Metal Tapping Ideas

Before Eddie Van Halen hit the see, the idea of using two hands on the fret board seemed absurd. Why would you want to use two hands when one could suffice? What is the purpose of your hands fumbling over one another for supremacy?

Eddie Van Halen revolutionized an entire generation’s approach to the electric guitar, and while he wasn’t the first person to ever tap a note, he was the first to use tapping as a tool, and as such a larger part of playing.

So what are some metal taping ideas that can help you, the budding guitarist, play like Eddie Van Halen?

First off, before you let the waves of envy carry you away, you need to take a few things into consideration. Tapping requires acute timing, which means it is necessary that you either put in some time with a metronome or that you already have put in some time. Tapping requires a fully developed sense of rhythm.

It is a very flamboyant technique, and because of this, it is easy to get carried away with tapping, which can cause you to run past your time signature or lose track of your notes. Fully developed rhythm is internalized, which means that it will always be in the back of your head no matter what, so it is important that you develop it before going off on a guitar tapping frenzy.

Once you have your rhythm in order, you can move on to the techniques. The first tapping technique we will discuss is basic tapping. Basic tapping is one string tapping which usually consists of three notes strung together. When you tap, you want to make sure you have a dedicated tapping finger.

Usually, guitarists prefer either the forefinger or the middle finger, as they are the most powerful of the fingers. When you tap, you want to make sure that you hit the note dead on, avoiding the fret wiring. As soon as you hit the note, lift your finger and perform a pull off. As you will come to notice, tapping is basically a handy-helper version of a hammer on and a pull off.

Try a basic tapping run; choose a string and position your fretting hand with your ring finger on the seventh fret, and your index finger on the fifth fret of the same string. With your designated tapping finger, tap a note on the twelfth fret of the chosen string, and pull off the note. Allow your ring finger to perform a pull off to your index finger.

A second idea for tapping is what I like to call crisscross tapping. This tapping involves your fretting hand doing all of the work while your tapping hand stays on a note.

Fret your tapping hand on the seventh fret of your G string. Cross your fretting hand underneath, and perform a pull off from fret twelve to nine, then to open. Keep your tapping hand in the seventh fret. Instead of an open note ringing out, the seventh fret should ring out. Crisscross tapping is usually done in rapid succession, so repeat the double pull off to the fretted note as much as you like.

Once you get a hang of both forms of tapping, the final step for you is to practice. Try different patterns, and keep open mind; you never know what may sound good.