I've recently noticed that my trill is crap. I can't do it fast at all, I have no idea how to get my fingers to hammer-on and pull off so quickly. Are you supposed to put your wrist into it or what? What's the trick to doing a trill right? I would appreciate it if someone could demonstrate or explain how to do it right.

(I have searched the forums already but none of the threads explained it in detail).l

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Hey, this is what allan holdsworth says about hammering and pulling off. Try hammering on so the loudness is maintained, and when you pull off, 'lift off'. thats probably the key to your speed problem. I see so many people that take the phrase pulling off too agressively, and it looks like they are trying to rip the string off the fretboard, and their fingers curve and they just look so tensed. I think thats it.

Try some rigorous legato finger strength and dexterity exercises. Like when I'm running scales across one string, I will do an ascending/descending diatonic hammer-on pull-offs. That has really helped out my legato and thrill technique. Also seems like to keep more sustain on the notes being played on the pull-off, actually pull the string up or down just a hair to re-flair the sound for the next hammer-on, kinda like taps, need a good tap to legato to.

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the best way to improve ur trill is to do the 1234 legato for a little.
or just watch a movie and trill for a long ass time.
another thing to do is to get a sock rolled up in a ball and squezze it sorta like a pressure ball or what ever its called. thats what pitchers do before playing a game, and it really helps. just im not so sure with a sock.

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best thing to do is practice.

and for trills you only have to pick once. just hope you got this down.

its pure chop build practice. just do hammerons and pull offs and youll build chop iny our fingers.

and i dont recommend any finger machines and shit cus frankly they can fuck you up.

YJM - You talk of warming up with squeezing a ball, ahve you ever heard of/seen these: www.powerballs.com - I have on that I use to warm up at times. I'ts basically a gyroscopic ball that you power with rotations and it builds up force thus working out your arms.

Basically, the easy answer or secret technique you're hoping to find doesn't exist. Just practice like a mofo: become house-bound and watch films whilst you trill, chane your diet to one-handed foods like sandwhiches etc. Hell, I've even practiced on the throne before. Without condoning 'illegal substances', if you find solace from the garden of Weeden, it's a great influence to be under whilst working on/practicing arduous and strength-building excercises

By the way, is anyone here fluent in the two-handed trill, people like 'Corpse and Fetus (minor third trills) and Decapitated (A lead bit of work in "Three-Dimensional Defect) do them a lot. Example:

e--12h13p12h13p12etc

But 13 is trilled with the fretting hand then tapped again with a strumming finger/pick, so it's an insane tapping speed...

I take it that your hammering on from your first finger to your second or third? I find that i can get a quicker trill by slighty turning to the thumb side, so my first finger rests on the bottom of the neck. If your hand is touching the whole neck its probably a bit too close, so your fingers wont have as much free movement. If you see what i mean...