Guitar Lesson - Using A Legato Technique to Play Scales

In this lesson we are going to look at playing scales with legato technique. Legato playing is a smoother way to play notes; it is the same idea as a trumpet player playing an extended group of notes on one breath. Playing legato involves using very little picking while sounding notes using hammer-ons and pull-offs. Watch the fingering and the pick symbols closely.

Proper Form

The first order of business is having the proper hand form. If you do not use the proper form you will find it very difficult to execute the legato technique, you may even find it painful. The focus is on your fretting hand. The wrist must hang and the fingers must each stretch to the fret it is going to play.  Notice the form I have in the following pictures.

Here is a clear view of the hand and wrist

Players Perspective

Notice that I keep my hand in the same form even when I ascend the strings to the thinner strings. Form is of the utmost importance when performing this technique.

Now that we have our form in proper alignment let us move on to the legato technique.

The Exercises

Example #1: Whole Step – Whole Step

Example #2: Whole Step – Half Step

Example #3: Half Step – Whole Step

©2010 Fred Russell Publishing, All Rights Reserved. This article can not be used without permission from the Author. To Contact the Author email curt@RockHouseMethod.com