So through the amp, those sounded like normal hammer-ons to me.
You can usually hear and feel a clank when doing it on the bass. You can hear it a little amplified in your example but not bad at all.
One thing you might want to do is see if you can lower your action. Since you are only seeing this on your weaker fingers it is possible that you are overcompensating with the strength needed to do the hammer-on or something. But really what you posted sounded pretty good to me.
Hey all! Sorry for the delay - I’m on a bit of a winter break, so I’m only on here once a day-ish.
@akos! The hammer-ons and pull-offs look pretty good.
The clack sound you’re getting is all part of the hammer-on technique, and I think it all sounds good.
Some things you can do to get it cleaner / smoother / quieter / more comfortable:
1 - hammer-ons
The technique is real good here. Clear, clean. Something that I recommend to get less clang/ring on the hammered notes would be - instead of just one finger coming down for the hammer, try using all the fingers behind the fretting finger. The index finger is on its own. Think of pushing through the string and really getting solid connection with the index finger, and not pushing a button, or tapping the string. That will help.
For the other fingers, bring the behind-the-fret fingers down to help out.
This is something that you can do sometimes for a hammer-on, sometimes you can’t - depends on the application in the song.
But if you bring down (for example) your first and second finger when you hammer with your ring finger, it’s more weight, so it’s a more solid connection on the fretboard, and the fingers behind the fret help to mute any behind-the-fret clang/ring that might be there.
You have this one down nicely as well. To refine it and get smoother/cleaner transitions, here’s what I’d suggest:
In general, the degree of the actual pulling is on a sliding scale. If you’re pulling off to an open string, or you’re attacking a note and immediately pulling off, you don’t need much tug or extra attack from the finger that is pulling off.
When you’re doing a long chain of non-attacked notes, and you need to keep the sustain on the string going, you might need more actual pulling from the fretting fingers.
I’d also suggest something like I suggested with hammer-ons. I love keeping more hand/finger on the fretboard whenever possible. It keeps the noise and clanging to a minimum. So if you’re doing a pull-off with the middle finger, try bringing you index finger down as well, likewise with ring finger and pinky.
For the pull-off at the end of the video - 9th-8th-7th fret, I’d try a few things.
First: try playing the 9th fret with your pinky/ring combined. Then pull off to middle, then index. Allowing your hand to relax into a closer shape might really help clean up that phrase.
Alternatively, you can do super quick micro shifts. Keeping that first finger anchored when you’re pulling off ring-to-middle is a strain on the hand. I’d say - relax the index finger and let it be out of position, then - once your middle finger is going for the pull off, put it where it needs to be.
That last suggestion - with the micro-shifts and such - that’s on the more advanced side of things, but it’s what I see my hand doing when I go to execute fast things that will stress my hand.
I hope this helps.
As ever, let me know if I’m spitting out crazy talk here, if it helps, hurts, etc.
And - here’s a bonus.
I think that there should be a cool sci-fi movie where the invading, war-like aliens are called The Hammeron. It’s such a cool alien name.
“Captain! It’s a Hammeron Destroyer Fleet!”
“Good, gods, Jenkins. We’re doomed.”
Thanks @Gio, good stuff as always. 
I’ve tried the multiple finger thing, it definitely helps clean up the sound on the hammer ons. On the (fretted) pull offs however it’s a bit challenging, because now I have to pay attention to which fingers need to be pulled off, and which one stays on the fret at the end. And the timing is challenging as well, sometimes my fingers don’t pull off all at once, and I get multiple notes. I’ll need more practice.
Having said all that, I think I’m going to keep practicing with single fingers as well, hope it’s going to strengthen them a bit.
Actually this is exactly what I initially wanted to ask here a couple of days ago, because anchoring my index finger was straining my hand. But then Mark in the talkingbass video mentioned that I should keep it anchored, so I went with that. Anyway, good to hear that this is not illegal, it’s definitely going to make things more comfortable.
If it works for you, and if it makes the sound you want to hear, it is not illegal. Bass technique is still very much the wild, wild west.
Because we have such a new instrument, and because we’re an accompaniment instrument, and because no one started establishing a pedagogy for this until pretty recently - there’s good suggestions out there, but nothing is illegal.
Does anyone have song recommendations (preferably easier ones) to practice hammer-ons and pull-offs? I’ve tried incorporating them into the songs I already know, but that didn’t really work.
Uptown Funk has hammerons and slides. That part is fun to play. I should dig it out, haven’t tried it in a long time. It’s not super easy with the slap part but you can ignore that if you want.
Thanks, I’m going to check it out.
And yes, definitely no slapping… I still have PTSD about module 13.
In light of this I think I already know what you’re going to say, but thought I’d ask anyway:
The only way I’m able to do pinky pull-offs is by rotating the wrist (with the pinky acting as a claw), instead of pulling with the pinky. Is this a bad habit to get into? Asking because a) pulling with the pinky is uncomfortable and I don’t want to injure myself, and b) this does not work when I have to do multiple pull-offs (pinky-ring-middle).
This always takes precedence in my book.
I was goofing around with different pull-off moves with my pinky after you posted this.
I couldn’t find anything real quick and efficient that didn’t need the pinky to do at least some independent work…
But don’t hurt yourself.
Most important all the time.