Guitar Technique Fundamentals
Theory tells you which notes to play; technique is how you play them. The same three notes can sound clumsy or singing depending on whether you hammer, slide, bend or mute them. These are the core expressive moves every guitarist needs — what each one is, how to execute it, when to reach for it, and how it reads in tab. Every demo below is actually audible: each button plays the real articulation — a true slur, a continuous slide, a rising bend, a wavering vibrato — so you can hear the difference, often A/B against a plain picked version.
The Core Idea: articulation is expression
Every technique here is a way of articulating a note — of shaping its attack, pitch and sustain. Picked notes have a hard, even attack; hammer-ons and slides connect notes smoothly (legato); bends and vibrato bring the pitch itself to life; palm muting reshapes the tone. Master a handful of these and your playing stops sounding like typed-in notes and starts sounding like you.
The Techniques
Hammer-on
5h7- What
- You pick the first note, then sound the second — a higher fret on the same string — by "hammering" a finger down hard enough to make it ring, without picking again.
- How
- Pick the lower note. Keeping it held, snap a fresh finger firmly onto the higher fret, striking with the fingertip near the fret wire. The energy of the finger sets the string vibrating.
- When & why
- Adds fluid, connected phrasing to lead lines and is the fastest way to link two notes on one string. The second note is naturally softer, giving a vocal, slurred feel.
Hammer-on: only G is picked; A is hammered — no second attack. Compare the picked version, where both notes are struck.
Pull-off
7p5- What
- The reverse of a hammer-on: from a higher fretted note you sound a lower note on the same string by pulling the finger off sideways, plucking the string as it leaves.
- How
- Fret both notes at once (finger on 7, another finger already on 5). Pick the higher note, then flick the higher finger down-and-off so it lightly plucks the string, letting the lower fretted note ring.
- When & why
- The descending partner to the hammer-on. Chain the two together for legato runs and trills where the pick barely moves.
Pull-off: only A is picked; G rings from the pull — no second attack. The picked version strikes both.
Slide (legato)
5/9- What
- Pick a note, then slide the same finger along the string to another fret while it keeps ringing. "/" slides up in pitch, "\" slides down.
- How
- Fret and pick the first note, keep steady downward pressure, and glide the finger to the target fret in one motion. Only the first note is picked; the pitch bends continuously through every fret in between.
- When & why
- Connects positions smoothly and adds expressive scoops into notes. A short slide into a note is one of the most vocal sounds on the guitar.
One pick, then a continuous glide through every pitch in between — not two separate notes.
Slide vs. glissando
/ vs. gliss- What
- A slide connects two definite fretted notes. A glissando is an unmeasured swoop — you slide off into (or out of) nowhere in particular, often the whole way up or down the neck, with no fixed target.
- How
- For a glissando, pick a note and let the finger run freely along the string with no defined landing fret — release pressure as you go so it fades, or drive into the last note.
- When & why
- Glissandi are gestures, not melody notes: dramatic run-ups into a solo, run-offs at the end of a phrase, and rock/metal "dive" flourishes.
An unmeasured swoop with no fixed landing note — a gesture, not a melody note.
Bend — half step
7b8- What
- Push (or pull) the string across the fretboard so its pitch rises. A half-step bend raises the note by one fret's worth of pitch (one semitone).
- How
- Fret the note, then rotate your wrist to push the string toward the ceiling (or pull the low strings toward the floor). Support the bending finger with the fingers behind it for strength and control.
- When & why
- The half step is the tightest, bluesiest bend — perfect for nudging a ♭3 up toward the major 3rd for that "blue" ambiguity.
The pitch rises continuously by one semitone on top of the held note — that's the string being pushed.
Bend — full step
7b9- What
- The most common bend: raise the pitch by a whole step — two frets' worth. The note you start on becomes the note two frets higher.
- How
- Same motion as a half-step bend but pushed further. Train your ear: pick the target fret first, then bend the lower note until the pitches match exactly. Intonation is everything.
- When & why
- The signature sound of rock and blues lead. Bending into a chord tone is how you make a solo sing over the changes.
Hear the pitch climb a whole step. "Bend & release" pushes up, holds, then returns to the original note.
Pre-bend & release
7b9r7- What
- Bend the string up to pitch BEFORE you pick it, then pick and let it fall back down to the original note. The listener hears the pitch drop rather than rise.
- How
- Silently push the string up to the target pitch, pick it, then smoothly release the bend so the pitch descends to the fretted note. Control the speed of the release for the whole effect.
- When & why
- A surprising, vocal "sighing" or "crying" sound — the pitch sags downward, the opposite of an ordinary bend.
You hear the already-bent pitch first, then it sags DOWN to the fretted note — the opposite contour of a normal bend.
Vibrato
7~- What
- A steady, repeated wavering of a note's pitch — tiny bends up and back, over and over — that makes a held note come alive instead of sitting flat and dead.
- How
- Two flavours: a subtle "wrist" vibrato (rock/blues) where you repeatedly bend-and-release a small amount, and a classical side-to-side finger vibrato along the string. Keep it rhythmic and even — width and speed are your fingerprint.
- When & why
- Applied to any sustained note to add warmth and identity. B.B. King, David Gilmour and Santana are recognisable from their vibrato alone.
The straight note sits still; the vibrato note wavers in pitch. Same note — vibrato is what makes it sing.
Palm muting
PM- What
- Rest the edge of your picking-hand palm lightly on the strings right where they meet the bridge, damping them so notes sound tight, thick and percussive rather than fully ringing.
- How
- Anchor the fleshy side of your palm on the strings just in front of the bridge saddles. Too far forward kills the note; right at the saddle gives the "chugging" thump. Vary pressure for more or less mute.
- When & why
- The engine of rock, punk and metal rhythm — palm-muted power chords "chug". Also great for controlled, staccato clean parts and dynamic contrast against open ringing chords.
Same four notes: open they ring out; palm-muted they become short, dark, percussive "chugs".
Legato
h / p chains- What
- Playing a run of notes smoothly and connected, sounding as many as possible with the fretting hand alone — chaining hammer-ons and pull-offs so the pick only starts each string.
- How
- Pick the first note on a string, then hammer and pull the rest. The fretting hand does the work; the picking hand mostly moves between strings. Even volume across all notes is the goal.
- When & why
- Fast, fluid, "no attack" phrasing — the smooth, saxophone-like sound of players like Allan Holdsworth and Joe Satriani. The opposite feel to hard alternate picking.
The legato run flows with one attack; the picked run strikes every note. Same pitches, opposite feel.
Alternate & economy picking
↓↑↓↑- What
- Picking-hand systems for speed and consistency. Alternate picking strictly alternates down-up-down-up on every note. Economy picking "cheats" when crossing strings, continuing in the same direction (a mini-sweep) to save motion.
- How
- Alternate: keep a relaxed, even down-up pendulum from the wrist, one stroke per note. Economy: when you change strings, let the pick fall through into the next string in the same direction instead of reversing.
- When & why
- Alternate picking gives an even, driving attack (metal riffing, bluegrass). Economy picking minimises motion for effortless speed through scales and arpeggios. Most players blend both.
Alternate vs. economy is a right-hand motion, not a pitch difference — this even, picked run shows the target notes; the picking pattern is yours to practise.
Legato vs. picked: two feels for the same notes
A run of notes can be attacked hard with the pick or flowed through with the fretting hand. Neither is "better" — they are different colours. Great players choose consciously, and often switch mid-phrase for contrast. Play both, back to back — the pitches are identical; only the articulation changes.
Every note gets a distinct attack. Punchy, articulate, rhythmic — the sound of tight riffing and driving lines.
Notes melt into one another with almost no attack. Smooth, fast and vocal — the sound of fluid, effortless solos.
Reading Technique in Tab
Tablature marks techniques with small symbols between fret numbers. Here is the standard shorthand:
| Symbol | Name | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| h | Hammer-on | 5h7 | Pick fret 5, hammer to fret 7 without picking again. |
| p | Pull-off | 7p5 | Pick fret 7, pull off to the lower fret 5. |
| / | Slide up | 5/9 | Pick fret 5, slide up to fret 9 (pitch rises). |
| \ | Slide down | 9\5 | Pick fret 9, slide down to fret 5 (pitch falls). |
| b | Bend | 7b9 | Bend the note at fret 7 up to the pitch of fret 9. |
| r | Release | 7b9r7 | Bend up, then release back down to the original pitch. |
| ~ | Vibrato | 7~ | Add vibrato — a repeated wavering of the pitch. |
| PM | Palm mute | PM- - - | Palm-mute the notes under the dashed line. |
Practising Technique Musically
Never bend to "somewhere higher." Pick the note you're aiming for first, then bend until the pitches match exactly. In-tune bends are what separate pros from beginners.
Bends sound "right" when the target is a note in the scale or chord. Use the Scale Visualizer to see which notes you're bending toward, so your target lands on a chord tone.
For hammers, pulls and legato runs, chase even volume before speed. A metronome exposes the weak notes — fix those and speed follows.
Go deeper
See exactly which notes to target with your bends and slides in the Scale Visualizer, or apply these techniques to a real part in Song Lab.