8-Finger Tapping Stuff
Ok, this obviously includes any other combination of fingers etc that
you choose to use, but the
title is just to give a broad idea :)
I started using multi-fingered taps about 6 years or so ago, when I had
a fabulous guitar tutor
for a couple of years; hence all the ideas are not necessarily my own,
but most of them are.
First, some pointers to get you in the right direction here; make sure
you play with either a clean
tone, or a very clean distortion (yes, it is possible !). Secondly,
switch to the neck pickup; this
will pick up any mistakes you make a bit better than the bridge one.
Thirdly, if not using all 8
fingers, which is awkward in gig situations, hold the pick between
thumb and forefinger and use
your other 3 right hand (rh) fingers to tap. That's what I use most of
the time.
If I am doing a completely/nearly-completely tapped solo, I tend to
have my rh palm just resting on the low
E string by the base of the neck, thus muting it. You can obviously
shift this over to cover the other strings
if you are say using only high E & B. However, if you are tapping on
the lower strings, this obviously
isn't going to be too handy, so I mute the strings not in use with my
first finger of my left hand (lh).
This takes a while to get used to, and I didn't notice I did it till I
looked; even when that finger is
fretting a note, it is still muting the strings underneath it which are
unfretted.
Assuming you know the basics of tapping, and some taps already (ie
Eruption etc), I'll move onto some
warm-ups.
This one here is just to get all 8 fingers flowing. Do this all the way
up the neck
hammering on, then back down pulling off (ha ha..>!).
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
--------------------5-6-7-8-etc-----
-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-----------------
t t t t
rh: 1 2 3 4
This one involves skipping strings (same principle though and is good
for muting practice).
----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
-----------------------------9-10-11-12- etc
----------9-10-11-12--------------------
---------------------5-6-7-8------------
-5-6-7-8--------------------------------
t t t t t t t t
rh 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
This one is great for developing strength in your rh, and done fast can
produce a nice
trill effect I use a lot.
rh 1 2 3 4 3 2 1
t t t t t t t
-5-7-5-7-5-7-5-7-5-7-5-7-5-7-5-et---
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
Once you have this going, you can add notes and slide the taps
instead of just hammeron, pulloff. Here, the "/" symbol means slide the
tapped note
up the neck. This makes it sound like insects or something, when you do
it fast :)
rh 1 2 3 4
t t t t
-4-5-7-9/-7-9/-7-9/-7-9/-7-5-4-5-7-etc
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
That's a load of good practice stuff. How to use this in solos....well,
say you are soloing in E
major - simply extend the scale. Knowing modes here helps by the way !
ie:
E major
--------------------------------------------14-16-17-
------------------------------------14-16-17---------
----------------------------13-14-16-----------------
-------------------13-14-16--------------------------
----------12-14-16-----------------------------------
-12-14-16--------------------------------------------
just add notes on in that key up the neck !
----------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------
-------------------------12-14-16-17-19-21-23-24----
-12-14-16-17-19-21-23-24----------------------------
t t t t t t t t
rh 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
..and so on :)
You don't of course have to use all 8 fingers ! Sometimes just adding 2
taps is quicker. And
it makes it easy to keep hold of the pick.
Here's a good lick:
rh 2 2 3 2
t t t t
-------------11-12-15-17-19-17-15-12-11-----
-10-13-15-17--------------------------------
--------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------
Another thing I like doing is using 2 scales linked-up; ie C and G.
This is another played
still holding the pick.
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
------------------8-10-12-15-17-19--
-8-10-12-15-17-19-------------------
t t t t t t
rh 2 3 4 2 3 4
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
------------------9-10-12-16-17-19--
-9-10-12-16-17-19-------------------
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
t t t t t t
rh 2 3 4 2 3 4
-------------------10-12-13-17-19-20
-10-12-13-17-19-20------------------
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
t t t t t t
rh 2 3 4 2 3 4
Also, tapping notes within very close proximity to fretted notes using
legato can sound
verrrrry quick indeed. This is one of my faves; bit hard to tab as I
normally just rip it
off without thinking, but here goes ! This is again in E major.
rh 2 2 2
t t t
-12-14-16-17-16-17-16-14-12-------------
----------------------------17-16-14-12-
----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
rh 2 2 3 2 3 2
t t t t t t
----------12-14-16-17-19-17-19-17-16-
-14-16-17----------------------------
-------------------------------------
-------------------------------------
-------------------------------------
-------------------------------------
rh 2
t
-14-12------------------------------
-------17-16-14-12------------------
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
Chords: you can make cool backings by using huge chord-type things
involving taps; here's one I
have used; keep the tapped bit the same here, and just alternate the
chords.
rh 1 2 3 4
t t t t
-----------------17-----------------
--------------15--------------------
-----9-----14-----------------------
---7----12--------------------------
-5----------------------------------
------------------------------------
other chords to play under the tap:
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
-----11------9------7---------------
---9-------7------5-----------------
-7-------5------3-------------------
That's probably enough for starters ! :)
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