Tapping

Tapping on the guitar is really not too difficult when done correctly. One of the things that goes through my head when tapping is how can I minimize my hand movement on the fretboard. A lot of tapping patterns are just scale runs, more or less, with a higher note picked on the fretboard for a unique sound. Through this lesson I will go through step by step how I would create a riff, I am winging it but it will sound like a riff. My guitar is in D# and I am just using a D Phrygian scale. Play this pattern slowly or accelerated. I wrote it to be a fast tapping part.

Step 1: Get A Basic Melodic Line Or Passage Flowing

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-------------------------------------------13---- riff x2
--------15-4-6-8-13-4--------15-4-6-8-13-4-------
-8-9-11---------------8-9-11---------------------

Now what a lot of artists will do is just move the riff up a string. The same melodic line, and almost the same exact movements. So:

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-------------------------------------------13---- riff x2
--------15-4-6-8-13-4--------15-4-6-8-13-4-------
-8-9-11---------------8-9-11---------------------
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Okay so basically I would play the first riff over again after the second tapping part. Then the second part one time through. Usually I would then end it with a different tapping part such as:

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-13-8-4-8-15-8-4-8-16-8-9-11---------------------
-----------------------------16------------------
-----------------------------14------------------

Now to conclude the lesson, these tapping positions can be used on numerous places on the fretboard, there are no limitations. I seriously wrote this riff as I was writing this lesson, so take it as you will, but I am just giving basic knowledge that I have learned and hoping that it helps you guys out.

Comments

[krypticguitar87]

my biggest problem with this lesson is that you don't really tell the reader where or how to tap, you essentially said "here's a riff with tapping, have fun!"

it would have been much more helpful if you said something along the lines of: "tapping is when you use a finger from your picking and and perform a hammer-on then pull-off while freting with your fretting hand below allowing a really high note to be heard before the lower notes... etc." it also would have been much better if you marked the tab with a 'T' above the note to be tapped.

sorry but this would teach a beginner (or somone who wants to learn tapping) almost nothing.

[ThrashnBurn1]

This lesson really is not for a beginning guitarist. I should have been more clear and stated that every note being played is either a hammer on or a pull off, there is no picking involved. Any note on the 13, 15, or 16 fret is being tapped, the rest are hammer ons and pull offs. If a person is beginning tapping, I suggest just picking one position of hammering on and pulling off for your fretting hand, and moving up and down the neck with your tapping finger.

[futant1976]

Remember that when you tap it is always on the highest fret number that way you can release to the two or three lower notes!!

Too easy! And Thank ThrashnBurn1 for the lesson!

[Infanticidemj]