Lessons

Guitar Basics: Hammer-Ons

By The MusicRadar Team published 9 October 2008

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Guitar basics: Hammer-ons

You can change between two notes by picking them separately, but if the second note is higher than the first in pitch, you can play what's called a hammer-on.

A hammer-on will make the transition between two notes smoother, which will make your playing sound more fluent.

Get The Pick Newsletter

All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

The MusicRadar Team

“A few poorly intonated sustained bends in a solo can make the guitar's most emotive technique sound bad”: Learning how to bend strings correctly is one of the quickest ways to make your playing sound better

“This is a technique that has been used to great effect by some of my biggest blues heroes”: By thumb-picking bass notes while playing a melody, you can be your own rhythm section – Jared James Nichols shows you how

How to get better at guitar – 10 proven ways to improve your playing fast

“We often overlook this humble technique, yet it’s such an important tool for expressive rhythm and lead playing”: How to palm mute on guitar – and take it from beginner to pro

Want to play Master of Puppets the right way? Here's how to get faster at downpicking so you can chug like James Hetfield

It’s the flamenco technique that lit the rhythmic fire under Marcin and Paco de Lucía, and treats all four fingers and thumb as separate plectrums – why learning rasgueado will give your picking hand a huge turbo boost

Latest in Lessons

“The first thing you need to do is listen to what the other instrumentalist is playing and see if what you’re doing can enhance that”: Cory Wong on the secrets of collaboration and how to stack and blend guitar parts that complement the song

“He combined the passion of Gary Moore with riffs inspired by Zeppelin and Deep Purple, plus unexpected melodic twists like Ritchie Blackmore”: He was one of ’80s rock’s great journeymen – and his searing hot lead work inspired Marty Friedman

5 lo-fi guitar chords to add to your progressions

How to weave crosspicking and Carter picking into your acoustic guitar playing

“There are so many sounds to be discovered when you get away from using a pick”: Jared James Nichols shows you how to add “snap, crackle and pop” to your playing with banjo rolls and string snaps

She wowed Sonny Landreth and Carlos Santana called her the “future” – Erja Lyytinen shares her 6 go-to slide licks for unlocking more expressive soloing

Latest in Tuition

5 lo-fi guitar chords to add to your progressions

How to weave crosspicking and Carter picking into your acoustic guitar playing

Cory Wong and Joe Satriani are right – knowing where the notes are on the guitar is a skill all players should take seriously. Here are 10 ways you can master the fretboard

She wowed Sonny Landreth and Carlos Santana called her the “future” – Erja Lyytinen shares her 6 go-to slide licks for unlocking more expressive soloing

Recommended reading

Guitar Basics: Hammer-Ons

Please wait...