Blues Lead Guitar Techniques
This lesson will introduce several popular Blues lead guitar techniques which can be applied to any open position Blues lick.
The Hammer-On
The Hammer-on is the first of several techniques you will learn as you work in this lesson. The hammer-on is a left hand technique which may be incorporated into a lick or solo. The hammer-on produces a note artificially by hammering a finger of the left hand onto a string. The impact of the string against the fretboard will cause the string to sound the note of the hammered fret. This technique is demonstrated next.
In order to play example 43, first play the open third. As the note is sounding, hammer the second finger of the left hand onto the second fret of the same string. If played correctly the note of the second fret will be produced. The hammer-on is indicated by a curved line and the symbol "H".
Begin by playing the open third string.
Hammer second finger onto the second fret of the 3rd string.
Using the hammer-on will help create a much smoother flowing lick. This is shown in the following examples. Examples 44 and 45 are the same lick except a hammer-on is used in example 45.
The Pull-Off
The pull-off is another popular left hand technique which can be applied to a lead guitar lick or lead guitar solo. The pull-off produces a note artificially with the left hand. This time a left hand finger is pulled away from the the string after fretting the note. If played correctly, the action of the finger leaving the string will cause the string to sound. This technique is demonstrated in Example 46. In order to play Example 46, play the second fret of the 3rd string with the second finger of the left hand. Pull the second finger away from the string, with a slight plucking motion. If played correctly the note of the open string will be produced. The pull-off is indicated by a curved line and the symbol "P".
Begin by playing the note on the second fret of the 3rd string.
Pull away finger to produce note of the open string.
The pull-off can be used in a lick where a lower note follows a higher note on the same string. Using the pull-off will also help create a much smoother flowing lick. This is shown in the following examples. Examples 47 and 48 are the same lick except a pull-off is used in example 48.
The Slide
The slide is another popular left hand technique which can be applied to a lead guitar lick or lead guitar solo. This technique involves sliding between two notes on the same string while still fretting the string firmly against the fretboard. If played correctly the sound of the second note is produced artificially. The second note is not played with the right hand. This lesson outlines the different types of slides which can be used.
The letter "S" and a straight line indicates a slide. If the line comes from below the number, slide from a lower fret. If the line comes from above the number, slide form a higher fret. The number in the brackets is the suggested fret from which to slide from. In this situation the first of the two notes should contain no time value. In the following example a third type of slide is given. A straight line between two tab numbers indicates the first note should be held for a time value before sliding. Listen to the recording to hear the effect of this technique. The accompanying photos illustrate the first and most common type of slides, sliding from a lower fret to a higher fret.
Begin by playing the note on the second fret of the 3rd string.
Slide to fourth fret, still pressing firmly against fretboard.
The slide can be used anywhere within lead guitar pattern one between two notes on the same string. Examples 50 and 51 are the same lick except slides are used in example 51.
The Trill
The next technique to learn is the "Trill", indicated in the tab by the symbol Tr. Trills can add drama to your playing as well as being an important way of sustaining a note. A Trill is a rapid succession of hammer-ons and pull-offs with only the first note being picked. Listen to the recording to hear the correct effect of this technique.
First try example 53, a simple lick in the key of E.
Now try example 54, the same lick as example 53 but the Trill is added.
Turnaround Lick No.1 in E
A turnaround lick is a familiar Blues lick played at the end of a Blues progression.
The next example utilizes all the techniques discussed in this lesson including the previous turnaround lick.
