Tapping on the acoustic guitar
Although it is more common on the electric guitar, tapping is a technique also used on the acoustic guitar.
Since the 80’s, the technique known as ‘tapping’ has been used by many guitarists. Actually, it is a technique that, although it is more common on the electric version, is also used on the acoustic guitar and on the classical one, which is where it really was born.
An Italian autodidact guitarist, whose name is Vittorio Camardese, used this technique on the Spanish guitar
The first artist who used this technique on the electric guitar was Eddie Van Halen, member of the Van Halen group. He is considered one of the best guitarists of the world and he is well known for this technique.
Although earlier, in the 60's, an Italian autodidact guitarist, whose name is Vittorio Camardese, used this technique on the Spanish guitar and played South-American rhythms as well as jazz.
Concretely, this guitarist applied the tapping to eight fingers using: the index, the middle, the ring, and the baby finger of the right hand and the same four fingers of the left hand.
This technique consists in playing the instrument striking the strings with the right and left hands, or only with the right one, as a legato. We look for the three or four notes that form a chord, usually on the same string, and they are played or stricken consecutively using the tapping. It is also performed using several strings.
Applying the technique on electric guitars is easier, as well as on the bass strings and on the trebles.
Also, in the use of the right hand (in a right-handed guitarist), there are guitarists who use the side of the pick for striking the strings, instead of pulsing with the fingers.
Concretely, tapping on the acoustic guitar is very used and combined with other impressive and amazing techniques.
In fact, the steel strings of the acoustic guitar with the sound of a soundboard allow this technique to adapt to a multitude of styles. In addition, the combination of different percussion techniques on the guitar and harmonics provides to the instrument a wide autonomy. This is a way to include the whole band in only one instrument, the guitar.
