Accenting Your Play - Online Guitar Lesson Video

lesson summary

Lesson 4 of 11 in our Bluegrass Series: Accenting Your Play

Hammer-ons and pull-offs are essential techniques to any genre. Steve provides examples of how these techniques are used in bluegrass playing. He also demonstrates some exercises designed to enhance finger dexterity.

Chapter 1: (1:19) Accenting Your Play The first three lessons of this series focused primarily on the rhythmic role of the guitar in a bluegrass band. Steve demonstrated integral rhythmic concepts such as the bass/chop, alternating bass line, and walking bass line. Now, the focus of the lesson series will switch to the melodic aspect of bluegrass guitar. This includes playing the melodies to tunes as well as taking a solo break.

Steve plays his interpretation of the melody to “She’ll Be Comin’ ‘Round the Mountain” at the beginning of this scene. What did you notice about how he plays the melody? To spice up the standard written melody, Steve embellishes it with various musical techniques. One such technique is the addition of hammer-ons and pull-offs (also referred to as “slurring”). Adding these techniques creates smoother, more legato phrasing of the melody. Hammer-ons and pull-offs enable a guitarist to play melodic lines much faster since each individual note is not picked with the right hand. In this lesson, Steve demonstrates some great hammer-on and pull-off exercises.

Chapter 2: (6:49) Hammer-Ons and Bluegrass Before you dive into Steve’s exercises, take a look at these tried and true hammer-on rules:

1. Pay VERY close attention to the rhythm in which a hammer on is to be played. Many inexperienced guitarists cut the first note (the picked note) way too short. Consequently, the hammer on note is held for too long. For starters, practice all hammer-ons and pull-offs in an even eighth note rhythm.

2. Performing a hammer-on requires a forceful movement with a left-hand finger. The tone of a hammer-on is much clearer and louder when the hammering finger comes down fast and forcefully. If you bring your finger down to slow, the hammer-on will be weak or inaudible.

3. All rules regarding proper left-hand finger placement in relation to the frets become even more crucial when playing hammer-ons. Hammer the finger down right behind the fret. Hammering on top of a fret or too far from it will result in a poor tone.

4. Use the hard calluses on the tips of the fingers when making contact with the strings. This will help generate a louder tone.

A. Hammer-On Exercise No. 1

This exercise combines an open, picked note with a hammer-on. Watch carefully as Steve demonstrates a hammer-on on the low E string. Pay attention to the tone he creates as well as his left-hand technique. Practice hammering from the low E to the first fret. Ignore proper rhythm for now. Focus all of your attention on creating a clear tone.

Once you can consistently perform a hammer-on with this string, feel free to move on to Steve’s exercise. Start by setting your metronome to a relatively slow tempo. Make sure that the picked note and the subsequent hammer-on are exactly equal in length! Ascend the strings by playing an open string followed by a hammer-on to the first fret. It is much easier to perform a hammer-on on the fatter strings. Once you reach the high e-string, play the same pattern while descending down the strings.

Now, repeat this exercise using the second finger. Instead of hammering on at the first fret, hammer-on your second finger at the second fret.

B. Additional Hammer-On Practice

To ensure that you are creating the loudest possible tone with your hammer-ons, practice them without picking the open string first. Transcribers refer to this technique as a “hammer-on from nowhere.” Repeat the exercise demonstrated in letter A with this method. Notice how forcefully Steve brings each finger down in order to produce a loud, clear tone.

Note: Performing hammer-ons on an electric guitar with low action is much easier than playing them on an acoustic with high action. As a result, acoustic students may need to spend more time practicing the exercises in this lesson.

our genre lessons

Phase 2, Genre-Based Guitar Lessons

Phase 2: Genre Teaching Phase 2 of our teaching method focuses on genre specific techniques and skills. After you have mastered all of the lessons and topics covered in Phase 1, you then move onto your preferred genre of music. Our phase 2 lessons are taught with the overall idea that you are already equipped with a basic understanding of the guitar, how to play notes, read tablature, and position your finger correctly.

Bluegrass Guitar with Steve Eulberg

Singer-Songwriter Steve Eulberg teaches you Bluegrass, one of the most recognizable styles of guitar. Some refer to bluegrass as a celebration of the simple things in life. Dive into this series to learn the essential components of the bluegrass guitar style.

10 Lessons | 276+ minutes of video.

Fingerstyle Guitar with Jim Deeming

Influenced by the likes of Tommy Emmanuel and Doyle Dykes, Mr. Jim Deeming teaches you Fingerstyle guitar. Fingerstyle is a technique that uses the fingers of the right hand to individually pluck the strings, rather than a flatpick to strum the strings.

11 Lessons | 291+ minutes of video.

Classic Rock Guitar with Brad Henecke

Brad Henecke takes you through a series of skills and techniques common in the Classic Rock style of music. Learn important subject areas such as technique, scales/modes, chords, and the basic tools that will enable you to write your own songs.

44 Lessons | 788+ minutes of video.

Metal Guitar with Dennis Hodges

Metal guitar extraordinaire Dennis Hodges delivers JamPlay's heavy guitar goods. Dennis begins with the basics and works his way toward all the essential components of the heavy guitar vocabulary.

5 Lessons | 201+ minutes of video.

Rock Guitar with Matt Brown

Carrying a degree in Guitar Performance, Matt Brown teaches you everything you need to know to play rhythm or lead guitar to your favorite rock songs. Start with practicing techniques and work your way to improvised solos.

9 Lessons | 191+ minutes of video.

Slack Key Guitar with Mark Nelson

Famed session musician and the first author to offer comprehensive instruction for Slack Key Guitar, Mark Kailana Nelson offers you his 35 years of playing experience in this exclusive JamPlay series. Hawaiian slack key guitar is one of the world's great guitar traditions.

10 Lessons | 189+ minutes of video.

Harmonic Tips with David Anthony

David Anthony, acclaimed song writer and teacher, will teach some of the most useful tips and tricks of the trade in this lesson series. David explains how to add natural, tap, slapped, and harp harmonics to your original compositions.

11 Lessons | 159+ minutes of video.

Speed & Technique with Brad Henecke

Playing the guitar fast just sounds cool. Whether you are playing Lead Guitar, Bluegrass or Rock Rhythm eventually you will want to shoot out some blazing fast licks. This series, taught by Brad Henecke, is all about building speed.

12 Lessons | 62+ minutes of video.

Jazz Guitar with Matt Brown

Matt Brown explains the fundamentals involved in jazz guitar playing. You will learn how to accompany ("comp"), improvise, and play melodies in the jazz style. Matt also provides you with music theory concepts necessary to composing your own jazz solo arrangements..

8 Lessons | 245+ minutes of video.

about Steve Eulberg

Steve Eulberg: Award-Winning Songwriter & Instrumentalist

An Award-winning multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter, Steve Eulberg weaves mountain and hammered dulcimers with a variety of unusual instruments to create thought-provoking, smile-inducing, toe-tapping acoustic experiences.

He has sung and composed for religious communities, union halls, picket lines, inter-faith retreats, mountain-top youth camps, as well as the more familiar venues: clubs, coffeehouses, bookstores, festivals, charity benefits and showcase concerts.

Born and raised in the German-heritage town of Pemberville, Ohio, Steve was exposed to a variety of music in his home. Early piano lessons were followed by trumpet in school band, and he became self-taught on ukelele and guitar and harmonica. Mandolin was added at Capital University where, while majoring in History, he studied Ear Training, Voice and took Arranging lessons from the Conservatory of Music.

While at college, he first heard hammered and mountain dulcimers, building his first mountain dulcimer just before his final year. Seminary training took him the west side of Denver where he built his first hammered dulcimer. With these instruments, he was able to give voice to the Scottish, English and Irish traditions to which he is also heir.

Following marriage in 1985 to Connie Winter-Eulberg he settled in Kansas City, Missouri. There he worked cross-culturally in a church of African-Americans, Latinos and European Americans, with music being a primary organizing tool. He moved with his family in 1997 to be nestled beside the Rocky Mountains in Fort Coillins, Colorado.

Founder of Owl Mountain Music, Inc. he teaches and performs extensively in Colorado and Wyoming with tours across the US and the UK. He delights in introducing the “sweet music” of dulcimers to people in diverse settings and in addition to his own recordings, has included dulcimers in a variety of session work for other musicians.

In 2000 he was commissioned to create a choral composition featuring dulcimers for the Rainbow Chorus in Fort Collins. It was recorded in the same year (BEGINNINGS). He is currently at work on a commissioned symphony that will feature hammered dulcimer and Australian didjeridu.

Eulberg passionately believes that music crosses cultural and language barriers because music builds community. Influenced by a variety of ethnic styles, his music weaves vital lyric with rap, rock, folk, gospel and blues. Audiences of all ages respond well to his presentation and to his warm sense of humor.

Steve is a member of Local 1000 (AFM), The Folk Alliance, BMI and BWAAG (Better World Artists and Activist’s Guild).

Steve is the founder of Owl Mountain Music, Inc, and has produced 9 records. Feel free to check out his personal website at www.steveeulberg.com.

join jamplay!

Money Back Guarantee

You've heard it before, but we honor it. Your membership can be cancelled at anytime, and comes with a 7 day, 100% Money Back Guarantee.

All transactions to JamPlay, LLC are completed with 128-bit, SSL Secure Processing

Join the Thousands of Members Enjoying JamPlay

JamPlay members enjoy the following features and benefits of our services.

Unlimited Lesson Viewing

A JamPlay membership gives you access to every lesson, from every teacher on our staff. Additionally, there is no restriction on how many times you watch a lesson. Watch as many times as you need.

Custom Progress Reports

Our software allows you to document your progress for any lesson, including notes and percent of the lesson completed. This gives you the ability to document what you need to work on, and where you left off.

Video Q&A

Every week at JamPlay, we take member questions, answer them on camera, and publish them to you. Exclusive only to JamPlay, enjoy the benefits of in-person instructors and the conveniences of our community.

Interactive Community

Create your own profile, manage your friends list, and contact users with your own JamPlay Mailbox. JamPlay also features live chat with teachers and members, and an active Forum.

Chord Library

Each chord in our library contains a full chart, related tablature, and a photograph of how the chord is played. A comprehensive learning resource for any guitarist.

Custom Chord Sheets

At JamPlay, not only can you reference our Chord Library, but you can also select any variety of chords you need to work on, and generate your own printable chord sheet.

Backing Tracks

Jam-along backing tracks give the guitarist a platform for improvising and soloing. Our backing tracks provide a wide variety of tracks from different genres of music, and serves as a great learning tool.

Tons of Teachers, All Styles

We have teachers covering beginner lessons, rock, classic rock, jazz, bluegrass, fingerstyle, slack key and more. Learn how to play the guitar from experienced players, in a casual environment.

Beginners Welcome.. and Up

Unlike a lot of guitar websites and DVDs, we start our Beginner Lessons at the VERY start of the learning process, as if you just picked up a guitar for the first time.Our teaching is structured for all players.

Beginners

Genres

Songs

Accenting Your Play | Free Online Guitar Lesson