Now we’re getting to the good stuff, boys and girls. In part 1, we learned how chromatic notes connect through the pentatonic scale. Part 2 is where those notes come alive with hammer-ons and pull-offs. This is the SRV magic that makes people’s heads turn when you’re gigging.
The Open E Pentatonic Canvas
We’re working with E pentatonic minor. Same scale from part 1, but now we’re using both positions on the neck. This gives you more room to move and more options for where your riff lives.
The inspiration here comes from a simple melody — Mary Had a Little Lamb. I know that sounds basic, but that’s the point. You don’t need complicated ideas. You need strong ideas that sit in the pocket.
Pick-Hammer-Pick That Makes It Dance
Here’s the technique: pick a note, then hammer-on to the next note without picking again. Your left hand does the work. Your pick hand stays ready. Pick again. This rhythm pattern — pick-hammer-pick-hammer — creates this rolling, lilting feel that’s pure SRV.
Don’t rush the hammer-ons. They’re not speed demonstrations. They’re phrasing tools. Each hammer-on connects one idea to the next like you’re speaking naturally. You’re not yelling. You’re having a conversation with your audience.
The Extended Scale Secret
E pentatonic minor has five notes per octave. But SRV often extended beyond those five. He’d add the major 6th or other chromatic neighbors. Don’t get caught thinking you have to stay within the five-note box.
Your ear is smarter than any rule. If a note feels good to your ear, it probably sounds good to everyone listening. Trust your instincts when you’re improvising over the changes.
Letting Notes Ring: The Resonance Factor
This is something a lot of players miss. When you’re using hammer-ons and pull-offs, you’re letting strings ring over each other. You’ve got open strings vibrating while you’re fretting notes above them. That creates a natural harmony you can’t get any other way.
Let your open E ring. Add notes on top. Let the G ring over it. That’s where the texture comes from. That’s what makes a simple riff sound full and lush.
The Closing Move: G to E to High E
We finish this riff with a specific closing shape. Hit the G — that’s the 3rd fret on the 6th string. Then your open E. Finally, catch that high E (1st string open or 12th fret depending on what register you want). This three-note shape becomes your landing zone.
You can resolve back to this shape no matter where you wander in the scale. It’s your home base. It’s your anchor.
The Collecting Mind: Building Your Arsenal
I want to share something I tell every student I work with: if you learned one riff a day for a year and knew it in all 12 keys, you’d have 365 tools in your toolbox. That’s not exaggeration. That’s strategy.
These SRV licks aren’t just party tricks. They’re building blocks. Learn this one so well that your fingers play it automatically. Then transpose it. Play it in A. Play it in D. Play it in G. Suddenly you’re dangerous on the bandstand.
Putting It All Together
The hammer-on pull-off technique in this lesson is foundational. You’ll use it in blues, rock, jazz — anywhere you want notes to connect smoothly. Spend time with this. Let your hands find the muscle memory.
Move on to part 1 if you missed the chromatic foundation, and get ready for part 3 with the Pride and Joy closing riff. Each piece builds into a complete SRV vocabulary.
Want the bigger picture on blues guitar fundamentals? Check out our full blues riffs guide for context and theory that ties everything together.
This is how you grow as a player. One riff at a time. One key at a time. One gig at a time.
