Two Handed Tapping Basics

Warren · 2011-03-03T11:46:39+00:00

I understand the two-handed tapping technique a la EVH, and have spent some time practicing it. However, I just can't seem to get that clean, fluid sound ri...

Two Handed Tapping Basics

FruitarGeek

Stratisfear wrote: Fruitar, there's a forum member here called Guy Onraet, who has only been playing for the last fifteen minutes. And he can double-hand-tap like he's playing a keytar. So I'm siding with Chad on this one.

I can double hand tap. But it doesnt mean I'm good at it.

Malkav

FruitarGeek wrote:
Stratisfear wrote: Fruitar, there's a forum member here called Guy Onraet, who has only been playing for the last fifteen minutes. And he can double-hand-tap like he's playing a keytar. So I'm siding with Chad on this one.
I can double hand tap. But it doesnt mean I'm good at it.

Just cause you're not good at it doesn't make it futile ? Some of us are very into our Octodigital technique ?

FruitarGeek

Chad Adam Browne wrote:
FruitarGeek wrote:
Stratisfear wrote: Fruitar, there's a forum member here called Guy Onraet, who has only been playing for the last fifteen minutes. And he can double-hand-tap like he's playing a keytar. So I'm siding with Chad on this one.
I can double hand tap. But it doesnt mean I'm good at it.
Just cause you're not good at it doesn't make it futile ? Some of us are very into our Octodigital technique ?

Ok. Futile was a bad choice of words. Its a personal opinion. Like, I dont think its worth practicing and learning how to double tap, especially if it takes such a long time, when I gotta develop my right and left hand to work faster together. Its all about prioritizing. And if double tapping is on your top list. Then go for it

Malkav

FruitarGeek wrote:
Chad Adam Browne wrote:
FruitarGeek wrote:
Stratisfear wrote: Fruitar, there's a forum member here called Guy Onraet, who has only been playing for the last fifteen minutes. And he can double-hand-tap like he's playing a keytar. So I'm siding with Chad on this one.
I can double hand tap. But it doesnt mean I'm good at it.
Just cause you're not good at it doesn't make it futile ? Some of us are very into our Octodigital technique ?
Ok. Futile was a bad choice of words. Its a personal opinion. Like, I dont think its worth practicing and learning how to double tap, especially if it takes such a long time, when I gotta develop my right and left hand to work faster together. Its all about prioritizing. And if double tapping is on your top list. Then go for it

Here's just a cool example of someone who has both great alternate picking chops and amazing 8-finger tapping. He also uses a Thumbpick instead of a normal pick in this video...shit's intense... 8)

BMU

Hey CAB, not sure how you're supporting your argument that tapping is easy and everyone should learn it by posting all these mega difficult tapping god vids? (Ahm just sayin' ? )

I agree with Fruitar. For someone getting to grips with guitar, the practice time is much better invested doing the basics well.

Malkav

BMU wrote: Hey CAB, not sure how you're supporting your argument that tapping is easy and everyone should learn it by posting all these mega difficult tapping god vids? (Ahm just sayin' ? )

Nope the intention of posting those videos was to show what could be achieved with the technique in order to say that it's not futile, it may not be everybodies thing but it's certainly by no means a futile technique. You can achieve a sound that's just incredibly fluid and different with the technique, I suppose in some ways it can be a great way to emulate woodwind instruments phrasing ?

Keira-WitherKay

i'm with chad on this one .........

any technique is worth learning cos no 2 artists ever apply the same technique the same way ............ so i'm very pro , learning what i can from everyone....... and then absorbing it into my own style and often in my unique way ..

so i say yes to learning and being influenced by all techniques and styles..... but i say A LOUD NO to people who spend 10 yrs practising some technique or style and then become clones of some or other player , and can play their stuff note for note and get the perfect tone ..........

to me there's a huge distinction between being influenced by a style and cloning another player ..........the 1st case makes you an artist the 2nd case of cloning another players style note for note shows great pacxience and determination but makes you a technician not an artist
anywa y who needs another vai/guthrie/satriani/ect ect

but as any great muso will telll you ,,,,,,,, "find your own "voice"...but feel free to steal influences along the way

arjunmenon

Well said Keira. +1

arjunmenon

Warren wrote: Because when I'm trying tapping I've got the volume and gain cranked high (making the guitar as touch sensitive as possible) I was picking up loads of handling / other noise.

Hey Warren, just noticed the above a short while ago. Have you tried the technique with the gain turned down?
Maybe it's the gain that's making it sound sloppy. Worth a shot i suppose.

Cheers

Warren

Arjun Menon wrote:
Hey Warren, just noticed the above a short while ago. Have you tried the technique with the gain turned down?
Maybe it's the gain that's making it sound sloppy. Worth a shot i suppose.

Cheers

I can try that, but it ends up sounding weak, not very legato-y at all... ☹ Just my technique?

Malkav

Warren wrote: Just my technique?

Most likely...Though I really don't want you to take that the wrong way...

You've gotta tap pretty hard to get a good strong tone, and even then you don't wanna overdo it cause then you'll pull the tapped note out of tune. Focus on doing it clean on a clean channel just to get the basic technique down and then learn a few 3 note arpeggios of your liking (classic Van Halen sus9 tends to be a good one) and then practice tapping these arpeggios on one string, maybe make a little 3 chord progression to keep it interesting. Focus mainly on dynamic and tone, getting nice rounded full sounding notes with each tap, applying just the right amount of force. Then gradually speed up, hopefully the little etude you've composed or 3 chord progression will keep you enthralled up to this point, and then when you feel you can play it at an amicable tempo add some distortion, maybe a delay (420ms) and let rip with some epic shredder chops. Then, and this is the part that requires discipline, once you're done treating yourself to a short wailing session turn that gain and that delay off and then sit there with it on clean and slowly build up tempo again ? That way you can compare between with and without gain technique, make sure you're muting correctly etc ?

You could also add a light bit of compression on the clean channel, this will even out the notes and get them nice and even in volume, however you don't wanna overdo it cause the more even the volume curb becomes the less dynamic your sound will have ? I don't advise using the compressor on your distortion channel though as overdrive naturally compresses so it just thins out your sound if you add more compression. <--- You possibly know all of this already but it may help someone else ?

Guthrie Govan and many other gifted players manage to tap out long fast passages with entirely clean tones so it is definitly possible ?

arjunmenon

Having become more of clean sound person, i completely agree with Chad.
It's difficult to pinpoint areas of the technique that need to be worked on when there's stuff like drive & delay masking it.

Warren

Thanks guys! I obviously just need to work on the technique then. Those are great tips, thanks Chad! 8)

Demon-Dave

Here’s a brilliant example of two handed tapping by Bill Hudson of Caldera, I know it’s a bit advanced, but its still a great example.

http://www.youtube.com/user/guitarworld?blend=1&ob=5#p/u/41/9Btp369CEsg

arjunmenon

CAB, you've got Karma my friend.