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Home > Guitar Techniques

Right hand tapping

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Right hand tapping, two handed tapping, fretboard tapping, or the "Van Halen thing". These are all names for the same guitar technique. Whether you want to play some Van Halen licks, or some Sevendust, Allan Holdsworth, Metallica, etc. Right hand tapping, or two handed tapping is the technique for you.

The Tap

The "tap" in right hand tapping is really just a hammer-on with a right hand finger, usually the 1st or 2nd. After tapping a note, the next step is to do a pull-off to another lower note.

Which finger do I use to tap, and what do I do with my pick? The answer will vary from guitar player to guitar player, but here are the basic possibilities.

1. Use your 2nd finger on your right hand for the tap. This lets you continue to hold your pick with your thumb and 1st finger. Doing this helps you move from picking to tapping smoothly.

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tapping with your 2nd finger

2. Tap with your 1st finger on your right hand, and hold your pick with your 2nd finger and thumb. This still allows you to pick, and gives you the power of your first finger when hammering on to the fretboard. You can also hold on to the neck of the guitar with your 3rd and 4th fingers for more support.

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tapping with your 1st finger

3. Tap with your 1st finger on your right hand, but hold the pick with your 2nd finger only. A little tricky at first, but Van Halen does this a lot. You can also hold on to the neck of the guitar with your 3rd and 4th fingers as well as your thumb for more support.

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tapping with your 1st finger

holding the pick with you 2nd finger only

 

Page 2, notation used for right hand tapping



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