Welcome to the enchanting world of legato! The term ‘legato’ finds its roots in the Italian word ‘legare’, which translates to ‘to tie’. In the realm of music, legato is a technique that emphasizes the production of smooth and connected notes. When it comes to playing the guitar, legato isn’t just a technique - it’s a crucial tool that empowers musicians to express their musical ideas with fluidity. It’s a versatile technique that transcends musical genres, making it an indispensable skill for guitarists across the board.
Types of Legato Techniques
Hammer-Ons:
When you play a note by swiftly bringing down a finger from your fretting hand onto the fretboard, the impact causes the string to vibrate, producing the desired note. Using this technique you can play notes without picking the string on the right hand. This is the essence of a hammer-on, a popular legato technique often found in rock and blues genres. A classic example? The opening riff of “Wish You Were Here” by the legendary Pink Floyd. This iconic riff showcases the usefulness of hammer-ons in creating a smooth and connected sound. A faster example on the electric guitar is the song “The Joker & The Thief” by Wolfmother.
Pull-Offs:
Now, let’s consider the reverse of a hammer-on. Instead of striking down on a string, you’re ‘pulling’ your finger off the string, effectively plucking it. This technique is a staple in fast guitar solos, enabling swift transitions between notes. AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” is a masterclass in rapid pull-offs. This piece demonstrates how pull-offs can be used to create a flurry of notes, adding excitement and intensity to a solo. While It is commonly used to teach the hammer-on and pull-off techniques, in many live performances Angus Young can be seen picking all the notes! If you try the riff both ways, you will quickly understand the usefulness of hammer-ons and pull-offs for playing fast passages.
Slides:
Here, you’re gliding a finger up or down the fretboard while a note is still resonating. This creates a fluid transition from one note to another, often used for expressive solos. Listen to Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze” for a beautiful demonstration of slides. This song features slides that create a smooth, flowing sound, adding a lyrical quality to the guitar lines. Slides can be performed from below or above a note and from any other fret. They can also be used to change positions easily making them essential for navigating scales and arpeggios. The major and minor pentatonic lead patterns in particular are a fantastic example of slides used to expand the range of a scale pattern.
Bends:
This technique involves altering the pitch of a note by pushing or pulling the string across the fretboard. Bends are integral to blues and rock genres, infusing emotion and expressiveness into solos. B.B. King’s “The Thrill is Gone” is a testament to the power of tasteful bending. This song showcases how bends can be used to add a vocal-like quality to a guitar solo, enhancing its expressiveness. Bends are often combined with vibrato since they share a similar motion of the hand. Vibrato can be thought of as a tiny continuous bend that creates a vocal-like shake on the notes. Bends are essential for creating expressive sounds on the guitar.
Tapping:
Tapping legato is a dynamic and captivating technique that pushes the boundaries of what's possible on the guitar. Unlike traditional picking methods, tapping legato involves using the picking hand to tap notes onto the fretboard, creating rapid-fire sequences with an unparalleled fluidity. By combining hammer-ons, pull-offs, and tapping motions, guitarists can produce lightning-fast runs, intricate melodies, and expressive solos that soar across the fretboard with ease. Tapping legato opens up a world of sonic possibilities, allowing players to achieve seamless transitions between notes, explore extended ranges, and unleash their creativity in ways that defy convention. Whether employed as a standalone technique or integrated with other legato approaches, tapping legato adds a distinctive flair to the guitarist's repertoire, elevating their playing to new heights of virtuosity and expression. The song/solo “Eruption” by Eddie Van Halen is a classical example of tapping technique.
When to Use Legato?
Legato techniques are your go-to when you want a smooth, connected sound, making them perfect for mimicking vocal lines on the guitar. They also simplify playing fast passages, as they require less picking. Legato is often employed in solos to inject expressiveness and fluidity. For instance, the solo in Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb” brilliantly uses legato to create a vocal-like quality. This solo demonstrates how legato can be used to create a singing quality in a guitar solo, enhancing its emotional impact.
Legato Across Guitar Styles
Legato techniques find their place in various guitar styles. In Rock and Metal, hammer-ons and pull-offs are extensively used for speedy solos. Artists like Joe Satriani and Steve Vai are renowned for their heavy use of legato. Their playing showcases how legato can be used to create fast, fluid lines that add excitement and intensity to a performance. In Blues, bends and slides are used to infuse expressiveness into solos. Icons like B.B. King and Stevie Ray Vaughan are celebrated for their expressive use of bends. Their playing demonstrates how bends can add a vocal-like quality to a guitar solo, enhancing its emotional impact. In Jazz, legato is employed to craft smooth, flowing lines, with artists like Wes Montgomery and Jim Hall exemplifying the elegance of legato in jazz. Their playing showcases how legato can be used to create smooth, flowing lines that add a lyrical quality to a performance.
Fast & Smooth
To wrap up, legato is a cornerstone technique in guitar playing, providing a pathway to infuse expressiveness and fluidity into your performance. Regardless of whether you’re playing rock, blues, jazz, or any other genre, mastering legato techniques will undoubtedly elevate your musical expression. So, keep those fingers moving, and incorporate some legato techniques to smooth out your playing!
-Ryan