Can anyone help me out on how to go about learning how to finger tap. I know it sounds awesome when its done right, but I just cant get it right. Any help is much apprecciated.
One of the 1st things you need to do is listen to a lot of music that involves tapping, like Vai, Satriani, EVH, etc. By familiarizing yourself as to what it sounds like, and the different styles associated with it, you can start to form your own take on it.
A few things that, while not totally necessary, do help: use the neck pickup (smoother tone), tons of gain, boost the mids, find the sweet spot on a wah and leave it there.
I know the neck pickup thing sounds goofy, but I think the tone is way better.
Cant agree more..... Some of the kids here at school have BLAZING speed, but no accuracy. The end result is their solos sound like a buncha crap. WHile it sounds good when done right AND in moderation, it shouldnt be the cornerstone of your solo until you have perfected it. BTW, get a second opinion if you feel you have perfected it.
I am not trying to discourage you, I just wanted to emphasise the importance of accuracy. Speed is the by-product. Meaning that you should see how many perfect notes you can play fast. Start slow, and work your way up on the metronome. Use a journal to record your progress.
Make sure you hit the note hard enough that it is recognizable, then sort of pull off, almost as if you're plucking the string. That way you keep the string vibrating.
One thing that I learned through Steve Vai's workout Guitar World issue is how to finger tap correctly. Just tapping the string won't always produce the tone you're looking for. As you tap the string, pull down slightly and release the string to make the note ring. It really makes the difference.