In this chapter we begin with three exercises that will make us move and think through the movements of both the left hand and the tapping (right) hand. I'm being specific in this chapter to avoid confusion, since, after all, both hands will be on the neck. The types of movements you'll be playing are no longer so linear.
More than ever in these last Tapping chapters, listen to the MP3 demos on the website www.ispmusica.com, as they will guide you through any doubts you may have.
The scores are laid out for easier reading so that guitarists of any level can play them, hence the need to listen to the MP3s, which will give them meaning, since I play them freely. You can start using a string damper to mute strings if you wish, although I haven't used one in this chapter. Remember that we shouldn't have open strings in the exercises (as is the case here) and that the goal is to get them as clean as possible; even a handkerchief placed over the first frets would do (if you don't have a damper for now).
We begin with an exercise that will force you to put all your attention on the left hand (neck), since it's the one that will be moving constantly. Pay close attention to the sound of the exercise, as this type of movement is widely used in many tapping solos.
In the second exercise we continue with an effect widely used by Joe Satriani: the trill. It's an effect where two notes are repeated continuously, with the support of a third. The sound it produces is very distinctive, much like a bird's trill, which is why it has that name.
In the third exercise, you'll force both hands to move along the neck without always staying in the same place; this is one of the exercises we mentioned in the previous chapter, saying it would be more difficult. Let's begin.
Tapping on the First String With a Fingering Change in the Left Hand
The exercise is based entirely on the first string. It has a certain classical air, and its difficulty lies in the left hand, which you'll have to move, while the right (the one doing the tapping) will always stay on the twelfth fret.
Although the patterns of each measure repeat, I've written it out this way so you don't miss any detail in the measure changes. It's that simple. Let's go.
Tapping With a Trill
In this exercise we're going to do, as I said, one of the effects (among others) most widely used by Joe Satriani: the trill. You'll see there are two notes, where the first is always fretted with the index finger, and the next is played the first time with the tapping finger. You release that finger, and the left-hand finger you have on the fifth fret sounds by default, and then with the third finger of the left hand you do exactly the same thing. It's essential (as in all of them, but especially in this one) that you start the exercise with the metronome very slow. Keep in mind that the tapping finger and the ring finger of the left hand, since they're heading to the same fret, can collide, so start practicing it very slowly; you'll gradually add more speed. Let's get to it.
Tapping With Right-Hand Movement
We're going to do one of the most complete exercises in this chapter. We'll have both left- and right-hand movement (tapping). You already know the rules we've covered during these chapters for moving them, so it's just a matter of following them. As in the previous example, start slowly and gradually raise the metronome speed.
Although in the second measure we hold a note for three beats, you'll play it this way for learning purposes, but the idea is that, once you've got it, you do the whole exercise without any kind of stop, even to hold a note for a beat.
Two more points: you'll notice that the right hand you tap with sometimes coincides with the left-hand pinky (after having incorporated other notes), which gives it an almost trill-like effect, but not exactly, although it produces a very usable “doubling” effect. The second point is to take special care in measure number four, where you'll see that, logically, we would start tapping, and yet that's not the case... it breaks the mold outright. Study it just as it is, since in the coming chapters it will be one of our reference points.
In the next chapter we'll explore more tapping routes, since, as you're seeing, there are many kinds of combinations. We'll also look at more exercises where the trill will be essential, but in an indirect way. See you next month.