Lesson #025, The Choke & the Pull off

Hi Everyone,

There are two more left hand techniques I would like to discuss and teach you before we get into Train 45. They are the pull-off.... which is basically the opposite of the push-off except you pull and release the string you are using as opposed to pushing off on the string. These two techniques... the push-off and the pull-off sound pretty much identical except that you "push" a string towards yourself and "pull" a string away from you. You can use either of these techniques for an identical lick. I feel more comfortable using either of these techniques on different strings and you will see what I mean when you start experimenting with these techniques on different licks for yourself. For example... It would feel more comfortable for me to use a push-off on the fourth string than perhaps a pull-off. Likewise it may feel more comfortable to me to play pull-off on the first string as opposed to using a push-off. Both techniques can be used, but one or the other may feel more comfortable or natural to you when you are playing some of these licks.

The choke is another left hand technique used alot in playing the Bluegrass Banjo. It consists of bending a string without releasing your left hand fingering. You can see and hear what the choke sounds like in the video. I love the technique of choking.....it can really add alot of spark to your playing. It can also be used to great effect in playing bluesy sounding licks or lines.

Rock On All,

David