Pull-offs Up and Down One String
If you have read our Hammer-ons and Pull-offs lesson and have pull-offs nailed down, another thing to try is a one-string run (I don’t know if that is the official term). You use one-string runs mostly in soloing and for vamps.
Using an A major scale as an example, start by placing your finger on the 12th fret of the A string. Pick the note and pull-off to open A (the only pull-off you will be doing is to the open A string, so if you see “pull-off” it means pull-off to the open A note). Pick the open A note again (it is easiest for me to pick up using my index finger). Then pick the 11th fret and pull-off. Pick the open A note. Pick the 9th fret and pull-off. Pick the open A note. Pick the 11th fret and pull-off. Pick the open A note. Pick the 9th fret and pull-off. Pick the open A note. (You see where this is going yet?). Pick the 7th fret and pull-off. Pick the open A note. Pick the 9th fret and pull-off. Pick the open A note. Pick the 7th fret and pull-off. Pick the open A note. Pick the 5th fret and pull-off. Pick the open A note. Pick the 4th fret and pull-off. Pick the open A note. Pick the 5th fret and pull-off. Pick the open A note. Pick the 2nd fret and pull-off. Pick the open A note. Practice speeding this up until your pull-offs are consistent. This example is found in the intro to Manoa DNA’s “Follow Me”.
A great song to practice this technique in is the Glass Ball Slack Key.
Use other scales and different starting points to add something new to the songs you already know. Practice one scale up and down a string, then go on to the next one.
