In this free video guitar lesson Brad Henecke covers the
fundamental techniques of two-hand fretboard tapping. Brad
Henecke describes how two-hand tapping can be used in rock
guitar solos.
Scene 1: Introduction. In scene 1 of this tapping lesson Brad
Henecke teaches the fundamental mechanics of a technique know as
two-hand tapping. He shows you how this particular technique can
be put to use effectively.
Scene 2: Tapping Notes. In scene 2 he shows you a great two-hand
tapping lick that makes use of the A minor five note pentatonic
scale.
Diagram: 1st And 3rd Boxes Of The A Minor Pentatonic Scale
This is a good lick, and a great place to start learning
basic two-hand tapping exercises. This guitar lick uses the
first and third box patterns of the five note pentatonic scale.
Start by placing your first finger on the fifth fret of the high
E string, and then use your right hand
to tap on the tenth fret
of the high E string and then pull off. The last note is played by
hammering onto the eighth fret with your little finger. Play
this tapping sequence with a triplet feel. Practice this
sequence over and over again using a METRONOME until you are
able to play it with ease. You should start off slowly and
steadily build up speed. When you play a two-handed tapping lick
cleanly it actually sounds faster then a two-hand tapping lick
that is played sloppily at a faster tempo.
This lick is played 4 times on each of the strings. Be certain
to make the required left hand adjustments when going from one
string to another.
Guitar Tab: First Lick - Basic Two-Hand Tapping Exercises
Second Two-Hand Tapping Lick
The first lick on this video can be played without using the
two-hand tapping technique, but it calls for some very difficult
left hand stretching. In this case a guitar player can make a
choice to tap the lick or use his left hand to finger the notes.
Whether to tap or not is decision that is based on a couple of
key factors. Two-hand tapping creates a very different musical
tone than the basic pull-offs and hammer-ons. If the tone of a
lick is better suited to tapping, than you should tap the lick.
The lick’s context within the entire solo is also another
factor in determining whether a lick should be tapped. As an
example, if an intricate tapping section follows a lick, by
tapping the first lick you do away with the need to adjust your
right hand.
The second guitar lick that Brad plays is an example of a more
common two-hand tapping lick. It is impossible to this lick with
just one hand. Two-hand tapping is normally used to play a
succession of fast arpeggios. Using arpeggios lets you outline
exact chords all through the course of a guitar solo. As an
example, this specific lick starts with an Am arpeggio, and then
you play a C major arpeggio on the B string. This lick just like
the first lick also ends by tapping an A note and then playing a
descending slide.
Guitar
Tab: Second Lick - Arpeggios
Combining Both Licks
Begin by playing the basic two-hand tapping sequence that was
play in the second lick. Tap the twelfth fret with your third
finger, and then play the sequence from the first lick using
your second finger. You have now created a new lick that sounds
excellent over an Am chord. Keep in mind that this lick is not
easy to play at first, so play it as slowly as you can, making
certain that the tone that you produce with the third finger is
the same as the tone that is produced by your middle finger.
