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  #16  
Old 09-04-2017, 09:22 AM
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rick-slo rick-slo is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by agfsteve View Post
Check out Justin Sandercoe's lesson:

https://www.justinguitar.com/en/FO-1...mersFlicks.php

Justin uses the term "flick-off" instead of pull-off, because he flicks his fretting finger off the string, so it is a little pluck of the string, which is achieved with a quick downward movement (not a vertical lift).

My pull-offs improved when I started using Justin's technique. Prior to that I was only employing a vertical lift, and it had no power, resulting in weak sound.

However, the amount of "flick" that you need to put into the pull-off depends on how loud the note needs to be, and how much the previous note has already died out, so sometimes you need to flick hard, and sometimes you can actually get away with zero flick (just a vertical lift) , and most of the time it is something in between.

I think I noticed in Justin's lesson that a couple of times he accidentally contacted, with his flicking finger, the string below the string he was flicking off of, so it does seem really tricky, and I would think the usual "mute everything you don't need just in case" rule comes into play, and also maybe the safeguard of making sure the string that might suffer accidental contact is fretting a note in the current chord.
Close. A little too much sideways in the video at least (I guess for illustration purposes). Better is sideways enough to hook the fingertip skin and then up - thus my J shape motion suggestion in an earlier comment.
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  #17  
Old 09-04-2017, 10:29 AM
amyFB amyFB is offline
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Great information ! Thanks guys!
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  #18  
Old 09-04-2017, 12:18 PM
SunnyDee SunnyDee is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SunnyDee View Post
Are you pushing the string in the opposite direction from the pull-off with the fretting finger?

This may be obvious to everyone already, but it wasn't to me as a self-taught guitarist. People online describe pull-offs in lots of different ways, so I sorta doubt I'm the only one who was unsure about it. Anyway, I never heard this until I happened to find just one guy online talking about it (I can't find it now).

The idea is, for example, if you have the index down on the first fret and you want to pull off the middle finger from the third fret, you are pushing up slightly with the index as you pull down slightly with the middle. The idea being to keep the string straight. The opposing pressure and the up and down of it is very subtle but allows for control that may help. I was having a bad time of it, before, but, after understanding this, I found it very easy.
I found the video that helped me, where the teacher talks about pushing up with the first finger when pulling off with the second.

https://guitarlessons365.com/beginne...ull-offsslurs/
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  #19  
Old 09-04-2017, 04:36 PM
MarkoMarkus MarkoMarkus is offline
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This is true, but don't overdo it. Just think about it, pull off needs to be strong and for it to be strong it's not about second finger that's pulling it but for the first finger to hold the string in place like the nut of the guitar is holding the 0 fret. Then your second finger has easier time pulling.

As for second finger, don't use any force whatsoever, only thing that matters is that it's smooth and one quick burst just like when you pluck with the pick. ploink and that's it, no force.

There are many exercises and ways to improve pull of as well as hammer on and any other technique problem, but there is only one rule that applies to all exercises. You need to do them regularly, take 5 min a day, 5 times a week (this just means don't think you HAVE to do it but that you WANT to do it to improve so yes skip some days when you don't feel likeit) and do one exercise, if you start loosing concentration after a week or 2 on that exercise, find another exercise for pull off just to entertain your brain and do the same with it.

Another tip, try taking a simple melody you like where you can use a lot of pull offs then use that melody as exercise actually. This way you actually practice technique and melody at the same time !

Enough of me blabbing hehe I hope some of this will help, I had troubles with that thingy in my middle music school but now I don't have any problems with em, like riding a bike, learn once you don't forget =)
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  #20  
Old 09-06-2017, 11:18 AM
funkapus funkapus is offline
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Hi folks. Thanks for the many replies!

Quote:
Originally Posted by TBman View Post
It takes time. Just keep practicing. Try the 4 to 2 to open pull offs on the D string or A string as practice. 20 times a practice session won't cut it. Think 80 to 100 reps as a minimum.
That's certainly more reps than I had been thinking! Thanks. But really, the problem I'm having right now doesn't seem (at first blush) to be one solved by reps. I usually attack technique things like this by making sure above all that I can do them slowly, cleanly, and correctly. If I can't do it right, then doing a lot of reps seems like a bad idea, because I'm just learning/developing the (misnamed) muscle memory to do it *wrong*. Or as one teacher once said to me, "Practice doesn't make perfect; practice makes permanent. Perfect practice makes perfect." But my problem is that even done very slowly, and with all the care in the world, my inner-string pull-offs are either faint (because I didn't really do a pull-off, but rather a lift-off), or I catch the next highest string a little. I can't do it right *once*. I would worry that my fingers are too thick or pudgy or whatever; but I've seen people with thicker fingers than me do it just fine so I know that can't really be it.

It just occurred to me right now: for pull-offs to a fretted note/double pull-offs, does it seem to you to make sense to start practicing this further up the neck? Maybe my fret buzz issues are because of issues with hand/finger stretch, and just like scales or finger exercises it'd be easier up the neck at first, moving back down the neck as I get comfortable with doing where I am. Maybe that would help. But that sounds like a long route to joy; and since I have a song that I like to play that I have in pretty good shape overall *except* for the frustrating pull-off run, I hate to have to wait so long on playing this song in front of others.


Quote:
Originally Posted by SunnyDee View Post
Are you pushing the string in the opposite direction from the pull-off with the fretting finger?

This may be obvious to everyone already, but it wasn't to me as a self-taught guitarist. People online describe pull-offs in lots of different ways, so I sorta doubt I'm the only one who was unsure about it. Anyway, I never heard this until I happened to find just one guy online talking about it (I can't find it now).

The idea is, for example, if you have the index down on the first fret and you want to pull off the middle finger from the third fret, you are pushing up slightly with the index as you pull down slightly with the middle. The idea being to keep the string straight. The opposing pressure and the up and down of it is very subtle but allows for control that may help. I was having a bad time of it, before, but, after understanding this, I found it very easy.
I can see how this would help with the "hitting the next-highest string" problem, because with the fretting finger (the index, in your example) you're pushing the string away from that next-highest string a little. But doesn't that then give you a bended string, so that when you do the pull-off the note that sounds is a little sharp?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Toby Walker View Post
Sure, you'll hit the adjacent string on the way down, but you can easily mute that with your fretting finger.
Ooh, flattening out (in angle, not in terms of not pitch) the finger staying fretted, to mute the next-highest string. I think I might have played with this idea a little bit, but I don't think I've really tried it hard enough. Thanks.
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  #21  
Old 09-06-2017, 01:18 PM
SunnyDee SunnyDee is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by funkapus View Post

I can see how this would help with the "hitting the next-highest string" problem, because with the fretting finger (the index, in your example) you're pushing the string away from that next-highest string a little. But doesn't that then give you a bended string, so that when you do the pull-off the note that sounds is a little sharp?
I think you are keeping the string straight with the opposing force, not bending it.
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  #22  
Old 10-12-2017, 12:30 PM
creamburmese creamburmese is offline
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Here's a nice video (from 2:50 on) where you can clearly see the direction of "pull" and the opposing motion of the fretting finger. Ok it's on classical guitar but it works the same regardless ...

ps don't do hundreds of reps. I did that and got tennis elbow as a result pulloffs are fairly stressful on the hand and arm.... I never do more than 5 mins on these now, learned my lesson!
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