The trill

A trill is two alternating notes, such as an A and A#. Only the first note is struck; the rest are rapidly hammered-on and pulled off

The pull-off

The pull-off is the opposite of the hammer-on. Again, using the E string, hold it at the third fret. Strike the string and while the note is still ringing, release the fretting finger. If done properly, the G should be followed by an open E. If the note doesn't ring out properly, try hitting the G harder and releasing faster.


Like the hammer-on, the second note tends to be less loud than the first. To help alleviate this, a slight sideways motion of the fretting finger while pulling off will add extra vibration to the string, and give you some extra volume. Often it is hard for a beginner to accomplish, and the sideways movement helps greatly.


A pull-off looks like this:


D---7p5--5p4--4p2--2p0--

Pull-offs, and Trills

Hammer-ons can be done anywhere on the fretboard, but for the beginner it is easiest using an open string. To quickly learn, strike an open E on the first string. While the note is still ringing, quickly and firmly press a finger on the third fret. If done properly, a G note should be sounding.


Quickly pressing your finger down and raising the note without hitting the string again is called "hammering on". Without electric amplification, the hammer-on tends to be quieter than regularly struck notes, especially if you haven't practiced it! Because the strings are closer to the fretboard, hammer-ons are easier to execute on an electric guitar. However, this doesn't make them less common on an acoustic guitar, where they are used frequently to embellish open chords


The hammer-on can just as easily be played with fretted notes: just play the note normally and hammer onto another (higher-numbered) fret on the same string. If you practice hammer-ons, eventually you will be able to move each finger smoothly and independently.


The hammer-on can just as easily be played with fretted notes: just play the note normally and hammer onto another (higher-numbered) fret on the same string. If you practice hammer-ons, eventually you will be able to move each finger smoothly and independently.

guitar- slides

The slide is one of the simplest guitar techniques. There are two kinds of slides: shift slides and legato slides. In a shift slide, a note is fretted, then the fretting finger slides up or down to a different fret, and the string is struck again. A legato slide differs in that the string is struck only for the first note.

Sweep picking

Sweep picking is a more specialized technique, occurring most often in metal. It involves playing a fast arpeggio with a special technique: when switching from one string to the next, mute the note currently ringing by lifting the fretting finger. A sweep can become a rake if notes are muted incorrectly. Rakes can sound nice, but they are not sweeps. Remember only 1 note can ring out at a time or it won't sound good. It takes practice and it helps to start slow and build up speed.

arpeggio

The word arpeggio (ar-peh-jee-oh) is Italian for, roughly, "like a harp", as it is a common technique for playing chords on the harp. To play an arpeggiated chord on the guitar, simply strum or pick the chord slowly, one string at a time, such that the ringing of each string is distinct. Arpeggios occur in all kinds of music, from classical to metal.

Guitar/Chord Types

A chord is three or more different notes played simultaneously. Chords derive their name from the root note. The interval relationship between the root note and the other notes determine whether it is a major, minor, augmented or diminished


chord. Chords may be strummed in entirety or the notes picked individually. Beginners find strumming much easier. The more advanced technique of picking is examined in the Picking and Plucking chapter. Power chords are intervals

because they consist of only two notes but they are usually treated as chords when described.


While chords are primarily used for rhythm guitar, basic chord knowledge is important for lead playing as well. The lead parts of many songs often require the use of chords, and in certain styles of playing, chords can make up the lead part


entirely. Additionally, many lead patterns revolve around arpeggios, which are chords with their notes played in sequence, rather than together. For more information on arpeggios, see the Arpeggio and Sweep Picking.


Chords are easy to play, but to understand why they sound how they do and why certain chords work better together than others, it is important to understand scales. While it is not necessary to have prior knowledge of scales to find this section useful, prior understanding of scales will definitely improve one's understanding of chords. It is recommended that before reading this section, one should familiarise themselves with general music theory first.


There are two main ways of playing chords, using open chords, which are the fundamental and often easiest chords for the guitar. Learning these chords is important, because it sets the stage for learning all other chords. Barre Chords are chords you make while pressing all (or most) of the strings down with your first finger. Barre chords are special, because they can be moved up and down the neck of the guitar, and the shape of the chord remains the same, although all the notes change. Barring is an important technique and greatly opens up the depth of the instrument.