Guitar Dictionary Category
Classical & Flamenco Guitar
What Is Ligado on Guitar?
Ligado is a Spanish classical- and flamenco-guitar term for left-hand slurs. It normally includes ascending slurs played as hammer-ons and descending slurs played as pull-offs.
The picking hand attacks the first note of the slur group. The fretting hand then sounds one or more following notes without another ordinary pluck.
Ligado vs Legato
Legato is the broader musical instruction to connect notes smoothly. Ligado refers more specifically to the guitar’s left-hand slur technique. A passage can sound legato while still using several right-hand attacks, and a ligado can be played badly enough that the result does not sound connected.
Ascending Ligado
Fret and pluck the lower note, then place another finger quickly and close behind the higher fret. The finger’s speed and placement create the new note; pushing harder after contact does not increase its volume.
Keep the hand balanced so the hammering finger does not pull the other fingers out of position.
Descending Ligado
Prepare both notes before the first attack. After the upper note sounds, release its finger with a small lateral plucking movement so the lower fretted note or open string speaks clearly.
A straight upward lift often produces a weak second note. Too much sideways motion bends the string and changes the pitch.
Ligado and Rhythm
The second note must arrive at its written subdivision. Players often rush because the left-hand movement feels fast. Practise the phrase with every note plucked first, then restore the slur while preserving the rhythm.
Count: 1 & 2 &
Action: pluck 5, hammer 7, pluck 7, pull 5.
Goal: equal timing and similar volume across all four notes.
Multiple Ligados and Ornaments
Several hammer-ons and pull-offs can appear under one slur. Trills and mordent-like ornaments may also depend on the left hand. Begin with two-note groups and add notes only when the sound remains even.
Why Ligado Matters
Ligado creates smooth articulation, ornaments and rapid left-hand passages while reducing repeated right-hand attacks. It also develops finger independence and control that carry into scales, chords and position work.
Kalymi Tip
Practise ascending and descending ligados separately. The movements solve different problems: the ascending finger must arrive quickly, while the descending finger must release with a controlled sideways pluck.
Use the rhythm from the score as the test. A louder second note is not an improvement when it arrives early or bends out of tune.
Related Terms
Learn More
- How to Play Classical Guitar: Lesson One
- How to Play Classical Guitar: Lesson Two
- Guitar Learning Path
- Pull-offs and Hammer-ons on Guitar
- How to Play a Guitar Slur
- Kalymi Music Library
Reviewed by
Brent C. Robitaille,
music educator and founder of
Kalymi Music.