Legato — hammer, pull, same volume
Legato is when the left hand keeps the line going after one pick attack: hammer-ons, pull-offs, and linked cells. Unpicked notes must match the picked one in volume — otherwise it is a smear, not legato.
Path: Alternate first · this page · Legato lab · Economy / Sweep (pick-heavy siblings)
TAB: h = hammer-on, p = pull-off. Only the first note in each burst is picked unless the footer says otherwise.
Lesson 1 · Hammer-on · G string
Pick fret 5; ring finger hammers fret 7. Strike straight down with the hammer finger.
e|--------------------------------
B|--------------------------------
G|---5---h---7--------------------
D|--------------------------------
A|--------------------------------
E|--------------------------------
LH 1 3
RH D
G A
Lesson 2 · Pull-off · G string
Index holds fret 5; ring is on 7. Flick the ring sideways off the string to sound 5 again.
e|--------------------------------
B|--------------------------------
G|---5-------7---p---5------------
D|--------------------------------
A|--------------------------------
E|--------------------------------
LH 1 3 1
RH D (pull)
G A G
Lesson 3 · Hammer-pull cell
One pick, three notes. The seed of most legato lines.
e|--------------------------------
B|--------------------------------
G|---5---h---7---p---5------------
D|--------------------------------
A|--------------------------------
E|--------------------------------
pick hammer pull
Lesson 4 · Trill to the click
Same cell, four times per beat. One pick attack per beat; left hand does the rest.
G|-5h7p5h7p5h7p5-| one pick per beat
Lesson 5 · Two strings
Pick each string once; legato on each string before crossing.
G|----------5h7p5- D|-5h7p5----------
Lesson 6 · Am box fragment
Box 1 on G and B: pick the first note on each string, legato the rest.
e|-5-------5- B|-5h8p5---5- G|-5h7p5-----
Lesson 7 · Pick between strings
Alternate pick when you change strings; legato only on a string. Bridges to Alternate.
G|---5h7p5--- B|-------5h7p5--- RH D U D U (pick at each string change)
Lesson 8 · Longer run
D and G strings — same idea as Solo drills · legato, slowed for teaching.
G|----------5h7p5- D|-5h7p5----------