lesson summary
Lesson 4 of 7 in our Series: Essential Techniques 2
Metal lesson 4 brings you some info on hammer-ons, pull-offs, trills, bending, and the infamous pinch harmonics.
Chapter 1: (00:41) Intro and Overview
This lesson is the second installment of a single lesson dedicated to essential techniques in the metal genre. In this installment you will learn additional legato techniques including hammer-ons, pull-offs, string bends, and pinch harmonics. Dennis provides all of the necessary information and exercises to help you master these essential techniques.
Chapter 2: (11:09) Hammer-ons and Pull-offs
Hammer-ons and pull-offs are essential to both rhythm and lead guitar playing. As a result, they must be mastered within both contexts. They are frequently applied to single note lines as well as chordal textures.
Minor Pentatonic Scale (Key of Gm)
If you have already explored many of the other Phase 2 lessons on JamPlay, you are probably already familiar with the minor pentatonic scale. If you have not learned this essential scale yet, Dennis takes a brief moment to review the first and most frequently used pattern of this scale. Frequently, the five patterns of the pentatonic scale are referred to as "boxes." You may hear Dennis or other instructors use this term. Dennis demonstrates the first and most common pattern of the minor pentatonic scale in the key of G minor. This is a very common key for blues and rock and roll.
First, Dennis plays through this pattern in third position. This same pattern can also be played an octave higher at the fifteenth fret. When playing this pattern high up on the fretboard, most guitarists prefer to alter the left-hand fingering. Notice how Dennis only uses fingers 1, 2, and 3. This particular fingering is much more comfortable when navigating small frets high on the fretboard.
Hammer-ons
A hammer-on is a type of slur that involves two notes. This guitar technique achieves a smooth, connected, legato sound. It receives its name because of the way it looks visually. A lower note is picked. Then, a left-hand finger literally hammers onto a higher note on the same string. The second note is not picked.
Hammer-on / Pull-off Exercise 1
Instructions
1. The designated left-hand finger literally hammers down onto the string to cause the string to vibrate. You must make the hammering motion quickly and deliberately. Performing this motion too slowly, or without sufficient strength will not cause the second note to vibrate and will result in muting the original picked note.
2. Make sure every note in the exercise is of equal value. Do not cut the first note short!
3. Pull straight down towards the floor when performing a pull-off. Stop the pulling finger on the string below. Playing pull-offs consistently without producing unwanted sympathetic vibration is a skill that will eventually come with practice.
Chapter 3: (05:35) Trills and a Dimebag Inspired Exercise
Trills
A trill is a rapid alternating pattern of hammer-ons and pull-offs between two notes. Practicing trills between every possible combination of left-hand fingers is a great way to develop left hand speed and endurance.
Dimebag Inspired Trill Exercise
Pantera’s Dimebag Darrell frequently practiced the trill exercise presented in this lesson prior to each performance. The first measure involves a short trill between finger 1 and finger 2. The first note in the measure is struck. The remaining notes sound as a result of hammer-ons and pull-offs.
Exercise Guidelines
1. Dennis has written this exercise out to the third fret. However, continue this pattern until your first finger is playing at the twelfth fret.
2. Make sure that every single note is equal in volume and length.
3. Speed is not important. Focus on producing a clear tone and keeping the quarter note pulse perfectly even.
4. Always play this exercise with a metronome.
5. This exercise covers many of the finger combinations available when trilling. However, it does not cover all of them. Repeat this exercise using the remaining combinations of left-hand fingers. For example, practice the first eight bars of the exercise with fingers 3 and 4 then with fingers 2 and 3.
6. If your fingers feel tired and cramped, take a break. Come back to this exercise later when your hand muscles are rested.
Chapter 4: (17:15) Bending
Thus far, Dennis has discussed two types of techniques that produce a legato sound. These are slides, and slurs (hammer-ons and pull-offs). In this scene, Dennis introduces bending as a third way to achieve a legato sound.
Note: Some of the following information is taken from lesson 7 of Matt Brown’s Phase 2 Rock series. Please refer to this lesson for more string bending information and exercises.
String bending is an essential technique in the blues, country, rock, and metal genres. Bending occurs frequently within riffs, melodies, and solos. The way in which bends are performed is a key component of a player's signature sound.
Bending Direction
The direction in which the string should be bent (towards the floor or towards the ceiling) is dependent upon which string you are playing. Generally, the bass strings should be pulled downward, and the treble strings should be pushed upward. Otherwise, you run the risk of running out of room on the neck. There are some exceptions to this rule however. Due to the fingering of certain musical lines, there are some instances when it is easiest to pull the G string downwards. You might also find the need to push the D string upwards.
Regardless of whether you bend up towards the ceiling or down towards the floor, this is the one time when you're allowed to bring the thumb up and over the fretboard. The strong thumb is needed for leverage and control when bending.
Set-Up Tips for Comfortable Bending
The way in which your guitar is set up will have a profound impact on string bending. A guitar's set-up most typically refers to the gauge of strings used, the tuning (standard tuning, down a half step, etc.), and the action (height of strings above the frets).
Most rock players prefer to play with lighter strings (usually 9 or 10 gauge) because they are easier to bend. The tone of smaller gauge strings is also more appropriate for this style. When it comes to blues and country however, most professionals prefer a heavier gauge set (usually 11's or higher). Heavier strings are more effective for producing a biting "twangy" sound.
The disadvantage to playing with heavy gauge strings is that they are much more difficult to bend. I recommend starting with a lower gauge string and gradually working your way up to a larger set. Also, it should be taken into consideration that some people simply have smaller, weaker hands than others. If bending the strings causes any discomfort or unnecessary fatigue, it’s definitely a good idea to switch to a smaller set. Many players in the 80's injured their hands as a result of bending large strings. Stevie Ray Vaughn popularized using very large strings (13 gauge) to create his signature tone. What people didn't realize was that Stevie had absolutely massive hands and tuned his guitar down a half step.
Note: If you decide to change to a new string gauge, a new set-up must be performed. Some intonation, action, and minor truss rod adjustment may be necessary. Have this work done by a reliable professional.
Proper Technique for Bending
As a rule, it is always important to play with good classical technique. Solid left-hand technique is contingent upon several factors. First, the thumb must be perpendicular to the neck, resting approximately halfway up it. The rest of the left-hand fingers must be perpendicular to the fingerboard. They must be arched and bent at each individual finger joint.
Left-hand technique for bending is the only exception to this rule. In the context of the bend, it is highly beneficial to allow the thumb to come up over the neck. This enables you to have better leverage on the string. Using classical technique, you are relying solely on the strength of your fretting fingers to perform the bend. By bringing the thumb over the neck, you are combining its strength with your fretting fingers.
Types of Bends
There are a few different ways to perform a string bend. They are described below.
Pre-bend: The string is bent up to pitch, then the note is plucked.
Bend and Release: The string is plucked and bent simultaneously. Once the specified pitch is reached, the fretting hand returns the string to its normal position.
Gradual Bend: The string is plucked then gradually bent to pitch over the course of a specified note duration.
Bend on the Beat: The string is plucked and bent simultaneously.
Chapter 5: (10:05) Pinch Harmonics
Pinch harmonics create the crazy squealing sound heard in many metal riffs and solos. Pinch harmonics are occasionally referred to as pick harmonics, since they are generated by the technique of the picking hand. Some metal classics that make frequent use of pinch harmonics are Pantera's "Cemetary Gates" and Metallica's "Sad But True." Kirk Hammet produces some mean pinch harmonic sounds in the brief, second solo of this song. Also, if you listen to Zach Wylde play for about thirty seconds, you are bound to hear some great pinch harmonics.
Background on Harmonics
There are several different types of harmonics. To learn every type of harmonic possible on the guitar, visit David Anthony's Tips and Tricks series of lessons. Natural harmonics are achieved by lightly resting a left hand finger over a "node point" that divides the length of the string into specific integers. For example, the12th fret harmonic divides the string perfectly in half. The harmonic located at the seventh fret divides string in thirds. The primary node points are located at the fifth, seventh, twelfth, seventeenth, nineteenth and twenty-fourth frets. Natural harmonics can also be produced at other fret locations, but these harmonics are not quite so loud and easy to produce. Typically, you must play with distortion to get these harmonics to sustain nicely. "Sex Type Thing" by Stone Temple Pilots uses these harmonics in the verse section.
Artificial Harmonics
Artificial or harp harmonics are used frequently in classical guitar music. The third finger on the right hand plucks the string while the first finger on the right hand rests on one of the string's node points. Watch Dennis closely as he demonstrates a few artificial harmonics. These harmonics are slightly easier to produce on classical or acoustic guitars strung with phosphor-bronze. Once again, check out the Tips and Tricks series for more information regarding artificial harmonics.
Pinch Harmonics (Pick Harmonics)
A. Guitar / Amp Tips
1. Playing with tons of gain will help your pinch harmonics sing out clearly. However, if you can get them to sing nicely with a clean tone, they will sound great with distortion too.
2. Some pickups are better at producing harmonics than others. Humbuckers generate better harmonics than single coils. Active humbuckers seem to produce harmonics with the greatest ease. Regardless of which pickups are loaded in your guitar, pull the pickups as close to the strings as possible. Remember that the neck pickup is always louder than the bridge pickup, so you'll need to set it a little bit lower.
B. Proper Technique
Take any fretted note to start with. Dennis chooses the note C at the fifth fret of the G string. Watch his picking hand carefully as he plucks several C notes normally. Then watch as he alters his technique to play pinch harmonics at the same fret location. To play a pinch harmonic, the string must slice into a string at a sharper angle. Flexing the thumb inwards at the knuckle joint produces this angle. Typically, this is a bad habit that weakens the tone. Dennis discussed this idea in a previous lesson. However, this technique is absolutely necessary when playing pinch harmonics. After the pick passes through the string, the thumb rubs the edge of the string as the hand is following through. The contact that the thumb makes with the string produces the pinch harmonic. The string literally gets pinched between the pick and flesh of the thumb.
Pitch Alteration
Changing the location of the pick along the string changes the pitch of the harmonic. This is because you are changing the length of the string by picking at various node points. This is something that you should spend a lot of time experimenting with. You must be able to recognize which pitch is being produced by the harmonic? Does it work well in conjunction with the fundamental, plucked pitch? Any pinch harmonic produced will sound good, but some sound better than others. Listen to how the great players use pinch harmonics. Then, try your best to imitate them. Zakk Wylde and ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons are masters of controlling pinch harmonics. Billy has been known to play with the ridged edge of a quarter to achieve a grinding pinch harmonic sound.
String Size
Pinch harmonics are much easier to produce on the lower strings. You really have to experiment and play with your amp settings and hand position/pick angle to get them to sing out on the B and E strings.
Chapter 6: (00:33) Outro and Next Lesson Preview
Dennis has covered enough information in the last two lessons to keep you practicing for a month. Review both of these lessons often if necessary. Incorporate these exercises into your daily warm-up routine. In the following lesson, he continues with more technical exercises. The next lesson is dedicated entirely to left-hand development. You will learn new exercises designed to build left-hand speed, accuracy, endurance, and flexibility. These exercises will also help you synchronize your left hand with your right hand. Technical exercises will be supplemented with enjoyable metal riffs composed by Mr. Hodges himself.
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