Legato that actually cuts through
Legato means hammer-ons and pull-offs that match your picked notes in volume and length. A slurred blur under high gain isn't legato, it's missing notes. Train it on a quiet, clean-ish sound first.
Why metal players need it
Metal is a pick-driven style, so a lot of players skip legato. Then they need it for tapping, fast slurred runs and phrases that need to breathe. Weak pull-offs also limit your tapping: the tapped note slaps and the notes underneath disappear.
Step by step
- Two notes, one string, one pick. Pick the lower note once, then hammer onto the higher fret. Is the hammer-on as loud as the picked note? If not, it's late or soft. The amp won't fix that.
- Now pull off. Start on the higher fret. Pull slightly down toward the floor so your finger plucks the string as it leaves. Just lifting off mutes the note instead.
- Even triplets or 8ths. Pick, hammer, pull-off against a click, with every note taking the same slice of time. Use the 1-bar routine.
- Keep the other strings quiet. Use your fretting-hand index or a light palm. Slurs plus ringing strings equals sludge.
- Only then add gain and longer runs. Three-notes-per-string runs across two strings come after one-string evenness. Changing strings mid-legato is a new problem, so don't sneak it in early.
Exercise
B string. h = hammer-on, p = pull-off. Pick only the first 5 of each group.
e |--------------------------------|
B |--5h7p5--5h8p5--5h7p5--5--------|
G |--------------------------------|
1 2 3 4
The 7 and 8 need to be as loud as the picked 5. If they're not, stay on this bar. Don't add a second string yet.
Common questions
Should every fast run be legato?
No. Picked 16ths and slurs sound different, so choose on purpose. For riffs, the default is still alternate picking.
Why does my legato disappear in a mix?
Unpicked notes have a softer attack. If they're also quieter, they vanish. Make them even at your fingers, before any compression.