Hammer-On/Pull-off

Pat Carlson · From: Sutton, Nebraska, R.I.P.

Would someone advise this rookie steeler
just what a Hammer-On/Pull-Off is please.
As used in steel guitar rag Key of E.

Thanks in advance from the lone steeler
of the Western Prarie......Pat

Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

Hey Patrick,
A hammer on is when you pick an open string and then touch it with the bar a fret or two up on the same string to achieve two notes with only one picking motion. A Pull off is just the opposite where you pick a fretted string and then pull the bar off to achieve another lower note on the same string. You can do both by picking an open string and then touching it with the bar a fret or two up and then pullin the bar back to get three notes with one picking motion. Dobro players do this all the time but my favorite steel player who's mastered this technique is the great Doug Jernigan... Later dude.......JH

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Livin' in the Past and the Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning.

[This message was edited by Jerry Hayes on 08 July 2003 at 11:11 AM.]

Ricky Davis · From: Bertram, Texas USA

That is a Mighty Fine Description Jerry.
Ricky

Bryan Bradfield · From: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.

I am a dobro player, just beginning to dabble in pedal steel.
I've taught dobro for years. I dislike the term "pull off". Instead, I call that move a "push through".
For dobro players, "pull off" usually means "lift off". A lift off results in an audible buzz as the bar moves away from a vibrating string. Do the "lift off" very slowly, and you'll hear what I mean. Unfortunately, a pedal steel player, using a bullet bar, almost has to perform a lift off, unless the player has a flat back end (on the bar!), and can reverse the bar to do a "push through".
The push through is easily done using a dobro player's Stevens steel. Push the string slightly toward the fret board, moving the bar slightly towards the player. Snap the string from under the bar, as the tip of the sharp edge of the bar moves to a point mid-way between the "just pushed through" string, and the next lower string. The bar has to move away from the now-moving string. Avoid hitting the fret board with the bar.
I demonstrate the clarity of this type of movement by performing the push through on a non-vibrating string. After the push through, there should be a very clear open string sounding.
The only trick for the hammer on is to damp the string behind the bar immediately after the hammer.
To empahsize the need for this damping, I demonstrate the hammer with damping and without damping. Without damping one can hear the vibration of the string behind the bar after the hammer.

Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

Hey Patrick,
A couple of good examples of this techniques on instrumentals would be Herb Remington's "Remington Ride" or Buddy Emmon's "Raisin' the Dickins". Also if you can score any of Doug Jernigan's bluegrass stuff, especially "Ol' Joe Clark" you'll hear the master at work.
Bryan, I've played Dobro for years and have never heard a term called "Push Through" anywhere. Is that on you use yourself? A lot of pedal steel players use the tip of the bar and actually do pick the string and pull it to the rear to help excite it. On my Dobro, I use a Shubb/Pearse bar which is like a Stevens but one end is rounded and use the rounded end for everything. I hate those squared off things. I guess it's from playing steel mostly.....Have a great day...JH

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Livin' in the Past and the Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning.

Bryan Bradfield · From: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.

Jerry - "Push through" is an expression I coined to differentiate the movement from a "lift-off". The steelers movement you described - pulling the bar to the rear to help excite the string - is close to what I'm describing.
On some types of tunes, the hammers and pull-offs are so rapid that my push through technique is both impractical and unnecessary. You chose a good example in your message - I play Remington Ride on the dobro with a rapid series of hammers and "lift-offs". The movements are rapid enough that I don't notice any extraneous string buzzes.
I primarily use the push through technique on single note "pull-offs" for greater clarity of the open note.

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