double handed tapping technique

[gwEm]

largely for a bit of showmanship i've decided to play of few licks double handed.

i tried simply hammering with my picking hand, but i didn't find it very effective. if i do a sort of pick/hammer motion - in other words picking the string in the the area of the neck where i'll hammer... this works out much better. with a bit of practise i was able to do a few simple arppegios, though slowish.

whats the proper way to do this? is there a better way?

[Antag]

Not sure about "proper", but I pull off with my tapping finger (FWIW, I use my middle finger) slightly diagnonally downwards (i.e. a little towards the floor) rather than straight up & down over the string.  In other words, my fingertip performs a sort of oval shape between taps.

I also sometimes use the edge of the pick to tap (Satriani does this sometimes)

[TwilightOdyssey]

This is the best way to to it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRJ4Re8jKWU

[gwEm]

This is the best way to to it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRJ4Re8jKWU

damn 80s stage lights and pyrotechnics... can't see his fingers ;)

[kevincurtis]

Loudness, jeez I'd forgotten all about them!

Basically do as Antag suggests and practice doing trills just using the right hand (your finger of choice) to play the notes, then start bringing in the left hand ... jobs a good un :)

[Matt77]

There's loads of ways to tap.
I remember seeing Reb Beech talk a lot about tapping in his tuition video
He quickly collapses his thumb, 1st finger and plectrum into the palm of his right hand and then uses his middle finger

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8q0Mb_uOG8 skip to about 2:15 for the flash tapping bit

Then he talks about some more indepth tapping stuff here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGjEaganMLk

[dave_mc]

^ those reb beach vids are great! seen them before, but they're always good.

i just pull off with my right hand, slightly across (if that makes sense)... just like a left-hand pull off, but with the other hand.

van halen is probably the easiest place to start for tapping...

[TwilightOdyssey]

van halen is probably the easiest place to start for tapping...

Steve Hackett, Return Of The Giant Hogweed.

[dave_mc]

just checked it on youtube, sounds pretty cool. :)

[JDC]

There's loads of ways to tap.
I remember seeing Reb Beech talk a lot about tapping in his tuition video
He quickly collapses his thumb, 1st finger and plectrum into the palm of his right hand and then uses his middle finger

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8q0Mb_uOG8 skip to about 2:15 for the flash tapping bit

Then he talks about some more indepth tapping stuff here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGjEaganMLk

I've never every heard of anyone using their ring finger to play strings while changing string in a tapping lick, does anyone else use this, I just hit the string against the fret really hard with my left hand when changing strings while tapping

I love to do legato like the lead guy in meshuggah or alan holdsworth

[gwEm]

thanks for the tip and links. i tried some last night - i like that reb beach technique... but of course i'm still extremely ramshackle at tapping ;) time to practise.

[Tesser]

For a basic lesson, I don't think there's one better than this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=268PcyxU4kE

And the tapping part of Eruption is a fantastic exercise imho for when you've got the basic technique down, for which you can find a lesson here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGioRJvq2f4

He also has a little funky method for hiding the pick in his middle finger - personally I just brace my middle finger against my thumb and forefinger and move my whole hand.

And for some more complicated string skipping stuff, I found these licks great, especially the pentatonic one:

http://www.ibreathemusic.com/article/97/2

A lot of stuff, but I hope it helps :)