Tapping Technique: A Comprehensive Lesson

Introduction to Tapping

Okay then, so let's check out tapping technique in a little bit more detail. Tapping is a really distinctive sounding technique. If you're into bands like Van Halen, then you've heard it all over the place, or perhaps extreme bands like that. Any bands from the 80s or any rock band with slightly flashy solos feature this technique prominently.

One thing that is really cool about it is that it allows us to achieve wide intervals on the guitar.

• My left hand could technically be fretting down here, just picking notes at random here might sound terrible.
• With my right hand, I can attack the highest note on the guitar.

Going to achieve a huge interval if I want to!

Common Tapping Phrases

The examples I'm going to show you are just some common tapping phrases that you might come across. We're going to look at it on a single string. The finger I recommend using is my middle finger to tap the fretboard with my right hand.

Some players will tuck their pick into their middle finger, wanting to use their first finger. That's fine if you're comfortable getting that down quickly.

Transitioning Between Techniques

What you've got to think about is the transition from perhaps picking something to tapping something:

• I'm holding my pick with my first finger and thumb.
• If I want to get into tapping using my first finger, I'm going to have to switch fingers and get my tapping finger ready to go like that.

Whereas I prefer to keep hold of my pick as normal and tap with my middle finger. But it's up to you, experiment with these things! There's not really a right or wrong finger to use. Some players even use multiple fingers at the same time for right-handed tapping.

My personal preference, as someone who doesn't do vast amounts of tapping, is to use my little finger. It allows for a smooth transition between picking and tapping.

The Tapped Phrase

The phrase we're going to look at begins with a tapped note on the 12th fret of the B string:

1. Keep all the lower strings quiet.

   • You can rest the palm of your right hand on these lower strings to minimize unwanted noise.

2. Hammer on forcefully and accurately, just as you would with a left-hand hammer-on technique.

3. Hammer on to our 12th fret.

4. Have your first finger ready at the fifth fret on the same string.

5. Use your right hand to pull off to that note.

Important Notes

This exercise is particularly useful if you're new to tapping:

• Aim to achieve a balanced volume between the tapped note and the pull-off.
• Use your first finger to mute the E string and your palm to quiet the lower strings.

What we want to hear is that clean B string tone.

Adding Complexity

A really common addition would be to integrate a hammer-on with the left hand:

1. Tap with the right,
2. Pull off to your first finger,
3. Hammer on with your third finger.

You can develop impressive speed with this technique. It feels natural to gradually increase speed, as it's a very tactile method that builds a deliberate rhythm.

Grouping Notes

We can also look at grouping notes:

• For a three-note grouping: 1, 2, 3, repeat.
• For a four-note grouping, we'll pull off to the third finger, pull off to the first finger, and hammer on again for a semi-quaver feel.

You can hear when done correctly that all notes are equal volume and there are no unwanted strings ringing out.

Conclusion

To sum up:

Tapping is a fun and engaging technique that you'll encounter in many songs throughout the Rock School series.

• Keep those unwanted strings muted!
• Enjoy experimenting with your own style.

Experiment with these techniques and enjoy tapping! Let's take a look at the next topic.