The Hammer-On (H)
A "hammer-on" refers to the technique of sounding a note without actually playing the string (with the pick or the right hand). The sound is produced by striking the string with one of the left hand fingers. In the following example, only the D note is picked, and the third finger "hammers-on" firmly to produce the sound of the E note.
Before
After
In tablature notation the hammer-on is indicated by a curved line and the letter "H" above it. Remember that the second note (E), is not played by the right hand; the sound is produced entirely by the third finger "hammering-on" to the string. You must be very careful with the timing of the hammer-on. Both the D and E notes are eighth notes and each should have an equal time value when played (regardless of the hammer-on technique).
A "riff" is a pattern of notes repeated throughout a chord progression. The following riff incorporates the hammer-on with sixteenth notes. Only every second note is played; the remaining notes result from the hammer-on. Use the 1st and 3rd fingers of your left hand to play the riffs on this page and the next.
In the next four examples, the first note of each pair that contains a hammer-on is played with a downstroke when using a pick. If you are using right hand fingers, alternate as usual.
To create a different feel with the hammer-on, it can be played faster. Compare the following:
Slow Hammer-On
Quick Hammer-On (with Grace Note)
The quick hammer-on uses what is called a grace note. In tab notation the grace note is placed in brackets before the hammered-on note. In traditional music notation, the grace note is a smaller size with a line through the stem. The grace note is played just before the beat of the hammered-on note.
In the following example, the E note is played immediately after the D note.
The following progression is a 12 Bar Blues in the key of A and uses the hammer-on combined with open strings throughout.
The following example also uses the hammer-on. Practice the timing of the notes at the last beat of Bar 1 before playing the whole bar. Use alternate picking as usual.
Know Your Basses…
Active Pickups
Active pickups use an external power source (usually a nine volt battery) to run in-built preamps, EQs and other circuitry. This gives active pickups a much higher output and a more defined tone in comparison to most passive pickups. Due to their particular tone and high cost, active pickups are most commonly found in high-end bass guitars such as Alembic, Fodera and Music Man.
