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Finger Tapping Lessons: Guitar Tricks for Shredding Guitar!

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Finger tapping on guitar is one of the coolest tricks you can use! If you really want to max out your right hand technique, you will need to learn this cool trick. No shred guitar lessons are complete without it!

Most of us are familiar with tapping to some extent or another. We have all seen Eddie Van Halen tear up the fretboard on "Eruption." Such popular guitar solos as this are chock full of tapping tricks.

Believe it or not, this right hand technique can be learned quickly and effectively. Once you get used to it, it becomes one of the easiest guitar tricks to pull off! And, it LOOKS really cool, too!

How Is Finger Tapping Performed?

Finger tapping is a trick for shredding guitar where you temporarily reach your right hand over to the fretboard and TAP a fret.

The finger that you use to tap the fret should be your right hand middle finger.

J Danger says:

"The reason you should NOT finger tap with your index finger is that it would require you to awkwardly conceal the guitar pick in your palm prior to executing a tapping phrase and to subsequently retrieve it prior to reverting BACK into regular soloing. It is a superfluous procedure that is MORE redundant than its own explanation. Getting the picture? Tap with Mr. Middle Finger."

An alternative method for tapping on the electric guitar is to use the edge of your pick like Kirk Hammett did on most of the guitar solos found on ...And Justice for All. However, the only reason I would recommend this method is for creating special effects, such as making your guitar sound like R2-D2's questioning appeal after receiving an overly cautious piece of advice from his intellectual companion in Star Wars.

Beginning Finger Tapping

Three-Note Triplets with One Tap Note

We will start with a basic three-note pattern, which includes one tap note and two left-hand legato notes. This pattern is counted in triplets and is great for learning as your first finger tapping trick to get the FEEL of the technique.

Example 1:

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Tapping in Sixteenths

You can then use hammer-ons and pull-offs together to make sixteenth note patterns, like this:

Example 2:

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Intermediate Finger Tapping

Creating a Left Hand Melody

Let's put a little left-hand melody into our exercises and begin shredding guitar like a pro! Try using your tap finger to activate the string instead of picking it normally.

You don't even have to keep track of the tapped notes, since they are all the same. It's easier to fret the left-hand melody as if you were executing it normally, but add the tap right on top of the left hand notes just in front of the beat.

Example 3:

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Adding Right Hand Melody

A right-hand melody puts emphasis on the tapped notes while combining them with some sort of left-hand legato pattern. Here are a few examples.

Example 4:

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Advanced Finger Tapping

"Floating"

Floating is an advanced technique in which you play so fast that you don't even bother counting your notes!

Floating is more about feel than timing. You just kind of deliver a lick by letting your fingers do the talking. You know it's right when it starts to soar effortlessly and seamlessly over the beat.

In extreme cases of serendipity, you may find that your floating patterns actually fit into a specific rhythm, like groups of fives, sevens, or whatever. I tend to float in sevens. For example, I commonly play a lead phrase that is grouped in sets of seven sixteenth notes within each quarter beat.

Combine finger tapping with left-hand hammer-ons and pull-offs and you have a recipe for shred guitar glory!

Like sweep picking, I suggest you lower your action if it is not already down. There is no point giving yourself unnecessary resistance when learning advanced shred guitar technique that is ALREADY on the difficult side.

Example 5:

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Tapping with Two Fingers

You will need two fingers to do this trick, so you'll have to get rid of your pick entirely. Simply put it in your mouth for the time being or generously toss it out to a rabid fan. Make sure you give the recipient of your prized guitar pick "the nod" as soon as they catch it.

Crazy T says:

"If you are EXTRA cool and you DO dispose of your used picks by throwing them at the sea of rabid fans before you, here is an extra tip to boost your coolness: Prop your foot up on the monitor and perform your amazing tap lick from your amazing pose. When you're finished being a Rockstar, run back to your mic stand and grab one of those extra picks your guitar tech taped on for you before the show. Lather, rinse, and repeat as necessary."

Example 6:

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Now that you are done with Part One of this lesson, you can move on to Part Two! Finger Tapping Lessons: Guitar Tricks for Shredding Guitar Part Two.

Part I | On to Tapping Part II »

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