This month's selection is the tune "Daughter of Pete's Feet" from my latest recording, Thumbsing. The piece is in open D tuning (low to high - D A D F# A D) and pitched to standard.

The main theme involves an exploration of hammer-ons and pull-offs to create a bouncy and cheery theme. This tone is set from the first measure as the right hand (p and m - or thumb and middle right-hand fingers) plucks strings 3 and 1 while the left-hand fingers (1 and 3, or index and ring) continuously hammer on and pull off the strings to create an even and steady ride.

The most crucial part of this technique involves the pull-offs where the left-hand fingers must pull directly down instead of simply lifting off. This plucking motion of the left-hand fingers facilitates continuity of tone and intensity, which is essential since the right hand will not be picking again until the 4th beat of the measure. Note also that although the right hand has only plucked strings 3 and 1, the left hand suddenly involves strings 3 and 2! This can be effectively accomplished by a very aggressive and confident left hand during the pull offs. There should be enough left-hand activity to produce a continuous flow of music.

On beat 4 of the first measure I use my left-hand thumb to reach over the top of the guitar neck to finger string 6 at fret 2. Given their relative fretboard widths, this type of move is more easily done on a steel-string guitar as opposed to a nylon-string guitar.

In measure 2, beats 2 and 3 (which consist of triplets) include what I once heard referred to as a hammer-on from nowhere. By simply slamming down the left-hand 2nd finger in an aggressive manner, a sound is created in the middle of the music allowing for a hammer-on and pull-off effect. Measure 4 involves the same technique but with the voicing moved from the 4th string to the 5th string.

On beat 2 and 3 in measure 6, be sure to slide the left-hand 2nd and 3rd fingers up quickly, in more of a grace-note fashion, producing sort of a rhythmic bounce in the feel of the measure.

There is much more to this piece involving a slide in the middle of the tune, as well as more hammer-on's and pull-off's in the voicing on strings 5 and 3 where the tune almost seems to play itself. See what you can do to create your own tune using these techniques!

Best of luck,
Richard Gilewitz

The entire tune "Daughter of Pete's Feet" from Richard Gilewitz's latest release Thumbsing can be heard by clicking here.