Beginner Guitar Lesson 23 - Plucking & Hammer Technique

So, how did it go? Did you get your fingers around last lesson‘s exercise? If you did, then we can move onto making beautiful sounding chords with notes that cascade by creating fluid and interesting texture and rhythm. We're also going to use a basic finger picking pattern for our right hand, although I also recommend you practice the same exercise with a plectrum.

The pattern you will use for picking is thumb 1st (finger) 2nd 1st for all chords, so this pattern is the same throughout. Please view the camtasia file that corresponds with this lesson (follow the link goes here).

So, now we're going to voice an E chord and hammer the notes on like in the last lesson, but this time before we hammer on, we're going to pluck the open string.

1: So for the first note you'll pluck an open A with your thumb, and then hammer your 2nd finger onto the 2nd fret of that string, effectively playing A - B.

2: Next repeat the process for the D string, pluck open D with your 1st finger, then hammer on to the 3rd fret with your 3rd finger.

3: Next pluck the open G string and with your 2nd finger, hammer your 1st finger onto the 1st fret. Then finally, repeat step 2.

Here is the notation and TAB for that exercise.

 

Now lets do the same process for an A chord. Simply pluck the open string first, then hammer the designated finger onto the designated fret. Repeat this for each consecutive string.

 

Also try it for D7

 

Finally, do it for B7.

It sounds cool, right? Well before we actually put this into practical use in a Blues progression, I want you to practice it hard until you get each of the 4 chords sounding smooth and clean. Again use the usual routine... start at 80 bpm and spend about 2 minutes on each chord. Then increase your tempo by 5bpm until you reach 120bpm.

 If you are really hardcord, try the same exercise with down-up-down-up, alternating picking patterns with a plectrum.