Two-hand tapping triads: Am, F, G, E
Triads on the high E string in 16th-note triplets: the picking hand taps the top note, pulls off to a note the fretting hand holds, and the fretting hand hammers the middle one. A minor, F, G and E major, a bar each. Tapping reaches intervals no single hand can, and the even triplet roll is the classic tapping sound of 1980s rock and metal. It trains the two hands to work as one.
Opens in the player looped and counted in, with drums playing along, and speeds up 5 % every 2 loops to 90 bpm. No account or microphone needed.
- Goal tempo
- 90 bpm
- Starts at
- 54 bpm
- Length
- 4 bars, looped
- Tuning
- E standard
- Time
- 4/4
- Level
- Intermediate
- Plays with
- Drums
How to play it
Tap with the middle finger so the pick stays in your hand, and pull the tapping finger slightly down off the string to sound the next note.
Each triad is three notes: the picking hand taps the top note, then pulls off to a note the fretting hand holds, and the fretting hand hammers on the middle note. That's one group of 16th-note triplets, played twice a beat.
A minor: tap the 12th fret, pull off to the 5th, hammer the 8th. F: tap the 13th, then 5 and 8. G: tap the 15th, then 7 and 10. E major: tap the 12th, then 4 and 7. Each chord lasts a bar.
Mute the other strings: the fretting hand's spare fingers lie across them, and the picking hand's palm can rest on the low strings.
Mistakes to watch for
- The tapped note too quiet: tap firmly, straight down, onto the fret.
- Pulling the tapping finger straight up, which doesn't sound the next note; flick it down off the string.
- Open strings ringing when the tap pulls off.
A speed plan
The player starts at 60 % of the goal and plays each tempo twice before stepping up:
- 54
- 59
- 63
- 68
- 72
- 77
- 81
- 86
- 90
That's 16 loops and about 4 minutes before you're playing at 90 bpm. If it stops being clean on the way, stop the ramp there and loop that tempo until it is. With a microphone or an audio interface you can record while you play instead: Demiurg checks every loop and steps up only after two clean ones in a row, and back down after a poor one.
Questions
How fast should I play Two-hand tapping triads?
The goal is 90 bpm in 16th-note triplets, which is 9 notes a second. Start wherever every note is clean: the player begins at 54 bpm. Signed in, you can set a goal of your own, slower or faster, on the Exercises page.
Which finger should I tap with?
Most players use the middle finger, so they can keep holding the pick between thumb and index and go straight back to picking. The index finger is stronger, if you don't mind putting the pick down.
Does tapping work on a clean sound?
Yes, but it needs more force: distortion makes quiet notes louder, so taps and pull-offs are easier to hear with gain. On a clean sound, every note's volume is down to your hands.
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