Recommended resources
The freely available resources this lesson will direct you to.
Welcome back. In our last lesson, you successfully navigated the process of composing a melodic phrase by integrating hybrid picking with complex rhythms over a modern harmonic progression. You've demonstrated the ability to move from practicing a technique to using it as a creative tool, which is the central theme of this final module.
Today, we shift our focus to another cornerstone of the modern guitar sound: advanced tapping. Our goal is to fulfill the learning outcome: Compose a 4-bar tapped passage integrating multi-string tapping with legato, slides, and precise string muting. We will follow a similar path to last time: first, we'll deconstruct the phrase into its technical components—muting, legato, and slides—and then we'll assemble them into a cohesive, original musical statement.
1. The Technical Blueprint for Clean Tapping
Before you can compose, you need absolute control over the constituent techniques. In the context of tapping, especially with distortion, "control" is synonymous with "muting." Unwanted string noise can quickly turn a sophisticated passage into an unintelligible mess.
Let's start by reviewing the essential mechanics of muting, as well as the fundamental motions for executing clean tapped notes, pull-offs, and slides.
Tapper's Delight: 20 Challenging Tapping Licks | Guitar World
This article from Guitar World provides an excellent overview of the foundational mechanics for clean tapping.
Focus on two key areas. First, read the general advice on technique, particularly the section on minimizing movement and anchoring the picking hand. Second, pay close attention to the section titled Muting. This section describes the multi-faceted approach required, using both hands and even external tools like hair ties, which is common practice for players in this genre to achieve maximum clarity.
The article emphasizes that muting is an active, two-handed job. Your fretting hand must dampen lower strings, while your picking/tapping hand's palm or thumb can rest on strings to keep them silent. This is a non-negotiable skill for the style you're pursuing.
2. Integrating Legato and Slides
With a solid foundation in muting, we can now look at creating fluid lines. Tapping is inherently a legato technique, but its true power is unlocked when combined with fretting-hand hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides.
This next video provides a fantastic, detailed breakdown of the physical motions required for powerful and controlled tapping.
Math Rock Tapping Technique: The Basics
In "Math Rock Tapping Technique: The Basics," Trevor Wong breaks down the essential motor skills for articulate tapping.
Watch the following three segments carefully: The core motion: Pay close attention to the description of using curled fingers, striking the fret accurately, and the "dig in and pull off" motion. This pull-off technique is what gives tapped legato its volume and snap. The classic triplet: This demonstrates the "Van Halen triplet," a fundamental pattern of tap -> pull-off -> hammer-on. This three-note cell is a building block you can use and manipulate in your own compositions. Integrating slides: Here, the video explains the technique of sliding a tapped note, emphasizing the need to maintain consistent pressure to sustain the note. Practice the triplet pattern and a few tapped slides on a single string to internalize the feel before moving on.
Practice the triplet pattern and a few tapped slides on a single string to internalize the feel before moving on.
3. Case Study: Composing with Tapped Melodies
Now let's see how these elements—multi-string patterns, legato, slides, and muting—are combined in a real musical context. Sarah Longfield is a virtuoso of this style, and her compositions are a masterclass in melodic tapping.
Legato Tapping Solo Lesson with @Skillshare
In this lesson, Sarah Longfield breaks down a solo that is almost entirely built from the techniques we're discussing. It serves as a perfect case study for your own composition.
Watch the full breakdown from the beginning to the end of the solo analysis. As you watch, identify how she constructs melodic lines: Multi-string tapping: Notice how she moves seamlessly between strings to create arpeggios and scalar runs, like the initial run moving from the D string, to the G, to the B, and finally the high E (the first lick). Slides: She uses slides to shift position smoothly and add expressive character. See the slide between frets 18 and 19 on the high E string, and the longer slide from 11 to 13 on the D string in the second lick. Legato: The entire passage is a continuous flow of legato, combining tapped notes with fretting-hand notes. Pay attention to how a tapped note can initiate a phrase that is then continued by the left hand alone. Articulation: The final section (third part) demonstrates more advanced articulations like the "weird tap slide accent" and using a fingernail for a muted pluck. You don't need to learn the solo note-for-note. The goal is to absorb the logic of how the phrases are constructed.
4. Your Compositional Task
It's your turn to compose. We'll build your 4-bar passage following a clear, iterative process. Set a metronome to a slow, comfortable tempo (e.g., 70-80 bpm) to ensure precision.
Step 1: Create a Melodic/Harmonic Skeleton
Start with a simple multi-string idea. Don't worry about rhythm or embellishments yet. A great starting point is a tapped arpeggio. The Guitar World article we looked at earlier has several patterns that can serve as inspiration.
Tapper's Delight: 20 Challenging Tapping Licks | Guitar World
Let's revisit this article for compositional ideas.
Look at the examples under the multi-string tapping section. The patterns for FIGURE 16 (a fluid arpeggio idea) or FIGURE 20 (a major 7 arpeggio) are excellent starting points. Pick one, or create your own simple arpeggio shape that spans 2-3 strings (e.g., a G major 7 arpeggio: G, B, D, F#). Tap out the basic shape to form your skeleton.
Step 2: Add Legato and Rhythmic Variation
Now, take your static arpeggio and breathe life into it with legato.
- Instead of just tapping each note, try incorporating the tap-pull-hammer triplet pattern from the Trevor Wong video. For example, if your arpeggio note is on the 12th fret, you could tap the 12th, pull-off to the 7th (held by your fretting hand), and hammer-on to the 8th.
- Break up the steady ascent or descent of the arpeggio. Create a syncopated rhythm. Repeat notes. Let the phrase breathe.
Step 3: Integrate Slides
Identify a couple of places in your phrase to add slides.
- You could replace a simple tap with a tap-and-slide up or down to the next note in the sequence. For instance, instead of tapping the 12th fret and then the 14th, try tapping the 12th and sliding to the 14th.
- Use a slide to shift positions smoothly to a different part of the neck.
Step 4: Refine and Polish
Play your 4-bar loop repeatedly. This is the debugging phase.
- Listen critically for unwanted noise. Are any open strings ringing? Is there noise when you lift your tapping finger? Apply the muting techniques from the first resource. Your fretting-hand index finger can be lightly laid across the strings to mute everything above the note you're playing, and the palm of your tapping hand can mute the lower strings.
- Check for consistent dynamics. Are all the tapped notes, hammer-ons, and pull-offs clearly audible and balanced? If not, focus on the physical mechanics we reviewed.
- Does it feel good to play? Is the fingering awkward? Don't be afraid to change notes or rearrange the phrase to make it flow better. The best riffs are often the ones that feel natural under your fingers.
Record yourself and listen back. This is often the best way to catch subtle issues with timing or noise.
Conclusion
In this lesson, you've moved from the theory of advanced tapping to the practical application of composing with it. We broke down the essential components—precise muting, integrated legato, and expressive slides—and then used them as building blocks for an original 4-bar passage. This process of deconstruction and reconstruction is fundamental to mastering complex styles.
Key Takeaways:
- Clean, articulate tapping is impossible without rigorous, two-handed string muting.
- Fluidity in tapping comes from combining tapped notes with fretting-hand legato (hammer-ons/pull-offs) and slides.
- A strong compositional process involves starting with a simple skeleton (like an arpeggio), layering rhythmic and expressive details, and refining relentlessly for clarity and flow.
In our next lesson, we will venture into the highly rhythmic and percussive side of modern guitar. Your next task will be to: "Compose a 4-bar riff on your 7-string that combines thumb slaps with trap-influenced muted picking patterns." Get ready to make your guitar a drum kit.