Two-Hand Tapping on 7-String Guitar

Welcome back. In our last lesson, we focused on making your one-handed tapping more expressive by incorporating slides and bends. You learned to give your tapped lines a fluid, vocal-like quality, a crucial component of the modern guitar sound.

This lesson marks a significant step forward as we bring both hands into the tapping equation. Our goal is to execute a two-hand tapping pattern with both hands in rhythmic unison on your 7-string guitar. This isn't about playing faster alternating notes, but about coordinating both hands to strike different strings at the exact same moment, creating a powerful, piano-like harmonic effect. Mastering this synchronization is the foundation for the complex, independent two-hand arrangements that are a signature of players like Tim Henson and Scott LePage.

1. The Concept: Hands Together vs. Hands Apart

Before we touch the fretboard, it's vital to establish the correct mental model. Most guitarists think of two-handed tapping as a sequential technique—left hand, right hand, left hand, etc.—to play fast runs. Today, we are focusing on a different application: playing the hands together.

The guitarist Vahe Sarkissian provides a clear distinction in his article on two-hand tapping. He separates the technique into two primary modes of thinking.

This "together" approach treats the guitar more like a keyboard, where you can strike multiple notes simultaneously to form chords or intervals. To make this musically coherent, we can assign distinct harmonic roles to each hand. A common and effective system is to use the left hand for the foundational part of the chord (like the root and fifth) and the right hand for the "color" tones (like thirds, sevenths, and other extensions). This creates a clear and organized sound, even with complex harmonies.

2. The Mechanics of Unison Tapping

With two hands flying at the strings, especially on a 7-string with high gain, controlling unwanted noise is paramount. The fundamental mechanics of a clean tap—a sharp attack followed by a controlled pull-off—and meticulous muting are more critical than ever.

Let's watch a short segment from a comprehensive tapping lesson by Signals Music Studio. While the video covers many styles of tapping, we'll focus on the sections that review the core mechanics of muting and the basic tap motion.

Practice Exercise 1: The Synchronization Drill

Now, let's apply this to a simple, two-handed unison tap. The goal here is purely rhythmic precision. Set your metronome to 60 bpm.

1. Your Target: We'll tap a simple octave.
   • Left Hand (LH): Tap the 5th fret on your low F string (this is the note A).
   • Right Hand (RH): Tap the 7th fret on your D string (the A an octave higher).
2. The Drill:
   • On beat 1, tap both notes with your LH and RH simultaneously. The notes should sound at the exact same time.
   • Hold the notes for the full beat, then release.
   • On beat 2, rest.
   • On beat 3, tap the octave again.
   • On beat 4, rest.
   • Repeat this for at least one minute.

Your focus should be 100% on the synchronization of the attack. Listen for any "flamming," where one hand strikes slightly before the other. The goal is a single, clean percussive event.

3. Building Rhythmic Phrases in Unison

Once you can reliably synchronize your hands, you can start building rhythmic patterns. By playing these unison taps on off-beats, you can create the kind of syncopated, groovy phrases common in modern guitar music.

The following resource demonstrates exactly this concept, combining unison tapping with syncopation.

As the article explains, placing these unison "hits" in syncopated positions creates a powerful rhythmic effect. Let's create an exercise based on this idea, adapted for your 7-string in Drop F tuning.

Practice Exercise 2: Syncopated Unison Intervals

Set your metronome to 70 bpm. We will play a pattern of tapped fifths, creating a simple i - V progression in G minor (Gm - D).

• Gm chord: LH taps the 3rd fret (G) on the low F string. RH taps the 5th fret (D) on the A string.
• D chord: LH taps the 10th fret (D) on the low F string. RH taps the 12th fret (A) on the A string.

The rhythm is based on 16th notes. Count "1 e & a 2 e & a...".

Bar 1 (Gm):
- Beat 1: Tap the Gm interval on the "&" of 1.
- Beat 2: Tap the Gm interval on the "e" of 2.
- Beat 3: Tap the Gm interval on the "&" of 3.
- Beat 4: Tap the Gm interval on the "e" of 4.

Bar 2 (D):
- Repeat the exact same rhythm, but use the D interval.

This exercise forces you to coordinate your hands on challenging off-beats. Focus on maintaining a consistent groove and clean, punchy notes.

4. A Polyphia-Style Application: Tapped 10ths

To bring this closer to the sound you're aiming for, let's create a final phrase using wide, melodic intervals. Tapping major and minor 10ths is a hallmark of the Polyphia style, creating a harp-like or piano-like texture.

Practice Exercise 3: Descending Tapped 10ths

Keep the metronome at 70 bpm. We'll play a descending line based on the C major scale, with the LH tapping roots on the low F string and the RH tapping the 10th above on the G string.

1. Cmaj10: LH taps 8th fret (C). RH taps 9th fret (E). Tap together on beat 1.
2. Bdim10 (implied): LH taps 7th fret (B). RH taps 8th fret (D). Tap together on beat 2.
3. Am10: LH taps 5th fret (A). RH taps 5th fret (C). Tap together on beat 3.
4. Gmaj10: LH taps 3rd fret (G). RH taps 4th fret (B). Tap together on beat 4.

Play one interval on each beat of the measure. The wide distance between your hands makes muting even more crucial. Ensure only the two target notes are ringing out. Once comfortable, try creating your own simple progressions using this concept.

Conclusion

In this lesson, you've unlocked a completely new dimension of two-handed tapping. By shifting your thinking from sequential notes to synchronized strikes, you've learned how to use the fretboard percussively and harmonically, much like a pianist.

Key Takeaways:

• Rhythmic Unison: The goal is for both hands to strike different notes at the exact same time, requiring precise coordination.
• Harmonic Roles: A clear way to organize unison tapping is to assign foundational notes (roots, fifths) to the left hand and color tones (thirds, sevenths) to the right hand.
• Syncopation: Placing these unison taps on off-beats is key to creating modern, groovy rhythmic phrases.
• Muting is Non-Negotiable: With both hands active across the fretboard, rigorous muting with both your fretting-hand fingers and picking-hand palm is essential for clarity.

This lesson has been about getting your hands to work as a perfectly synchronized team. In our next session, we will begin to give them independent tasks. You'll learn how to tap a simple melody with the right hand while holding a static bass note with the left hand, which is the first step toward true two-handed contrapuntal playing.