8 Finger Tapping and playing with both hands simultaneously

[Imyan]

Hi, I’m very much interested in 8 finger tapping.

Does anyone have any exercise that I can do to develop this technique?

I have never tried this before but I want to develop this technique to a level that I can play with both hands at the same time, bass and melody together. I want to be able to do runs and arpeggios with my picking hand also.

So please let me know how I can start developing this technique.

Thanks

[Aresius]

I recommend that you get comfortable with normal one-finger tapping at first, to get down the proper hand angles, string muting, timing and getting the notes out clearly, with good dynamics and with good tone. Of course they are different with normal tapping and the 8-finger stuff but it's better to begin from the simpler stuff. Pay attention to those things I mentioned above, especially hand angles and muting, when practicing this technique. When you've gotten the mechanics down, you can move on to exercises. I really can't recommend good exercises 'cos I haven't touched the tapping stuff yet(trying to get my picking to good shape first..) but check out Guthrie Govan's Creative Guitar 2 instructional book, you can find some neat stuff about technique there. Guthrie has also written an article concerning 8-finger tapping in Guitar Techniques Magazine. I have those both on my computer(I know, I know... Illegal but no can do when you're poor) so if you're interested I can send you those to your e-mail or via MSN.

[Imyan]

Hey that would be great. Please do send me those files through email or MSN, you can find my contact info in my profile.

I really need a good start with tapping. Thing is even I'm doing picking exercises only. I haven’t done any sort of tapping at all.

Speaking of practicing picking, I think the chromatic exercise in Petrucci's Rock Discipline video is extremely helpful. This very exercise helped me a lot. My picking was stuck a 120bpm at 16th notes. Now I can get around 180bpm at 16th notes. But there are still so many things to practice and develop in picking.

Anyway thanks for getting me aware of the mechanics of tapping, the hand angles, string muting and all.

[Imyan]

So anybody else got exercises or lessons I could do?

[superlocrian]

Hi,

Check out the 80's guitarist Steve Lynch. Although he played for a glam band he is a master of tapping. He wrote a book while at GIT called The Right Touch. You can buy it from his website. http://www.stevelynch.info/products.htm

Also check out the jazz player called Stanley Jordan, he revolutionized the 2 handed technique. - http://www.stanleyjordan.com/

Another Monster of this is Chris Broderick - http://www.chrisbroderick.com/

Of course if you are serious about tapping, learn every tapping piece you can from Eddie Van Halen. It's not 8 finger tapping, but you gotta walk before you run.

[superlocrian]

FYI

The player I mentioned - Stanley Jordan, almost never picks, he plays chords and everything with 2 hands, almost like a pianist. He is a truly unique player.

[Imyan]

Thanks for the help. I'm very interested in Stanley Jordan's techniques of playing.

Steve Lynch's got some great solos and bending techiniques.

Chris Broderick, I know him eversince I saw him on Megadeth. I think Megadeth can use some of his 8 finger tapping solos.

So thanks again.