Legato Exercises
Basic Exercises
Start on string 1 and repeat on all strings
Open String Hammer-ons
--0-h1----0-h2----0-h3----0-h4-- x8
i m r p
--0-h9----0-h10---0-h11---0-h12-- x8
i m r p
x8| x8| x8| x8|
--0-h1--|--0-h2--|--0-h3--|--0-h4--|
i m r p
x8| x8| x8| x8|
--0-h9--|--0-h10-|--0-h11-|--0-h12-|
i m r p
Fretted Note Hammer-ons
--1-h2--1-h3--1-h4-- x8 i m i r i p
x8| x8| x8| x8| x8| x8| --1-h2-|-1-h3-|-1-h4-|-2-h3-|-2-h4-|-3-h4-| i m i r i p m r m p r p
2 Hammer-ons per String
x8| x8| x8| --5-h6-h8-|-5-h7-h8-|-5-h7-h9-| i m p i r p i m p
x8| x8| x8| -----------5-h6-h8-|----------5-h7-h8-|----------5-h7-h9--| --5-h6-h8----------|-5-h7-h8----------|-5-h7-h9-----------| i m p i m p i r p i r p i m p i m p
Hammer-on from Nothing
--h1--(x)--h2--(x)--h3--(x)--h4-- x16 i m r p
x8| x8| x8| ----------h5-h6-h8-|----------h5-h7-h8-|----------h5-h7-h9-| -h5-h6-h8----------|-h5-h7-h8----------|-h5-h7-h9----------| i m p i m p i r p i r p i m p i m p
Open String Pull-offs
--4-p0----3-p0----2-p0----1-p0-- x16 p r m i
Fretted Pull-offs
--4-p1----3-p1----2-p1-- p i r i m i
--4-p1----3-p1----2-p1----4-p2----3-p2----4-p3-- p i r i m i p m r m p r
2 Pull-offs per String
--8-p6-p5--8-p6-p5--8-p7-p5--8-p7-p5--9-p7-p5--9-p7-p5 p m i p m i p r i p r i p m i p m i
--8-p6-p5-----------8-p7-p5-----------9-p7-p5--------- -----------8-p6-p5-----------8-p7-p5-----------9-p7-p5 p m i p m i p r i p r i p m i p m i
Legato Sliding
1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 --4--/(5)--5--\(4)-|-4--/(6)--6--\(4)-|-4--/(7)--7--\(4)-|-4--/(8)--8--\(4)--
or
--4--s(5)--5--s(4)-|-4--s(6)--6--s(4)-|-4--s(7)--7--s(4)-|-4--s(8)--8--s(4)--
Muting
x12 E--(mute with right middle finger)----- B--(mute with left-hand index finger)-- G---h6---h7---h9---p7---p6---h7---h9--- D--(mute with right-hand palm)--------- A--(mute with right-hand palm)--------- E--(mute with right-hand palm)---------
Advanced Exercises
Think you've mastered the above techniques separately? Let's try them together.
Single String Hammer-on/Pull-offs
--h6-h7-h9-p7-p6-h7-h9-p7---p6-h8-h9-p8-p6-h8-h9-p8---p6-h8-h10-p8-p6-h8-h10-p8-p6--- i m p m i m p m i r p r i r p r i m p m i m p m i
This is straight step-wise motion up and down on a single string using all hammer-on and pull-offs for all three common 3 note per string patterns (half-whole, whole-half, and whole-whole). All notes should be equal volume and duration - use a metronome. Practice on other strings/positions.
2 String Hammer-on/Pull-offs
-----------h6-h7-h9-p7-p6----------------h6-h7-h9-p7-p6----------- --h6-h7-h9----------------h9-p7-p6-h7-h9----------------h9-p7-p6-- i m p i m p m i p m i m p i m p m i p m i
-----------h6-h8-h9-p8-p6----------------h6-h8-h9-p8-p6----------- --h6-h8-h9----------------h9-p8-p6-h8-h9----------------h9-p8-p6-- i r p i r p r i p r i r p i r p r i p r i
------------h6-h8-h10-p8-p6------------------h6-h8-h10-p8-p6----------- --h6-h8-h10-----------------h10-p8-p6-h8-h10-----------------h10-p8-p6-- i m p i m p m i p m i m p i m p m i p m i
-----------h6-h8-h9-p8-p6----------------h6-h8-h9-p8-p6----------- --h6-h7-h9----------------h9-p7-p6-h7-h9----------------h9-p7-p6-- i m p i r p r i p m i m p i r p r i p m i
-----------h6-h8-h10-p8-p6----------------h6-h8-h10-p8-p6----------- --h6-h8-h9-----------------h9-p8-p6-h8-h9-----------------h9-p8-p6-- i r p i m p m i p r i r p i m p m i p r i
Stamina Training
x40 --6-|:h7--h9--p6--h9--p7--p6--h9--p6--h7--p6--h9--p7--h9--p6--:| i m p i p m i p i m i p m p i
x40 --6-|:h8--h9--p6--h9--p8--p6--h9--p6--h8--p6--h9--p8--h9--p6--:| i r p i p r i p i r i p r p i
x40 --6-|:h7--h8--p6--h8--p7--p6--h8--p6--h7--p6--h8--p7--h8--p6--:| i m r i r m i r i m i r m r i
Legato Runs
E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| B-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| G-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------h9--h10-h12-| D-------------------------------------------------h7--h9--h10-------------h9--h10-h12-------------| A-------------h5--h7--h8--------------h7--h8--h10-------------h8--h10-h12-------------------------| E-h5--h7--h8--------------h7--h8--h10-------------------------------------------------------------| E-------------------------------------------------------------h13-h15-h17-------------h15-h17-h19-|/20-- B-------------------------h12-h13-h15-------------h13-h15-h17-------------h15-h17-h18-------------| G-------------h10-h12-h14-------------h12-h14-h16-------------------------------------------------| D-h10-h12-h14-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| A-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E-h19-p17-p15-------------h17-p15-p13-------------------------------------------------------------| B-------------h18-p17-p15-------------h17-p15-p13-------------h15-p13-p12-------------------------| G-------------------------------------------------h16-p14-p12-------------h14-p12-p10-------------| D-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------h14-p12-p10-| A-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| B-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| G-h12-p10-p9--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| D-------------h12-p10-p9--------------h10-p9--p7--------------------------------------------------| A-------------------------h12-p10-p8--------------h10-p8--p7--------------h8--p7--p5--------------| E-------------------------------------------------------------h10-p8--p7--------------h8--p7--p5--|
Single-String Hammer-on/Pull-off/Slides
--3--h5--h7-/(8)--p7--p5-\(3)--h5--h7-/(8)--p7--p5-\(3)-- i m p p r i i m p p r i i --4--h6--h7-/(9)--p7--p6-\(4)--h6--h7-/(9)--p7--p6-\(4)-- i r p p m i i r p p m i i --4--h5--h7-/(9)--p7--p5-\(4)--h5--h7-/(9)--p7--p5-\(4)-- i m p p m i i m p p m i i --3--h5--h7-/(9)--p7--p5-\(3)--h5--h7-/(9)--p7--p5-\(3)-- i m p p m i i m p p m i i
--2--h4--h6--/(7)--p4--h6--h7--/(9)--p6--h7--h9-/(11)--p7--h9-h11-/(13)--p9-h11-h13-/(14)-- i m p p i r p p i m p p i m p p i m p p -14-p13-p11--\(9)-h13-p11--p9--\(7)-h11--p9--p7--\(6)--h9--p7--p6--\(4)--h7--p6--p4--\(2)-- p r i i p m i i p m i i p m i i p r i i
Open String Exercises
Make sure to start slow on this exercise and give all notes equal duration.
Index and Pinky |-h8--p4--p0--h8--p4--p0--h4--h8|-p0--h4--h8--p4--h8--p0--h8--p4|... ...|-h8--p0--h4--h8--p4--p0--h4--h8|-p4--p0--h8--p0--h4--p0--h8--p0|
Index and Ring/Pinky |-h7--p4--p0--h7--p4--p0--h4--h7|-p0--h4--h7--p4--h7--p0--h7--p4|... ...|-h7--p0--h4--h7--p4--p0--h4--h7|-p4--p0--h7--p0--h4--p0--h7--p0|
Index and Ring/Middle or Middle and Pinky |-h6--p4--p0--h6--p4--p0--h4--h6|-p0--h4--h6--p4--h6--p0--h6--p4|... ...|-h6--p0--h4--h6--p4--p0--h4--h6|-p4--p0--h6--p0--h4--p0--h6--p0|
Index and Middle, Middle and Ring, or Ring and Pinky |-h5--p4--p0--h5--p4--p0--h4--h5|-p0--h4--h5--p4--h5--p0--h5--p4|... ...|-h5--p0--h4--h5--p4--p0--h4--h5|-p4--p0--h5--p0--h4--p0--h5--p0|