Legato Workout with 3 Note per String Scales

July 2, 2009 Legato | No comments yet

Great way to work on legato technique (hammer-ons/pull-offs) is to play 3 note per string scales in different positions. Here are some patterns for the major scale:

I marked the root in every position for reference. Its always nice to know where the roots are!

Start slowly, make sure that each note is sounded equally loud and with right timing (yep, use metronome). Try to keep your fretting hand as relaxed as possible! Remember, legato is all about quick and light! Making effort to hit the string harder will not do any good. So stop and relax as soon as you feel that your hand is overstressed. You might also want to start higher on the neck, so there will be not so much stretching and gradually move down to the open position.  »