Bad Habit?

[Frank Carlson]

So recently, I realized that I was always doing pull-offs and hammer-ons rather than picking the notes. Is this a bad habit? I am working on my picking attempting to break it.

 

[Matt Wildman]

I mean that’s not a bad thing at all if you ask me. That may just be more prevalent in your playing style than others. Me personally I do hammer ons and pull offs every once in a while but I don’t over do them. It’s really just your style of playing and how much you utilize it. Syn does it a lot in his solos. Especially in his legato stuff. Just don’t make it a thing where that’s all you do. Other than that your good

 

[Ed Seith]

It’s not a bad habit. It’s a style, and a popular one. It’s called “legato.” Lots of prominent players use it as part of their arsenal, but few successfully made it the bulk of their style like the legendary Criss Oliva from Savatage.

 

[Calvin Phillips]

Ask mick mars if he liked the legato.. he did it many times in his solos.. nothing wrong with hammer on and pull offs. Great way to get the singer strength up. I think the picking part comes easy after you get the left hand down pat.

 

[Dominik Gräber]

Nothing wrong with it in generall, maybe If you Play covers. Hammer ons an pull offs Just have a slightly different Sound to them you May Not want If the original is all picked.

 

[Daniel Verde]

I remember when I first started playing I came to the same realization. Do not worry about it too much at first. Just focus on having fun and make sure you keep playing. Progress will come and eventually you will have the attention to detail required for either playing legato or alternate picking every single note.

 

[Sayonil Mitra]

What you said Frank is such an oversimplification. Both techniques are fine on their own. It really depends on the part that you are playing. If it sounds good with picking or with legatos, you have to decide. you can take Syn’s solos as a rough guideline of where he picks and where he uses legatos.

 

[idssdi]

It sounds like you’re doing everything legato which is not bad at all. I would advice to work on your overall picking to make sure you have more techniques in your back of tricks.

 

[Brian Haner Sr.]

It is a completely valid style. (Holdsworth, Tom Quayle, Oliva and many more have used it). My only suggestion would be to work on your picking techniques as well. Great guitarists have options and then make choices. Give yourself options. Everything you learn is just another tool. HOWEVER – that being said – if you end up being a legato God without any other techniques – there are worse problems. lol
Find your bliss. Make cool sounds come from your guitar however you can. Above all – be happy and enjoy playing.
Cheers!