Advanced Tapping
ROCK
From Hal Leonard Guitar Method:
Guitar Techniques
Mastering a Multi-Fingered Technique
BY MICHAEL MUELLER
Eight notes in a major scale from root through octave, and eight fingers on two human hands (not including thumbs)—coincidence? Back in
the mid ’80s, Steve Lynch (Autograph) and Jeff Watson (Night Ranger) made a lot of noise—and notes—via their amazing eight-finger tapping
techniques. Though the moniker was more symbolic than definitive, as all eight fingers were rarely used in a single line, both players routinely
recruited five or six fingers to play their legendary legato lines.
To perform multifinger tapping, you’ll first need to “lose” your
pick. If you have a pick holder on your guitar or mic stand,
that will work fine. Otherwise, you can do it the old-fashioned
way—put it in your mouth (please don’t choke!). Your fret hand
is positioned normally, but your pick hand should be above the
neck, opposite the fret hand. In this manner, you can tap onto
the strings piano-style with your right hand. You’ll want to place
your pick-hand thumb on the top edge of the neck, slightly
toward the underside, to offer your hand support and stability.
Let’s start with a D major arpeggio that uses an open string (D) and two fingers from each hand. Concentrate on achieving equal volume with
each hammer-on and pull-off.
Now, let’s incorporate some scale tones and extend the lines to require three and four fingers from the pick hand. Remember, your attacks
should be balanced, and it’s going to take some practice to get that high E note to ring with authority when tapping with your pick-hand pinky
finger. Take it slow and work hard to keep it clean. Once you’ve got this example down, try switching to other strings or incorporating this type
of line into a normally picked solo.
Head to premierguitar.com to hear sound clips for this lesson. Also, see the extended version!
