Guitar Tapping Technique
Guitar tapping technique is very popular amongst electric guitar players. Whether you play the guitar with heavy distortion or just use the clean sound you can always find the benefit of this technique. Some people prefer holding the pick with their thumb and index fingers and do the tapping with the mid finger while others might feel they have better control doing it with the index finger. There is really no right and wrong about this, it’s all about preference. But like anything else guitar tapping really takes practice and patience to master. This technique basically implements the hammer on and pull off together.
While this technique looks easy many people don’t realize they tap badly. One may think that this technique is easier to do with a lot of distortion however it is not that simple. Cranking up your guitar through distortion will also generate audible extra noises which unfortunately come out if the tapping technique done by the player is not clean. The best way to do this is to start the tapping at the speed you are comfortable with which gives you clean notes. It is very important to get the right notes at slower speed rather than playing the notes in a fast lightning speed but all the notes you play sound terrible.
This technique should involve string muting technique as well to prevent unnecessary noise created during tapping the strings.
Two handed tapping technique
Two handed tapping technique is another way to perform tapping on your guitar. Also known as ‘touch style’ this technique normally requires no plucking, striking, strumming or plucking. Both your hands will be busy tapping the guitar fretboard, making this style similar to what a piano player play his instrument. To make the notes you play sound more audible you need to amplify your guitar.
With this technique you can mimic the style of piano players who play the chords with the left hand fingers and at the same time play the melody with the right hand fingers. Or maybe you prefer doing it the ‘jazz’ way? Let your left hand fingers play the walking bass while your right hand fingers play the chords or melody. Again, this technique needs practice and a lot of patience.
The gear setting
To play two handed tapping you need guitar with very low action. Attacking the strings at normal guitar action will create the sound of your finger hitting the string first before you hear the notes you want to play. With low action you can get rid of this forerunner noise because the strings will response to your finger immediately at a very light attack. Now when we are talking about low action you are probably thinking how low we should set the action. The answer is you have to set it extremely low until you have only a tiny gap between the top of the 12th fret and the strings. Once you master this technique you can raise the action a bit higher.
You will also need to dampen your strings at the nut to prevent them ringing at open position.
-TJ-
Beginner Guitar Lessons Admin
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