Hey Guys I was doing a basic fingering exercise lately, with the first 3 fingers, like going forwards and backwards (on any fret any string), like from 123 and 321 (fingers), using alternate picking. been hearing metronomes the best in increasing your speed so im using that, a digital one on my pc.
If I go near 130bpm and higher on the metronome, its really tough to pick (even alternate pick) those 3 notes, and I see that simply picking the first note and hammer-ing on (2nd and 3rd fingers, when going forward) and pulling-off (from 3>2>1) makes this WAAYY EASIER, instead of alternate picking each and every note. Is this normal or am i doing something wrong (by using hammer-ons and pull offs as speed increases)?? Am I right in guessing that this is correct?

its all about practice, unless you got some kind of teacher beating you down because he knows you have more talent than him, there is no wrong way to practice, after all.....hammer ons worked for eddie vanhalen...right?  keep up the finger work, hammer work, and practice practice practice. dont ever get discouraged its fun and wayyyyyyy cheaper and better for you than gambling....lol!

i love hammer ons and pull off they help strengthen up my fingers
there is a program called the finger gym i found on youtube
and it just different patterns and as for speed i never
knew there was a speed limit for playing guitar so if you
wanna go fast do what you gotta do. like dougbw said
pros do it all the time and no one faults them cause there
isn't a problem

if it sounds good, it is good

I'm going to go against the grain here (apparently) and say that hammer ons and pull offs are not the same as picking every note. Taking short cuts is also not good. If you find something you can't do that you'd like to, practice until you can do it.

I guess I would agree to a degree with that. I don't find it so much of a short cut but just that is the level you are at where it is easier to add the hammer ons or pull offs for speed. Then that will be to easy and you with pick the notes faster then add the hammer ons on top of the to gain more speed. Just go till the needle flies of the metronome or your finger tips come off and you play with bones

Zu, i say that whatever works for you is correct. That said plus agreeing that being able to pick each note has major value, i've been hammering on for a long time now (Old Tele Man explained it to me some) and now i'm learning pulloffs more and more...i like double pulloffs a lot. The thing i noticed trying to building speed is learning the piece played the original way is best for me. But by the same token, since there are usually hammers, pulloffs not to mention slides and bends...i think that unless you're only playing original (your) music that you write, one would be better off learning and using legato and other speed techniques so one can play other ppl's music since part of their 'sound' has to do with the techniques used.

As an example...and listen,...i'm not fast on my guitar at all...but i tried and tried to make sense out of a 'Layla' tab...just wanting to learn the opening riff then maybe go from there. The tab i had made no sense...then youtube was invented and AHA !...so that's how Eric Clapton does it i said ! I found a youtube Layla tutorial that even had a tab, got the opening riff down cold and now i'm ready to move on up the neck. But before, with just the plain tab and no knowledge of pulloffs, i was sunk from the git. Yep, a pun. Anyway, stick with legato and electric technique but like shai mentioned, there's no sub for being able to pick all the notes too.

Cheers,

GuitarZen

Its all a matter of taste. EVH was a hammer/ pull guy and Ritchie Blackmore was a super fast pick guy. But, its your style, do what suits you or practice both til you can do either or.

like all new technique i don't always find a practical application for them but i learn them
and try to do them well. whether i ever really use them in my playing. and
i don't say that where my learning and technique fall short are my style.

I use both in conjuction because they have different sounds...I tend to mostly pick things but I use Legato Runs as well...its really about the sound of it more than speed...cause if your technique is correct you should be able to pick 16ths up to about 200 bpm .... tahts left and right hand coordination..the only reason the legato seems easier is because you are taking the pick out of the equation..and going solely of the speed of your left hand....