Joe Satriani playing legato style guitar LivePict.com, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Legato Exercises for Guitar

Legato is a guitar technique in which notes are connected together in a smooth manner. On the guitar, this is achieved with hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides while minimizing picking of the strings. At face value, it might seem like a simple technique to pick up. However, it can be quite challenging as it requires ample finger strength and exceptional timing.

Guy playing hammer-ons on guitar

Essential Hammer-On and Pull-Off Exercises for Guitar

In this lesson we’re going to work on two foundational techniques of guitar playing, hammer-ons and pull-offs. At first these techniques may feel a bit difficult and awkward, but with focused practice they’ll become an integral part of your playing.