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Hi all,

This is a question for any TG teacher who’d like to respond. If any community member has advice I’d definitely welcome that too.

Last night I was practicing just the first two phrases of Nobody’s Business But Mine. It has a hammer-on with the pinky.

I’m dead rusty at the moment and I definitely need to buff-up my pinky. But the fact that I had slowed the phrase down HEAPS seemed to be making it trickier to hammer-on the pinky with any real force so that I produced an OK sound.

I did try to isolate the section - Practice, Practice, practice the few notes where I’m doing the hammer-on (and the next note) and then repeat. The phrase also has an open string being plucked at the same time. But, keeping the timing ok was a bit tricky. I wanted to speed up to improve the hammer on - but needed to keep slow to get my finger placement and timing ok for the rest.

Does this make sense?

Anyone have advice?

Ta

Michele

Other than "keep doing it," I'd say: try doing it without worrying about the open string, get it up to speed, then incorporate the open string (followed by yet more practice, practice, practice).

If there's one thing I've learned in my 10 or so years of practicing advanced guitar, it's that, if you can physically manage something once, you will eventually be able to do it repeatedly and up to speed. What really convinced me of this was when I finally mastered the seemingly insane stretch in "Madman Across the Water" after literally months of working at it. Now, it's like nothing.

Keep going, and good luck!

Hey Michele,

First of all, thanks for all the thought provoking posts lately. Second, a good thing to work on is hammering on from an open string to the second fret without hitting the open string first, a hammer on from nowhere if you will. Try it with each finger but don't expect to hear much the first thousand times or so. I will try to remember to address this on the News later this week.

Neil

Neil,

Thanks so much. That sounds like excellent advice. I’ll start this evening. That way I’ll get to 1000 sooner and be on my way to making some cool sounds.

And you’re of course welcome. I love TG, the community and the connections we’ve built. I know I learn more and I’m motivated more when I’m immersed in everything the forum is capable of offering. I hope others start to experience it for themselves too.

Thanks again.

M



Uncle Walt - you’re right too of course. Thanks! Feel like posting something this year?

BTW - I felt a bit silly posting this question. And I wasn’t sure that I was really asking the right thing; that is I wasn’t sure I was explaining my problem properly.

I’m definitely glad I asked regardless. Now I have a way forward. Like all good teachers, Neil has seen through my confused question and given me the advice I needed; or at least a good place to start to eliminate contributing issues.


So I encourage others to ask too, even if you’re not sure you’re asking the right thing.