher strings, but when you do it on the lower strings it sounds sloppy and junky? thats my case, i'm talking mainly about triplet pulling off.

I donno, that never really happens to me, make sure ur not pushing on the string or pulling off too hard, you only need a tiny bit of push on the string and u only need to pluck/pull a little bit.

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: How do you do your pull-offs? (Nuni? TO? Others?)

Well, I just did some straight, one-string pull-offs, and some legato scales -- no right hand at all, just my left.
And for me, I don't hammer on and pull off in a linear motion -- the travel arc of my fingers is more like an enlongated circle. After I hammer on, I pull away and slightly down -- when that same finger comes back around, my angle for the next hammer on is coming down on the string from a slight angle above it.
Kinda hard to explain in print, but when I was doing 3-4 finger legato lines, it looks a little like little pistons or a spider crawling along -- the motion from each finger is definitely more circular than a linear, perpendicular attack.

As for the amount of "pluck", I think that your string gauge, as well as the flatness of your fingerboard come into play. For my Jem (9's), I use a lot less effort in plucking than I do on my other guitars (which have 10's).

Dunno if you find that helpful at all, Matt ...

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: How do you do your pull-offs? (Nuni? TO? Others?)

Hmm back when I was trying to get my legato lines to flow....slow practise 1234-4321 up and down the neck, I went for a steady but slow on purpose rhythm.
Now I can make them run forever....annoying in the long run

 

[JammerMatt]

Re: How do you do your pull-offs? (Nuni? TO? Others?)

Thanks for the tips.

Where I get in trouble is travelling from one string to the next. I can linger on one string no problem. It's just that my hand has to set up on the next string, and it gets sloppy when I go from a 4-3-1 pattern to a 4-2-1 pattern and have to slide down one fret.

When switching strings, do you drop all your fingers down on the string at once, and then begin pulling off? Or do they come down one at a time as they get off the previous string?

 

[Guitarist]

Re: How do you do your pull-offs? (Nuni? TO? Others?)

I think that they have to come down one at a time, that way you don't lose your previous notes. Makes it fluid like. A lot easier said than done, but hey!

Just make sure that by the time you switch strings and fret that first note, the last note played should no longer be held - otherwise you're gonna get those two notes blending and that's never pretty when it comes to legato!

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: How do you do your pull-offs? (Nuni? TO? Others?)

for pull offs i kinda bend, and pull up a bit when i release

you can't just let go of the strings, you kinda gotta pluck em

 

[SKYWALKER]

Re: How do you do your pull-offs? (Nuni? TO? Others?)

BTW - If you haven't heard much Satch, I recommend it. Playing along with his stuff really helps your technique and endurance. Here's a link to "Flying in a Blue Dream", which features some great legato. The legato comes in shortly after the high C on the E string.
http://www.mxtabs.net/tabs.php?path=Guitar,j,653,Joe+Satriani,Flying+In+A+Blue+Dream,128062

Like guitarist say this song wold be very good to pratice ! And this is a very good song in another way

 

[Fiber-Optics]

Re: How do you do your pull-offs? (Nuni? TO? Others?)

I kind of do the same motion for a pull off that I do when I do a tap. I don't really pluck it I just pull my finger at sort of an angle, almost a very small downward motion.