hello everyone,
i can preform reasonable hammer ons but they dont sound as good as they should ie the hammered note is always significantly lower in volume. is there a trick or technique to aid me, or is the solution just more practice?
thanks
You and me both buddy! Not only does it sound lower in volume, but if i try and hit the string harder i usually miss and gte some crappy muffled sound!
As with anything though, the key is to start slowly, build up the muscle memory, and then start to slowly turn up the pace and force of hammer.
Mart.
AFAIK, the key to hammer-ons is SPEED (as opposed to force).
I'm slowly getting better with my hammer-ons (my favourite being the one combined with a pull-off in Eric Clapton's Tears in Heaven ... simply 'cause it took me well over a week to master it :D).
You might also try some hammer-on/pull-off exercises to help you improve in this area. Have a look in this thread from Incognito regarding hammer-ons/pull-offs. ;)
From little things big things grow - Paul Kelly
so thats it, i need more speed.....
thanks people!!! :)
A hammer on is a sharp snap, not a brute force thing.
Go Zen for a moment, a hammer on is precise, a single point, a quick effective snap down on the fretboard.
If you think of a hammer on as using a tack hammer instead of a sledge hammer you'll get it.
I have a video lesson of it here on guitar noise.
Not to split hairs or anything but generally faster means harder (in terms of force.)
F = ma, force = mass x acceleration
and acceleration = velocity/time
so if you increase the velocity, you'll increase the acceleration and therefore you'll increase the force.
I've made a couple of generalisations in this post, physics-wise, but because the distances and times we are talking about are so small (ie the time and distance it takes a finger to get from resting position over the fretboard to actually hitting the fretboard) it holds true.
Anyway maybe i should stop physicising and start playing! :shock:
Mart. :D
My daughter has the same problem. In her case she is hitting the fingerboard in the middle of the fret instead of right next to it.
Not to split hairs or anything but generally faster means harder (in terms of force.)
F = ma, force = mass x acceleration
and acceleration = velocity/time
so if you increase the velocity, you'll increase the acceleration and therefore you'll increase the force.
I've made a couple of generalisations in this post, physics-wise, but because the distances and times we are talking about are so small (ie the time and distance it takes a finger to get from resting position over the fretboard to actually hitting the fretboard) it holds true.
Anyway maybe i should stop physicising and start playing! :shock:
Mart. :D
ROFL! After I posted I questioned myself as to whether I should reword it ... simply 'cause I wondered if someone would get pendantic over the use of "speed" vs "force". I remember thinking, "Nah, they'll get the idea". Guess I was wrong. :P
But yep, you are correct. I probably should've used Nick's analogy instead. :)
From little things big things grow - Paul Kelly
Not to split hairs or anything but generally faster means harder (in terms of force.)
F = ma, force = mass x acceleration
and acceleration = velocity/time
so if you increase the velocity, you'll increase the acceleration and therefore you'll increase the force.
I've made a couple of generalisations in this post, physics-wise, but because the distances and times we are talking about are so small (ie the time and distance it takes a finger to get from resting position over the fretboard to actually hitting the fretboard) it holds true.
Anyway maybe i should stop physicising and start playing! :shock:
Mart. :D
Maybe the thing we're worried about here is acceleration. If your finger is moving at full speed when it hits the string then you're good. If it hasn't reached full speed yet then you get less effective, and you probably press harder in an attempt to compensate.
Fascinating discussion. :D
My 2c worth is that incognito167 is right. You can't change the mass of your finger, so varying the speed and acceleration is actually your only option here.
I believe that Paul has it right too when he says:
you probably press harder in an attempt to compensate.
A fast "snap" such as Nick describes doesn't finish with an attempt to push your finger through the fretboard. It lands fast and hard and then stops at a normal pressure.
I think that beginners like me bang the finger down, then push like hell, and don't really understand that most of the 'push' came too late. :?
It's probably the same deal as aways - practice. :) Just building up the muscles until you can accelerate fingers fast enough.
Maybe drumming your fingers on the desk would help? You either end up with fast fingers, or your co-workers kill you and you don't have to worry about hammer-ons any more..... :wink:
That is exactly how I describe it. If you take a look at the video at the end of my hammer on lesson, all I am doing is drumming my fingers on the fretboard.
https://www.guitarnoise.com/lessons/hammer-on-pull-off-tap-repeat/
This is me up to speed.
Gulp! :shock:
Awesome video Nick.
I particularly liked the fact that your right hand was visible and part of the action. It neatly removed any possible confusion about how and where all the sound was being produced.
Unless......
you haven't got three hands by any chance have you?? :wink:
Nice video!
I glad you liked the F=ma post - the pont i was making is that if the mass is constant (ie your finger) then any change in speed/acceleration will automatically increase the force applied. It was a kind of tongue-in-cheek post anyway, and illustrates that i should think less and play more! :?
More to the point i should revise more - exams in 2 wks and then i get my guitar!!! (if i get it before that, then my revision will drop to zero!) Anyway, back to work! :(
Mart :wink:
