How did you learn legato guitar technique?

**Steven Mal** · 12-01-2016, 03:52 AM

I've been trying to develop my legato technique for about six months using various lessons from the internet. I feel like I'm not improving. Surely I need to practice more and have more patience, but in your experience what exercises and lessons worked for you when learning and developing your legato technique?

**ronjazz** · 12-01-2016, 09:48 AM

You feel like you're not improving, do you KNOW that you're not improving? Are you recording yourself, or keeping a log of metronome markings? And who's lessons are you studying? Clearly, the best jazz legato technique is Tim Miller's, and his lessons are very well-organized and well-presented.

**JensL** · 12-01-2016, 10:49 AM

Originally Posted by Steven Mal

I've been trying to develop my legato technique for about six months using various lessons from the internet. I feel like I'm not improving. Surely I need to practice more and have more patience, but in your experience what exercises and lessons worked for you when learning and developing your legato technique?

I guess for me the best use of legato is in combining it with picking, so if you want to use it like that you also need to keep that in mind when practicing. I also think that a lot of YouTube and internet stuff is really geared towards other genres (with thinner strings, more gain etc) and for me that does not really work that well in jazz so I made other exercises that fit my playing a bit better.

Try stuff with scales combining picking and legato, and make sure to also work on coming up with lines that sound well when you play them using legato technique.

Jens

**christianm77** · 12-01-2016, 12:14 PM

Well I could be THAT GUY and say legato is not a technique, it is a musical effect produced by a mixture of techniques (including slurring, economy picking etc) but I presume you are talking about hammer ons and pull offs?

If you play with every note picked, you still need to achieve legato. In order to achieve this, you need speed in the transition between two notes. If you are picking, you need to synchronise those movements very exactly - and they need to happen as fast as possible, regardless of tempo. Speed of note change is all important.

The same is true of slurring. In the case of HO, POs and slides, speed is much more important than strength - your playing can be very light.

In my own playing I have gone in the past three or four months from being a heavy picker to being what I would say 'half legato' player ala Mike Moreno - slurs used from upbeats onto the beat where this is practical. Probably I only slur 25%-30% of my notes, but it kind of sands some of the edges off and makes the guitar sound a little more hornlike.

I like it. I think Wes MUST have used something like this approach in his playing.

I see legato as a spectrum - ranging from full touch style guitar through to heavy pick styles like Al Di Meola. For me, the most satisfactory results come from somewhere in the middle of the spectrum, and I think my ears prefer players that play this way.

Anyway, in terms of working on slurs, I found Tim Miller's advice helpful, some of which I have regurgitated here. I am not a Holdsworthian player, but he certainly is, and his video lessons are good - have you watched them?

Also JensL has this stuff together - certainly would defer to his advice on the matter.

**christianm77** · 12-01-2016, 12:17 PM

BTW - if you have in fact mastered the technique, and the problems are musical, my advice would be listen to and repeat phrases from records you like by ear. Get away from scales and patterns.

**dasein** · 12-01-2016, 12:19 PM

Originally Posted by JensL

I also think that a lot of YouTube and internet stuff is really geared towards other genres (with thinner strings, more gain etc)

Jens

Yep, plus flat neck radius, low action, and short scale. I'm sure that even Holdsworth would struggle with some of his crazier stretches on a regular ol' Strat.

**christianm77** · 12-01-2016, 12:20 PM

Originally Posted by dasein

Yep, plus flat neck radius, low action, and short scale. I'm sure that even Holdsworth would struggle with some of his crazier stretches on a regular ol' Strat.

Didn't he play a strat for a bit back in the late 70s?

**M-ster** · 12-01-2016, 02:26 PM

Originally Posted by christianm77

Didn't he play a strat for a bit back in the late 70s?

First times I saw him (with Soft Machine and then Tony Williams), he was playing an SG Custom (the 3-pup, off-white model).

**TOMMO** · 12-01-2016, 03:21 PM

Can we please define "legato" here - I'm a bit puzzled because I've learned two definitions (regarding playing guitar):

1. Pick once - then either hammer-on, pull-off or slide into the next note...

2. Hold the picked note as long as possible before you pick the next one...

Anyone?

Thanks

**christianm77** · 12-01-2016, 08:08 PM

Originally Posted by TOMMO

Can we please define "legato" here - I'm a bit puzzled because I've learned two definitions (regarding playing guitar):

1. Pick once - then either hammer-on, pull-off or slide into the next note...

2. Hold the picked note as long as possible before you pick the next one...

Anyone?

Thanks

I prefer the term ligado, from classical guitar, in reference to left hand slurs, guitar specific.

Legato - for the musical effect, as used by all instrumentalists.

Unfortunately, no-one else use this!

**sgcim** · 12-02-2016, 01:47 AM

There's a good legato exercise in Pumping Nylon that i use to warm up. I don't have the book, but it's somewhere in the beginning.

**Shadow of the Sun** · 12-02-2016, 02:38 AM

Tim Miller has a good short video about legato technique that might be worth watching.

**JensL** · 12-02-2016, 03:01 AM

Originally Posted by christianm77

I prefer the term ligado, from classical guitar, in reference to left hand slurs, guitar specific.

Legato - for the musical effect, as used by all instrumentalists.

Unfortunately, no-one else use this!

I think that train left a million heavy metal tutorials ago!

I actually do have a lesson on my channel on legato and how I use and practice it with Jazz in mind.

Here it is. It is a bit long, so sorry about that...

Jens

**TOMMO** · 12-02-2016, 06:11 AM

Originally Posted by TOMMO

Can we please define "legato" here - I'm a bit puzzled because I've learned two definitions (regarding playing guitar):

1. Pick once - then either hammer-on, pull-off or slide into the next note...

2. Hold the picked note as long as possible before you pick the next one...

Anyone?

Thanks

Did a short research (wikipedia is your friend once again) and found that the term "tenuto" is the one that means to hold a note for its full value before playing the next one

**Steven Mal** · 12-02-2016, 08:22 AM

Originally Posted by ronjazz

You feel like you're not improving, do you KNOW that you're not improving? Are you recording yourself, or keeping a log of metronome markings? And who's lessons are you studying? Clearly, the best jazz legato technique is Tim Miller's, and his lessons are very well-organized and well-presented.

I've been keeping a log of my practicing. I haven't been able to perform these exercises at faster tempos or for longer periods of time. I'm using various lessons from around the internet (justinguitar.com;guitarlessons365.com; etc.) I can post links to exactly what I've been doing if you want. I'll be sure to check out Tim Miller.

**Steven Mal** · 12-02-2016, 08:28 AM

Originally Posted by JensL

I guess for me the best use of legato is in combining it with picking, so if you want to use it like that you also need to keep that in mind when practicing. I also think that a lot of YouTube and internet stuff is really geared towards other genres (with thinner strings, more gain etc) and for me that does not really work that well in jazz so I made other exercises that fit my playing a bit better.

Try stuff with scales combining picking and legato, and make sure to also work on coming up with lines that sound well when you play them using legato technique.

Jens

Thanks. Recently I've been practicing hammer-ons and pull-offs with trills and using hammer-ons and pull-offs with the three note per string major scale and the Ionian mode.

**Drumbler** · 12-02-2016, 08:31 AM

Play your scales with legato instead of picking.

Do this for a few minutes every day.

**Steven Mal** · 12-02-2016, 08:32 AM

Originally Posted by sgcim

There's a good legato exercise in Pumping Nylon that i use to warm up. I don't have the book, but it's somewhere in the beginning.

Yes, I have that book and I've been practicing those exercises.

**Steven Mal** · 12-02-2016, 08:55 AM

Ha! In 90 seconds Tim Miller has already identified one of my problems. My fingers, particularly my ring and pinky fingers, have trouble staying close to the fretboard. I already know my fingers should be close to the fretboard and I've been trying to solve this problem by practicing scales very slowly (40-50 bpm) while staring at my left hand and trying to keep my fingers as close to the fretboard as possible and use as little movement as possible. Justin Sandercoe at Justinguitar.com taught me that months ago...I'll be keeping an ear out for intonation problems too. After that Tim Miller video I'm going to play each mode very slowly with a metronome and the three note per string major scale.

**Steven Mal** · 12-02-2016, 10:40 AM

Thank you Jens. That's some useful info. I hadn't thought of hammering on and pulling off in between certain notes instead of simply picking the first note on each string and hammering on and pulling off every other note.

Also, I remembering seeing you take a guest solo in one of Chris Zoupa's videos a long time ago. You're a really talented player.

**Steven Mal** · 12-02-2016, 10:42 AM

Originally Posted by Drumbler

Play your scales with legato instead of picking.

Do this for a few minutes every day.

I actually have been doing that but definitely not anywhere nearly enough. I usually can play scales with hammer-ons and pull-offs for legato practice for only one minute at a time.

**christianm77** · 12-02-2016, 10:43 AM

Also check out Mike Moreno's video on articulation on musicmasterclass.com

**JensL** · 12-02-2016, 10:52 AM

Originally Posted by Steven Mal

Thank you Jens. That's some useful info. I hadn't thought of hammering on and pulling off in between certain notes instead of simply picking the first note on each string and hammering on and pulling off every other note.

Also, I remembering seeing you take a guest solo in one of Chris Zoupa's videos a long time ago. You're a really talented player.

You're welcome! Yes I played a guest solo on Chris' EP. I guess that was my debut as a Metal guitarist

Jens

**Steven Mal** · 12-02-2016, 11:42 AM

That Tim Miller video is good. He mentioned on of my weaknesses. I'm having a lot of trouble keeping my fingers close to the fretboard, especially my ring and pinky fingers. Notes played by my pinky are sometimes inaudible. I'm playing half notes to 40 bpm right now and it's almost too slow. My volume isn't even at all.

**audlegend** · 12-04-2016, 03:47 AM

Originally Posted by Steven Mal

I've been trying to develop my legato technique for about six months using various lessons from the internet. I feel like I'm not improving. Surely I need to practice more and have more patience, but in your experience what exercises and lessons worked for you when learning and developing your legato technique?

I'm using a legato workout that focuses on helping even the most hardcore alternate pickers. I've learned legato chops with ease which endowed my fret hand with new-found strength. To add some fluidity to your single-note lines, you can try some legato workout, probably, a one-hour legato workout that will gravitate you comfortably.

Having an excellent strength-training exercises for your fret hand is one of the best ways to develop the technique.