Tapping

I do not assume any responsibility for frustration, injury or death resulting from the application of these exercises.

With tapping, I am referring to two-hand tapping, which is a legato playing technique that uses one or more fingers of the picking hand to fret notes.

I used to tap a lot, since it is a convenient way of creating a cloud of notes that gives the aural impression that you're playing really fast. Furthermore, it looks cool with your picking hand over there on top of the frets.

But tapping is more than just a show-off gimmick. Just like any guitar technique, there are ways of making two-handed tapping come off as hopelessly derivative. Conversely, there are ways to make it fresh and an essential part of your style.

How to Tap

There are as many tapping techniques as there are guitar players. The two most common techniques use either your picking-hand index finger or middle finger. There are advantages and drawbacks with both approaches. The index finger has more control than the middle finger but tapping with the middle finger enables you to keep your pick in playing position. Some players simply use the edge of the pick to tap. Yet another variant is to hold the pick with your thumb and middle finger, freeing the index finger for tapping. Experiment a lot and find what works best for you.

Tablature Explanation

These are my non-standard tablature markings for tapping-related techniques:

Tapping Arpeggios

The simplest tapping figurations that occur use three notes, commonly arpeggios. Here are some basic examples on how to tap an E minor arpeggio on the top E string:

         T        T        T        T
E-12h15-19-12h15-19-12h15-19-12h15-19-

   T        T        T        T
E-19p15p12-19p15p12-19p15p12-19p15p12-

   T           T           T           T 
E-19p15p12h15-19p15p12h15-19p15p12h15-19p15p12h15-

Tapping Arpeggios with Auxiliary Notes

The above figurations are difficult to perform without sounding like Eddie van Halen. However, they can be adapted to sound slightly different simply by not including the obvious notes. Instead of straight major/minor arpeggios, experiment by adding seconds, fourths and/or sixths to the tapping patterns:

Esus4:

   T        T        T        T
E-19-17-12-19-17-12-19-17-12-19-17-12-

Esus2:

   T        T        T        T
E-19-14-12-19-14-12-19-14-12-19-14-12-

Emadd9:

   T                 T
E-19-15-14-12-14-15-19-15-14-12-14-15-

Using Tapping to Extend Scales

Tapping can be used as a fifth fretting finger to increase reach and/or play patterns that would entail clumsy slides with either of the fretting-hand fingers:

   T                       T
E-19p17p15p14p12h14h15h17-19p17p15p14p12h14h15h17-

   T /T \T                             T /T \T 
E-19s20s19p17p15p14p12s11s12h14h15h17-19s20s19p17p15p14p12s11s12-

Tapping can be used to extend scale patterns from two to three or from three to four notes per string:

E-------------------------------12-15-
H-------------------------12-15-------
G-------------------12-14-------------
D-------------12-14-------------------
A-------12-14-------------------------
E-12-15-------------------------------

The sharp-eyed reader will immediately recognize an E minor pentatonic scale. Here is the same pattern with three notes per string and a lot of unison notes:

E----------------------------------------------12h15h17-
H-------------------------------------12h15h17----------
G----------------------------12h14h16-------------------
D-------------------12h14h17----------------------------
A----------12h14h17-------------------------------------
E-12h15h17----------------------------------------------
   1  4  T  1  3  T  1  3  T  1  3  T  1  4  T  1  4  T

This sets things up for the following cool lick stolen from a Nuno Bettencourt lesson in Guitar World. The lick uses yet another technique called a hammer-on from nowhere or fretting-hand tap. The note is simply fretted with enough force that it rings out.

   T 
E-17p15p12--H--T-------------------------------------------------------
H----------15-17p15p12--H--T-------------------------------------------
G----------------------14-16p14p12--H--T-------------------------------
D----------------------------------14-17p14p12--H--T-------------------
A----------------------------------------------14-17p141p2--H--T-------
E----------------------------------------------------------15-17p15p12-

Tapping Pedal Points

Tapping a pedal point makes for a smoother sound and weirder fingerings than would be possible by picking:

   T     T    T    T    T    T    T    T    T    T    T    T    T
E-12-10-12-8-12-7-12-8-12-7-12-5-12-7-12-5-12-3-12-5-12-3-12-2-12-

Vice versa, the pedal point can be held by the fretting hand and the notes tapped by the picking hand:

  T   T   T    T   T    T    T    T    T    T    T    T
E-8-5-7-5-8-5-10-5-8-5-10-5-12-5-10-5-12-5-13-5-12-5-13-5-

These principle can be combined for a dual pedal-point lick using an open string and tap-on:

   T       T      T      T      T      T      T      T      T
E-12-10-0-12-8-0-12-7-0-12-8-0-12-7-0-12-5-0-12-7-0-12-5-0-12-3-0-

Bending and Tapping

Tapping can also be used for effect when performed on a held bent note:

E---------------15----------------
H----13-15-15b1----15b1r-15-13----
G-14---------------------------14-
D---------------------------------
A---------------------------------
E---------------------------------

E-------------------T---------------
H----13-15-15b1h>-(18)-(r)-15-13----
G-14-----------------------------14-
D-----------------------------------
A-----------------------------------
E-----------------------------------

Tapped Trills

Ornaments such as the trill can be performed with both hands for a more intense effect. The trill can be performed as-is or on a held bent note. Tapping with the edge of your pick is recommended for effect here:

E------------T---------|-----------
H-17b1h>-tr(20-17)-(r)-|------T----
G----------------------|-7-tr(9-7)-
D----------------------|-----------
A----------------------|-----------
E----------------------|-----------