Two-Hand Tapping

[VanKirk]

I've been getting a little bored with my style so I was messing around with tapping.

I found a good exercise that helps to give a fresh sound to my 'box patters'.

I'll pic a box scale like a pentatonic and then find the next highest box pattern.

I get 3 notes on each string. First and second notes are from the first box pattern and the third note is from the next pattern up the neck. I'll throw in a fourth note here and there.

This has helped give me a fresher sound since I've gotten so stuck on the blues scale. Does this make any sense or am I just up way past my bedtime?

I decided to relearn satch's 'summer song' to break away from all the blues playing I've been stuck on.

Anyone else have some advice to help my playing?

[GuitarMaestro]

That idea with the tapping is a quite common and VERY cool approach. Definately practice on that one. To get away from blues-playing I would not learn a Satch Song though....to me he is kinda the modern blues guitarists if you look at his scales and licks. He often plays modes and other stuff as well, but in my opinion his approach is definately very blues based. If you want to get away from blues playing you should perhaps hear & play some stuff of good metal guitarists like Yngwie Malmsteen, Alexi Laiho(Children of Bodom) and John Petrucci(Dream Theater).

[VanKirk]

If you want to get away from blues playing

get away from blues playing?!!!! HELL NO!

Didn't mean to sound like that.

I still love playing the blues I am just getting sick of the way 'I've' been playing it. I want to learn more techniques and tricks to freshen up my sound.

I was thinking about Petrucci, thanks.

Keep the advice comin!

Anyone have any links or songs that may help me out?

[El Dangerouso]

If you want to do some more with tapping, there are two good books I know of. There's "Progressive Tapping Licks" or something very close to that, I think it's form MIT, can't remember the author. Also, "Over the Top". I think there both on the order of $15-$20 US. Pretty cheap investment for some cool ideas and techniques that could last a lifetime. I especially liked "Progressive Tapping Licks".

[wylde1919]

This isn;t a tapping suggestion, but if you are tired of how you have been interpretating (sp?) the blues, then try and listen to some of the Jazz Heads and how they play within the enre. Kenny Burrell is an especially bluesy player who adds a jazzy flavor to the blues. As far as tapping goes, just try to tap anything you can think of, riffs you know, patterns you've thought up whether it be tonbal or atonal. Some of it will stink, but some of it will be pure gold.

[daveq]

Here's an interesting series of tapping exercises from George Lynch's site. There's enough there to keep anyone busy for a while.

Another thing he does that I would love to learn is his one handed hammer on pull off stretches. For example, the "In my Dreams" solo has an incredible one handed series of lightning fast hammer ons and pull offs that sound amazing. The thing is - he stretches quite far plus - he does three notes on one hand where most people (including me ) can only come close by using a second hand and tapping it. He also does something like this in Mr. Scary.

Here's the solo part I was talking about:

12h15p12h19p12h15p12h19p12h15p12h19p12h15p12h19p12h15p12

then shift the upper note:

12 15 12 20 12 15 12 ....

all with one hand only (and very fast).