Have you heard about legato?

It’s a very musical and helpful tool to add to your kit!

And today’s lesson is all about that! :) But first things first… what exactly is legato? Well, I’m glad you’ve asked! Here’s the definition of legato:

➡️ Legato means smooth and flowing. In practice, it means picking less, often only when you move to a new string.

Please note: The downloadable resources mentioned at the start of the video are within the Major Scale Pattern 4 lesson immediately before this one here.

Legato is a pretty common technique, and you’ve probably used it before! If you're following my Guitar Courses, you’re familiar with hammer-ons, flick-offs, and even slides. But now, as Intermediate Guitarists, we should explore how to use them to create musical statements!

In this lesson, we’ll use the term Legato to mean a combination of hammer-ons and flick-offs, and not slides - yet. Slides are something we’ve explored already, and you can combine them back in later.

🚨 Other guitar teachers and players often say pull-off instead of flick-offs. When doing this legato technique, you’re not pulling anywhere, but your finger does flick off. So, flick-off is a better descriptive name than pull-offs.

Ready? Let’s go!

5 Reasons Why You Need Legato Techniques

I’m sure you’re asking: but why exactly do you need legato in a Major Scale course? Well, there are many reasons why you should experiment with Legato techniques. Here are my five favorite ones:

Reason #1 - You’ll Play Faster!

Many guitar players, including me, find it much faster and more fluid to use Legato than picking every note individually.

Reason #2 - Make It Flow!

Using legato techniques will make your solos flow better. Many jazzers like to say it sounds more like a saxophone. Take that pick attack away, and it really can flow beautifully. :)

Reason #3 - Dexterity

Legato forces you to control your fingers in new ways, which helps with your overall agility.

Reason #4 - Dynamics

Legato notes sound quieter than picked ones, so it forces you to pay attention to your dynamic range. That will help so many aspects of your playing!

Reason #5 - Relax & Play :)

To play fast, you have to relax - tension slows you down. And being relaxed is essential for all playing!

Ok - have I just convinced you of how vital legato is? :) I hope I did because this is a real game-changer to any guitar player that wants to go further in their journey! Now, let’s check out some legato techniques. Then, we’ll learn how to correct common mistakes new guitar players always make.

Hammer-Ons (HO)

To perform a Hammer-On, you’ll hit your finger down on a string hard enough for it to make its sound without having to pick it!

🚨 I recommend you spend some time doing my Finger Gym Exercise so that you can perform your hammer-ons with confidence! This legato technique requires some strength and control, and that exercise is your best option to develop your fingers.

When getting started with hammer-ons, you’ll probably find it very hard! You’ll also find that some fingers will perform hammer-ons easier than others. That’s nothing to worry about - you just need to practice!

Don’t worry about playing with a metronome when you first start it. You should add that in your practice when you can play Pattern 1 of the Major Scale reasonably in time. Remember - don’t practice mistakes.

Before you move on to learn how to play pull-offs on the guitar, spend some time getting your hammer-ons really under your fingers! Many of you will find that pull-offs are way harder to nail, so take your time. There’s no need to rush here - that will only bring you bad habits.

Flick-Offs (FO)

Flick-offs or pull-offs - it doesn’t matter what you decide to call it, but this legato technique is fantastic.

To do a flick-off, you need to ensure that the note you are flicking off to is prepared and ready. Then, you flick your finger slightly down, which in effect picks the following note. You must build a solid foundation in your mechanics here - as you improve, the feeling of the flick-off might even change, but the motion has to be correct!

Most people find flick-offs significantly harder than hammer-ons. But if you neglect them because they’re more challenging, you’ll never get them right.

Now let me walk you through some thoughts that will make all the difference in your guitar journey.

Legato Advice #1 - Tension Is Your Enemy

When you get into these legato techniques, you’ll find yourself using quite a lot of force. But keep in mind that your ultimate goal is to use as little tension as possible to get the notes ringing out.

Your fingers need to learn to dance over the strings - you can’t move fast when the muscles are tense.

So, there is a balance here to find! Don’t worry if you start with some tension and force while your fingers get the notes ringing out - but stay aware that the goal will be to remove all that tension! Tension is speed’s worst enemy.

Legato Advice #2 - Be aware of Open Strings

When you start using legato, you will likely notice that your fingers are brushing strings other than the one you are playing. You’ll need to work on your string muting techniques to fix this. If you want to play with gain, volume, or both, you must work even more - it sounds awful when random strings are ringing out while you play with distortion!

Legato Advice #3 - Timing Matters

Some guitar players, mostly rock guys, use legato techniques to play as fast as possible. They will often play without regard to the timing or subdivisions (the number of notes within each beat).

That’s quite a valid thing, especially when it sounds musical and expressive. However, I suggest that you start your legato journey by learning to play IN TIME. You will be learning to control your fingers, and that’s essential for many aspects of your playing.

Legato Advice #4 - Legato Dynamics

Ideally, you want both legatos and picked notes to be the same volume. To make that happen, you will have to pick more softly than you usual.

Those notes will likely jump out if you pick with a normal volume, which might be a useful effect at times. But I‘d suggest that you aim for a consistent dynamic when you start practicing this. You’ll have plenty of time in the future to work on dynamic changes.

Legato Advice #5 - Not Exclusive

I should point out that legato also doesn’t have to be an on-or-off thing. You might mix up a lick or phrase with a combination of some picked notes and some use of legato. No rules here!

Legato Advice #6 - Pay Attention!

Some people will say that it’s a good idea to work on legato as a muscle-only exercise - something you can do while watching TV. Well, that could be the case later on, but don’t start like that. You should make sure that you’ll get your technique right - including your timing! Once you have nailed the techniques, there is benefit in allowing yourself to be distracted and just working on it as a muscle exercise - but not early on.

Now take a look at a suggested routine so you can practice all the skills we’ve learned so far!

Practice Unit 6

I wouldn’t recommend starting your practice routine with legato. First, do something else to get your fingers warmed up! Legato exercises are physically demanding, and you don’t want to hurt yourself!

Exercise 1 - 5 minutes

Use the first 5 minutes to practice Pattern 4 of the Major Scale. Remember: do it slowly and carefully. When ready, you might move on and start practicing all four patterns you have learned so far.

Exercise 2a - 5 minutes alternating A/B

Time for a metronome! Slowly, try using Legato to play Pattern 1 of the Major Scale up and down. You should only pick when you move to a new string. Then, it’s time to use hammer-ons and flick-offs to play the scale up and down. Do it the same way you’re used to doing by picking.

The timing here is crucial. Be sure that you’re playing the notes evenly. Don’t rush your hammer-ons, and don’t make your flick-offs late. And aim for the notes to be all the same volume!

Exercise 2b

Using a backing track, looper, or jam buddy, improvise within the Major Scale and deliberately use as much legato as you can. If you are confident moving between different patterns, you can do so - but don’t be in a hurry! Spend some time just in Pattern 1 when you first start.

Remember - practice makes permanent, so practice perfectly.

💬 Join the discussion

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by JustinGuitar (@justinguitar)