Keep your fretting hand (left hand for right handed players) as close to the strings as possible. This makes faster play possible as well as improves tone and the ability to play legato.

An exercise that aids the accomplishment of this technique is to put your fretting-hand fingers on the same string, one per fret on consecutive frets. For example frets 2, 3, 4 and 5 with fingers 1, 2, 3, and 4 respectively. Touch the string very lighty, do not yet push any fingers down as if you are going to actually play a note.

Ascending: Play the 2nd fret (1st finger) pushing it down while the other fingers only touch the string. Play the 3rd fret (2nd finger) while the other fingers only touch the string. Play the 4th fret (3rd finger) pushing it down while the other fingers only touch the string. Play the 5th fret (4th finger) while the other fingers only touch the string.

Descending: Play the 5th fret (4th finger) while the other fingers only touch the string. Play the 4th fret (3rd finger) pushing it down while the other fingers only touch the string. Play the 3rd fret (2nd finger) while the other fingers only touch the string. Play the 2nd fret (1st finger) pushing it down while the other fingers only touch the string.