Question: Is it acceptable to hit an adjacent string during slurs? For example, when playing a pull-off on the 2nd string is it okay to make contact with the 1st string with the left hand slur finger?
Answer Summary: The answer is based on the context of the desired musical result of your descending slurs (pull-offs). When the slur finger rests on the string below the sound from that string is muted whether intentionally or not. Therefore, if you wish for the adjacent string to continue to sustain you need to avoid it with a shallower follow-through or a more on-off slur movement. If you wish to mute the sustaining adjacent string intentionally you can make contact on the adjacent string but without re-striking it.
Let’s explore these tips in more detail.
Three Types of Slur Movements in the Left Hand
There are three types of slur movements we practice in classical guitar and each one affects the sound in a different way.
- Downward Pluck: The descending slur finger plucks the string and rests on the adjacent string. This is essentially a left hand rest stroke. This provides a strong and solid sound to the slur in which both slurred notes can sound relatively even. Hoever, this mutes the adjacent string if it was sustaining.
- On-Off Release: In this descending slur the finger moves directly up and down (or on and off) from the string without any contact on adjacent strings. This produces a softer slurred note (the second note of the two) and if the adjacent string is sustaining it continues to sustain.
- The In-Between Slur: This slur movement is one where there is a mild downward pluck with the slur finger offering clarity to the slurred notes but no contact is made with adjacent strings. This is a more precise movement and there is varying degrees of pluck vs direct release. The potential for accidental muting or re-striking the adjacent string is the danger here.
At minute 3:17 I demonstrate the Three Ways to Play Pull-offs (Descending Slurs)
Additional Sustain Considerations
Re-striking the sustaining adjacent string – It is not advisable to re-strike a sustaining adjacent string with the slur finger to imitate the sustain of that string. For example, you play a descending slur on the 2nd string while the 1st string is sustaining, your slur finger re-plucks the 1st string to avoid muting it. This would change the notation of the composition and add an extra note. In this situation I’d advise you use either the On-Off Release or the In-Between slur technique.
Additional Muting Considerations
Muting with the left-hand slur finger – For example, you play a descending slur on the 2nd string while the 1st string is sustaining, your slur finger makes contact with the sustaining note to intentionally mute it. This is an acceptable way to mute an adjacent sustaining string if the circumstance allows. In some situations the right hand or another finger can also mute the string. But yes, this is an acceptable way to mute a string intentionally.
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