Can't Get Rid Of Legato Tension Options

[steve25]

At the moment i'm doing something really simple to help legato and stuff. But the problem is i tense up so easily when doing it and can't get rid of it until i stop playing. When i do trills i'm fine i tend not to tense up so easily but i think it's because i'm having to hammer on and pull off so hard to get the notes to ring out.

E-------------------------------------
B----------12-h14-h15-p14-p12---
G------14----------------------------
D-------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------

This lick is all i'm doing repeated, and i still tense up with this. I also try to use distortion with it so i can learn to play cleanly as well but the thing is i'm having to hammer on and pull off really hard otherwise the notes won't ring out clearly and i think that's what's causing me to tense up so badly. Any ideas how i can get rid of it or is it even possible?

[Pavel]

I suggest you try learning Legato Etude lesson (otherwise called Basics Of Legato). It contains a useful exercise to get rid of legato tension.

[Muris Varajic]

Hi Steve

Guess you're using pinky,right?
One option is to avoid pinky at the moment so fingering will be:
14th fret G string-Middle
12th fret B string-Index
14th fret B string-Middle
15th fret B string-Ring

This is probably easier but you should practice with pinky as often as possible.
Also try playing 12th,13th and 15th on B string.
That will make you more comfortable for a while cause using ring and pinky together in legato,
hmm,probably hardest combination.

[PlayAllDay]

Definitely is the hardest combo to use ring and pinky
- I'm currently working on pinky, ring, index triplets and they are SOOOO difficult to get in perfect time.
But they are improving so I never will give up on them.
What I try for tension is turn up louder so you need less effort to get the notes to work
and focus on my breathing MORE than my playing at that point, slow, conscious breaths
and my hand relaxes the tension better.
Also maybe divide your pattern into two parts and work on one till you're happy
then the other direction till you're happy then try them together again.
And truly legato is in the end all about strength of those particular muscles
and accuracy/control of finger movements. Then you dont need to hammer on/pull off so hard.

[kahall]

I suggest you try learning Legato Etude lesson (otherwise called Basics Of Legato). It contains a useful exercise to get rid of legato tension.

That is a great lesson, explains it very well. I practiced it for a while, about 20 min, now I have a claw.

[steve25]

No, how you said i should do it is how i'm doing it anyway, i don't use my pinky not yet. I use my pinky for other things like alt picking, i'll do a pattern like

E-15-14-12-------------
B------------15-14-12--
G------------------------
D------------------------
A------------------------
E------------------------

Where the 15th fret i'll use my pinky. Pavel, thanks for the lesson i didn't know you had to direct your fingers vertically. One question though, Do i have to have my thumb in the middle of the neck? This feel extremely uncomfortable and quite difficult to position my fingers. When i put my thumb up and over the neck it feels much better and i'm still able to place my fingers vertically

[Pavel]

Man i explain it all in the lesson. The best thing would be to have it in the middle.