The Steel Guitar Forum

Harmonic's,and hammer-on's,must be two of the hardest thing's that I have ever tried to do.My finger's are huge, I am six foot one ok.They seem to get in the way at time's.Are their any suggestion's from the pro's that might help me on this one.

Marty,I cant help you much on Harmonics as I can do them but not as consistantly as I would like..But can you or some please explain to me just what a hammer on and off are and how they are done..
I have played steel along time and probably do something simular but the term "hammer on/off" is not what I have been calling what I do..

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Jerry Wallace-2001 Zum: D-10,8+6, "98 Zum: D-10,8+8,Nashville 1000,Session 500 ,Session 400 head only amp,Tubefex,ProfexII, Artesia, New Mexico
http://communities.msn.com/jerrywallacemusic

Jerry,

Hammering on and off is the following.
Hit an open string. While the string is still ringing put your bar on the 2nd fret (example). You should hear that tone and then quickly pull the bar off and hear the original tone. I am not that great at describing things but that is the way a hammer on off is done. It sounds almost like a triplet.

Mark T.

and this is where having a Dobro background would come in handy.....those hammer ons and pull offs are some of the first things that you learn.

We do hammer ons ALL the time with the steel. It's a guitar technique.

Simply a hammer on is: Pluck the note, then quickly raise it. "B" pedal down; play stings 123, THEN mash the "A" pedal.

A Pull Off is the opposite.

Harmonics are at 3; 5; 7; 12; frets from the nut. In the case of a pedal steel guitar, the bar in your left hand becomes the nut.
Lightly mute the string, while plucking it. Hard to teach it as well as learn and do.

Johnnie says Hi.

I'm playin' with Jeff again.

C YA

Is "hammer on/off" not what you do when you play Remington Ride?

carl

C,
I think you have those backward.
A hammer on is an open note followed by usually the nose of the bar quickly 'hammered' onto a fret -- usually the 1st or 2nd -- but could be any fret.

A pull-off is when you play a note with the bar and pull the bar off the string, sounding the open string.

And Carl -- as usual -- is right. Remington Ride or Raisin' the Dickens use both. Steelin' the Blues is primarily hammer-ons.

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<small>Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Emmons D-10 9x9, 1971 Dobro

the type of piano playing done by Floyd Cramer, in Last date, is ALL HAMMER ONs.

You begin with an unresolved natural chord, and resolve it, threw the use of the hammer on. You seem to be confusing bar bouncing, whit a hammer on lick. They can be the same thing, depending on how you use it.

The tricky little guitar part in Lynard Skinnards "I Know A Little", is and example of PULL OFFs.

Marty, The first thing you do is put your fingers on a fat finger diet. Then come by the B&B Ballroom next weekend and we will hammer and chime. See you down the road. Jody.

Marty,
Listen to Jimmy Crawford/Russ Hicks chickin pickin album they are the best at ho/ho
JMHO harmonic's BE,nobody better

Bill

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Hello Marty,

harmonics and hammer-on's are physical moves that must be learned.

Get over the size of your hands. You should be used to them by now. NO EXCUSE PERIOD I'm six foot two...

Steel players need to TRAIN there hands to do what they want.

1. Learn a move slowly (ie. hammer on)
2. Practice that move slowly until you can comfortably control it.
3. When you can control it...do it about a million times to train the muscles and build up the stamina and dexterity that is needed to make whatever move and sustain the movement without fatigue. When you know the move and start repetitions of it, it starts to become part of you.

What I read on the forum is a lot of players who are defeated before they even start. Lots of ways to get it done, some better than others.

To Carl D..hey there bud...Just wanted to say that I could teach you to speed pick and pick block without any doubt in my mind. Your biggest problem is the doubt in your mind.

THE LICK, THE SONG, THE FILL, THE SLIDE, THE PEDAL MOVE, THE KNEE LEVER MOVE, The greatest lick in the world is at the mercy of the dexterity of your body. IT can be trained to play all the techniques.

MOST players don't want to take the time or don't have the time to learn the techniques and then truly put them into your body and soul. When you are free physically then and only then can you turn it loose and improvise.

None of this is natural for ANYONE!!!. It is all a learned movement and some people spend more time and of course having an innate musical ability doesn't hurt...joe

(gone to practice steel guitar rag again)

Joe's right, Marty. Nobody learns these moves quickly. They don't come in weeks or months for everyone...some take years. But it comes eventually with time and practice. Don't worry about speed...practice for accuracy only! Once you're trained to do the movements as a "reflex", the speed will come naturally, by itself.

My two "H" problems are head & hands (not to forget feet, knees, fingers...)

Marty:
I've tried raising harmonics two different ways - each shown by great players, but the first one I'll describe is the easiest. Use the tip of your index finger to (barely) touch your harmonic point on the string and pick behind that point with your thumbpick. It's good because you can see what you're doing. The other method has you picking with the thumbpick and raising the harmonic with the tip of your pinky a few inches or more (depending on hand size) behind the pick. The hard thing there, of course, is that your hand is blocking your view of where that pinky lands - and it's gotta be right on the harmonic point to get a really clean and clear harmonic. Try each way.

Rob<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Robert on 04 August 2001 at 07:20 AM.]</p></FONT><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Robert on 04 August 2001 at 07:21 AM.]</p></FONT>

<SMALL>Use the tip of your index finger</SMALL>

Robert, don't you mean your ring finger? I've never seen anyone use the index finger because it has a fingerpick on it.

For harmonics, I use the first knuckle of either the pinky or ring finger. For really fast tunes, where you want to throw in a quick harmonic I pick with the finger and harmonic with the thumbpick blade.

Hammer-ons are a matter of bar control. You have to practice doing it. Start simple and work your way up. For example: (E9) play the 3rd string open - quickly hammer the first fret and release it. Play the 4th string - quickly hammer the second fret and release it. Play the 5th string - quickly hammer the second fret and release it. PLay the 6th string - quickly hammer the first fret and release it. Then go thru the same thing doubling up each string, but instead of starting open pick the string with the bar at the hammered fret and then do a pull off. These are also good exercizes for blocking.

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My best,
Ernie

The Official Buddy Emmons Website
www.buddyemmons.com

Marty:
Jim is absolutely correct - the RING finger!
It'll still be in front of the thumbpick, so, again, it's easy to watch what you're doing. Jim that was my problem - I wasn't watching what I was doing . . . I should have written the post with the guitar-in-hand. Thanks . . .

Rob