Tapping

Though he wasn’t the first guitarist to use this technique, Eddie Van Halen certainly popularized the 2-handed technique we know as “tapping.” As the term might suggest, tapping involves a finger from the picking hand tapping (fretting) a string on the fingerboard to sound a note. By using this technique, a player can sound notes on the same string at extreme intervals (such as an octave or beyond), or at harmonic intervals. The technique requires time and patience to learn. Normally, the player is holding a pick in his or her right hand, which means that a different finger would tap the additional note. For the best voicing, the note should be tapped hard just behind the fret. When combined with other playing techniques such as hammer-ons and pull-offs, the player is free to explore new musical territories.