Eight Finger Tapping

Malkav

Okay so I figured that it would be cool to do an article on a technique a little less known about in the world of guitaring. EIGHT FINGER TAPPING Also known as lots of silly things like "bidextral Slurring" and "The Octadigital Technique". Eight finger tapping is more than just a new way to wank off and can add a whole new dimension to your legato playing so it would be in better interests to not simply disregard it as a show off technique. Also keep in mind that even if you are only using three of your picking hand fingers to tap lines you are still technically "eight finger tapping" so if you'd prefer to try and adapt these exercises to using three fingers because you just can't figure out what to do with your plectrum at the right moments then feel free. These are just helpful things that I've found along the way that can help with developing this technique and most of the exercises I use are from Guthrie Govan cause well not many guitarists have put forward material relating to this topic. As for muting you'll have to figure out what feels the most comfortable for you as I go with the hair tie by your nut way of doing it so I can have more diversity on where my hands go, but you could use you left index finger to mute unwanted strings though you'll get a lot of squeak when moving positions. Exercise 1 This is just an Am7-Am9 progression. Exercise 2 outlines an A major idea starting on a sus4 chord. Exercise 3 uses some painful stretches and alot of fourths Exercise 4 works around an A minor-seventh Exercise 5 this is an A-minor pentatonic with your right hand mirroring your left Exercise 6 is a C-Major pentatonic idea much like exercise 5 Exercise 7 uses the same notes as an A-minor pentatonic but groups them in 5ths to get a more intervalic sound. Exercise 8 is also an idea uses groupings of 5ths but doesn't really rely on lots of alternate hand movements. Exercise 9 this is a C maj7 arpeggio with an a added to the end to show that it can imply an Am9 Exercise 10 this is a Chromatic (bugger you always get landed with one) Exercise 11 this is a double chromatic thing that kinda sounds like a nokia ringtone. Exercise 12 & 13 Both of these are an A minor pentatonic pattern Exercise 14 Is an A Aeolian mode lick Exercise 15 your left hand moves an A major-seventh arpeggio in increments of a tone while your right hand hammers on at the 17th fret. Exercise 16 is the concept of a chordal capo, your left hand holds an am9 shape while your right embelishes it

Malkav

Exercise 17 is a G major mother of a lick. Have fun!

deanBailey

Nice, I've been trying 8 finger tapping for a while, but never actually sat down to practice them.

I started off with this video of Niels Vejlyt:

Thanks for the lesson ?

arjunmenon

Hey Chad,

Awesome thread! 8)

Love exercise 11...very Petrucci with a pinch of Cooley in it!

You should start writing a thesaurus of extremely difficult melodic patterns....you know, just for the heck of it! ?

Malkav

Well this is the guy who got me into Eight-Finger Tapping, and trust me he is a master of it.

http://www.guitarforum.co.za/youtube-guitar-videos/daniele-gottardo/

and here's a lesson on Eight-Finger Tapping by him which has some awesome licks if you can get them right