How to master your first tapping lick
Tapping is one of those guitar techniques that divides the waters in the guitar world so to speak. Some guitar players love it and some people can’t stand it as it has been associated with 80’s glam-metal bands and guitarists such as Eddie Van Halen and Paul Gilbert just to name a few. If you’re not into that sound and don’t identity yourself with that genre, you’re probably not loving this technique. 
The tapping technique itself is not the reason for this, as it is merely a way to reach notes and parts of the fretboard, that you would not be able to reach otherwise. In recent years players such as Guthrie Govan have come along and found more creative ways to use tapping in their playing, showing that tapping is not reserved for the metal genres after all. This technique can be used in all genres and in all styles. Its just a matter of being creative with it. In this lesson I will show you a great beginner tapping lick, and the right technical approach to master this technique so you can begin applying it to whatever genre you are into.
The actual tapping lick
The value of this lick is not in the actual lick itself. It is in the technique you will be learning and practicing. It is you assignment to take this concept and attempt it the styles and genres that you are into. The lick is a one string lick alternating between a minor and a major arpeggio. I will be playing it on the b-string but you can do it on all the other strings with the same result. I should note that this kind of tapping often sounds best on the higher strings as it cuts through the mix better. Also I recommend using the neck pickup most of the time, but you can experiment with this and see what you like better.
As you can see in the first picture we have a minor arpeggio in the first position and a major arpeggio in the second position. I will be playing the E minor arpeggio consisting of the notes E-G-B starting at the fifth fret followed by a C major arpeggio in second position consisting of the notes E-G-C. First position only means, that we are starting on the root note of the chord, and second position only means that we are starting on the third of the chord (the second note in the chord). In other words, by moving one finger we change the arpeggio from minor to major.
See the lick played here:
Placing of the pick
There are different philosophies on where to place your pick when tapping. While no solution is right for everybody, the most important thing to keep in mind is, that your picking technique should always allow you to play the guitar the way you want, and get the sounds you desire. Eddie Van Halen keeps his pick between his thumb and middle finger, so that he will be able to tap with his index finger. I personally keep my pick between the thumb and index finger and use the middle finger to tap with. I find the middle finger has more natural dexterity for most people, so I would recommend using this finger, but what what will ultimately work for you might be something different.
Muting
There are two kinds of muting involved in tapping this way. Relative to the string you are tapping on, the higher strings will be muted with your fretting hand and the lower strings will be muted with your picking hand, as shown in the video below. Practicing this lick at a slow pace will make you master this lick within no time.
About the author: Janus Buch is a professional guitar teacher in Vejle, offering the absolute best value for money at Guitarundervisning i vejle omegn. If you are in Vejle and you want to accelerate the process of learning guitar and finally get the results you have been looking for, the Guitar Academy lead by Janus Buch is the place to go.