| Tapping basics.
If you've never tapped before, you'll find that it is quite difficult to apply the right amount of force to make the notes ring out. Try and make your tapped notes as loud, if not louder, than normal fingering.
Here's a little exercise to get you started. Once you've got this down, you can make up your own stuff. It's quite easy, and very fun.
This is a tapped major chord. I've marked down the hands with which you are supposed to hit the frets. (R=right, L=left).
L R R L
|-----------------6---|
|------------7--------|
|-------7-------------|
|--5------------------|
Basically, your are playing a major chord as you would normally.
BUT!!! instead of using the left hand to fret all the notes, and then plucking with your right hand, you are hitting the root and the major third (that's the 5 and 6 in the tab) with the index and major of your left hand. You are hitting the fifth and octave (the two 7s in the tab) with the index and major of your right hand.
Once you've nailed it, you'll notice that it is possible to go much faster than normal finger style: that is one advantage of tapping. The other advantage is that you can play much more complex chords, otherwise impossible when playing normally.
Here's a tapped minor chord.
L R R L
|-----------------7---|
|------------9--------|
|-------9-------------|
|--7------------------|
Now go back and forth like this, on the major chord.
L R R L R R L
*|-----------------6---------------|*
*|------------7---------7----------|*
*|-------7-------------------7-----|*
*|--5------------------------------|*
Don't forget that it is in the form of triplets. Use a metronome if you have one.
Repeat for the minor chord.
Now you can add the major and minor chords together, and you are already starting to make music.
You might notice the intricate balance between all the notes of a scale when you tap out chords like this. Major and minor chords are like brother and sister. Every note is related somehow.
Here's an example:
Take a major scale. Play this finger style.
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------4---6---7---|
|-----------------4-----5----7---------------|
|--5------7----------------------------------|
Root 2nd 3rd 4th etc
Remember how to tap a minor or major chord?
Tap the root as a major, as you did in the exercise above, and than tap the second scale degree (the B) as a minor, the third (C#) as a minor, and the fourth degree (D) as a major chord.
From here, play around, discover the relationships between all the notes. Practice tapping chords for different degrees of a scale.
There are plenty of other ways to tap (on a single string, between octaves etc) but this should help get you on the way to greatness.
I hope this helps. Feel free to PM me if you want any more info.
The best thing this exercise is for is to play around, and discover things by yourself. Good luck!
__________________
"Not a member of any clubs" club member 1.
Last edited by Dr. Feelgood : 01-23-2007 at 01:19 PM.
| 
