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I usually like to end my online lessons by asking for your suggestions regarding future topics. The overwhelming response has been for a series of lessons about two-handed tapping. Well, since I love to take requests, here is the first installment!
The best place to start when looking to develop your tapping skills is to isolate the right hand (the one that right-handed players use to pluck the strings). The left hand is more used to tapping than the right because the basic tapping technique is very close to fretting technique. The exercises that I give you today focuses on strengthening all four fingers of your right hand, as well as improving their agility. One thing to keep in mind: If you want to quickly improve your finger strength, you should play through these exercises slowly, always striving to have the notes sound loud and full.
Before getting to the exercises, we need to discuss a few important concepts regarding the right hand tapping technique. First of all, you need to keep your right hand thumb anchored onto the top edge of the fingerboard. This will not only allow you to play with more power, but it will give you a reference point that will allow you to tap with more accuracy. Also, be sure to try to tap the strings with the tips of your fingers, not the pads. This will improve your tone and will keep you The basic theme of all of the exercises today is that you will be tapping out a C Major scale, starting with the C on the 15th fret of the A string. To maximize the value of these exercises, you need to maintain the familiar "One Finger Per Fret" discipline. Here is an outline of which finger to use to tap which note, and where each note is located:
Here are the exercises that I recommend:
Exercise #2) Play through the scale, ascending and descending, in thirds. (ie: play C and E, then D and F, then E and G etc.) You are basically "leapfrogging" through the scale.
Exercise #3) Play through the scale, ascending and descending, in runs of three notes at a time. (ie: play C, D and E, then D, E and F, the E, F and G, etc.)
Exercise #4) Play through the scale, ascending and descending, in runs of four notes at a time. (ie: play C, D, E and F, then D, E, F and G, then E, F, G and A, etc.) Until next time... Stay Tuned!
from inadvertently hitting the neighboring strings. Lastly, your fingers should have a nice arc to them when you are tapping. I see some people try to tap with their fingers straight and it makes their lines sound awkward and their execution is often sloppy. (See figure 1 for recommended right hand tapping form.)
As you can see, by maintaining this fingering discipline, every finger gets used. You may be uncomfortable with having to use your pinky so much, but it will strengthen quickly.
Exercise #1) Play through the scale, ascending and descending, playing each note slowly and loudly.
If you play each of these exercises slowly and repeatedly, your right hand tapping will become strong and agile. In future tapping exercises I will give you some independence exercises and some cool licks that will get your two hands working together.
