Strap in because these seven guitar techniques might be your backstage pass to sounding like a pro.
They won’t include selling your soul for musical genius, but mastering them is as powerful as a guitar riff that gives you goosebumps. Whether you’re strumming in your bedroom or taking center stage, these techniques will amplify your talent.
String Bending: The Vocal-Like Guitar Technique
String bending is a fundamental technique in electric guitar playing that allows guitarists to imitate the expressive qualities of the human voice.
By pushing or pulling a string across the fretboard, the guitarist can change the pitch of a note, creating a smooth, vocal-like transition between tones.
This technique is particularly effective for adding emotion and depth to solos. It enables the guitarist to create a sense of tension and release, mirroring the way a singer might use vibrato or glissando to convey feelings.
String bending has become an essential tool for guitarists across various genres, from blues and rock to country and beyond, and is often considered a hallmark of expressive, soulful playing.
Vibrato: Adding Depth and Expression Technique
Vibrato is a fundamental guitar technique that creates a wavering, pulsating effect by rapidly bending and releasing a string in a controlled manner.
This technique adds depth, warmth, and expression to sustained notes, making them sound more dynamic and alive. By varying the speed, width, and intensity of the vibrato, guitarists can convey a wide range of emotions, from gentle and subtle to intense and dramatic.
Mastering vibrato is essential for any guitarist looking to develop a rich, expressive tone and add a personal touch to their playing.
Hammer-ons: Creating Smooth, Legato Notes on Guitar
Hammer-ons are a popular guitar technique that allows players to create notes without using a pick or plucking the string.
To execute a hammer-on, the guitarist first plays a note usually and then “hammers” a fretting finger down onto a higher fret on the exact string, causing the string to vibrate and produce a new note.
This technique is often combined with pull-offs (the reverse of a hammer-on) to create rapid, fluid passages or to embellish a melody.
Hammer-ons are particularly useful for playing fast, legato (smooth and connected) phrases and are a staple of many lead guitar styles, from rock and metal to blues and country.
Pull-Offs: Creating Notes Without Picking
Pull-offs are a guitar technique that complements hammer-ons, allowing guitarists to create descending notes without using a pick.
To perform a pull-off, the guitarist starts by fretting two notes on the same string, with the higher note being played first.
The fretting finger playing the higher note is then “pulled off” the string, causing the string to vibrate and sound the lower note. Pull-offs are often used in combination with hammer-ons to create fast, fluid passages or to add decorative flourishes to a melody.
This technique is essential for playing legato phrases and is widely used in various guitar styles, from rock and metal to blues and country.
Guitar Slides: Creating Smooth Glissando Effects
Slides are a guitar technique that creates a smooth, glissando effect by sliding a fretting hand finger up or down the neck while maintaining pressure on the string.
This technique allows guitarists to seamlessly transition between notes, adding a sense of fluidity and expression to their playing.
Slides can be used to connect phrases, add emphasis to specific notes, or create a sense of tension and release within a melody.
Mastering slides is crucial for guitarists looking to develop a more vocal-like, expressive playing style and add a touch of elegance to their phrasing.
Double Stops: Technique That Creates Rich Harmonies
Double stops are a guitar technique that involves playing two notes simultaneously, often on adjacent strings.
This technique creates a rich, harmonically complex sound that adds depth and texture to a guitarist’s playing. Double stops are commonly used in a variety of genres, including blues, rock, country, and jazz, to create powerful riffs, melodic embellishments, and expressive phrases.
Mastering double stops requires precise fingering and string control, as well as a good understanding of harmony and intervallic relationships on the fretboard.
Palm Muting: Technique for Percussive, Rhythmic Playing
Palm muting is a guitar technique that involves dampening the strings with the palm of your picking hand, creating a percussive, chunky sound.
This technique is achieved by lightly resting the side of your palm on the strings near the bridge while playing, which mutes the strings and shortens their sustain. Palm muting is widely used in genres like rock, metal, and punk to create tight, rhythmic guitar parts that drive the song forward.
Palm muting requires finding the right balance between pressure and placement of your palm on the strings to achieve the desired level of muting and articulation.
The Best Electric Guitar for Beginners
Fender Player Stratocaster MN, Tidepool
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OTHER INFO: 2-point Synchronised Tremolo bridge for increased tuning stability
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When you click ‘Check Price’, you’ll see there are loads of great places to buy this item. Our personal favorite is Sweetwater for the US, and Thomann and Gear4Music for the UK & Europe.
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The professional musician who wrote this article combined many things,
from the product build, manufacturer’s reputation through to feedback
from other users, to create our famous TedScore™.
LA Electric Guitar by Gear4music, White
FEATURES: Scale Length: 25.5"
OTHER INFO: 3x Single Coil, pickup configuration
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- Basic accessories may require additional purchases for a complete setup.
- Glossy finish attracts fingerprints, requiring frequent cleaning.
When you click ‘Check Price’, you’ll see there are loads of great places to buy this item. Our personal favorite is Sweetwater for the US, and Thomann and Gear4Music for the UK & Europe.
They are the largest music retailers, with excellent customer service, competitive prices, really fast shipping, and the longest guarantees.
The professional musician who wrote this article combined many things,
from the product build, manufacturer’s reputation through to feedback
from other users, to create our famous TedScore™.
SubZero Generation 7 Electric Guitar, 7-String
FEATURES: Scale Length: 27
OTHER INFO: 10-56 String Gauge
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- Minor finish issues and a flat finish, though within expectations
- Dry fretboard, but expected to be resolved with a setup
When you click ‘Check Price’, you’ll see there are loads of great places to buy this item. Our personal favorite is Sweetwater for the US, and Thomann and Gear4Music for the UK & Europe.
They are the largest music retailers, with excellent customer service, competitive prices, really fast shipping, and the longest guarantees.
The professional musician who wrote this article combined many things,
from the product build, manufacturer’s reputation through to feedback
from other users, to create our famous TedScore™.
Mastering the Unconventional:
7 Bizarre Techniques
These seven bizarre guitar techniques offer a wealth of creative possibilities for guitarists looking to expand their sonic palette and stand out from the crowd.
By mastering string bending, vibrato, hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides, double stops, and palm muting, you’ll be well on your way to developing a unique, expressive playing style that captivates audiences and showcases your skills as a guitarist.
Embracing these techniques and incorporating them into your playing will undoubtedly elevate your guitar game and help you sound like a pro.
Actually, regarding the palm muting section, it’s not just for creating a ‘chunky’ sound but also for controlling feedback and adding texture to the rhythm section which aligns with the physics of sound damping. It might be worth exploring these nuances further, Lewis.
Tara, excellent point. The technique’s impact on sound wave modulation is indeed noteworthy and underscores the instrument’s versatility.
Imagine slapping those strings like they owe you money, haha. Guitar playing’s wild.
The articulation of string bending technique as a means to mimic vocal qualities in music is fascinating. It’s a reminder of the guitar’s expressive capacity.
Hey, do you think the Fender Player Strat is really the best for beginners? Got my eye on one but still unsure.
Got mine last year. Love it!
Max, the Player Strat’s a solid choice. Versatile and forgiving for learners. You’ll like it.