finger tapping.

[yeet_SAY_jama]

alright.
First let me make it very clear that im a very sucky new guitarist (one year). I have a question about finger tapping.

My finger taps ring out soooo far from as loud as i would like them to without having SIGNIFICANTLY increase the volume with the knob. When i do turn the knob to a satisfactory volume, sometimes the tapping/hammers and pulloffs will sound irregular in volume (some will sound out fine and others abraisive and LOUD LOUD!) I believe that my finger strength is adequate to tap but i just cant get my taps to sound non-abraisive YET loud without having to crank the volume HIGH.

Please help me by describing what you would do in the following transition: You are picking the solo in "Sea Of Lies". The picking part ends abrubtly and you prepair for the long finger tapping part. WHAT DO YOU DO?
1 Do you select a differnt pickup?
2 Do you adjust volume?
3 Do you adjust tone?
4 Do use any effect? (Volume pedal ect.)

please help me, my transitioning from picking is sloppy.

 

[Mr. Shred-ididle]

try making the pick-up switch to the neck side.... I guess?

 

[Yngvai X]

you shouldn't have to change your tone for tapping. Its generally a good idea to keep the volume knob full up when you solo though, it gives the max output for your pickups thus higher gain. You need distortion to make legato or tapping stand out a bit since theres no attack coming from your pick. The idea is to get it so you don't have any "weak" notes when you tap or play legato, all of them should preferably be sounding strong and clear. I don't quite understand what you mean by abrasive? Do you mean string noise, or strings ringing out that shouldnt be? You can help clear that up by making sure you mute the lower strings with your right hand palm and the upper strings with the flesh of your index finger on your left hand. And above all else, start out slow and practice with a metronome.

 

[yeet_SAY_jama]

Thanks Yngvai

By abraisive i mean that when im doing legato hammer-ons , pulls offs and tapping, some of the notes will be significantly different in volume. I find it difficult to always have a consistant volume for every note i fret legato. Often times, a note will ring out SO LOUD that it sounds unpleasant and "abraisive" while others dont ring out loud enough.

im sorry, i know that description prolly wasnt the best either.

 

[yeet_SAY_jama]

Thanks Yngvai

By abraisive i mean that when im doing legato hammer-ons , pulls offs and tapping, some of the notes will be significantly different in volume. I find it difficult to always have a consistant volume for every note i fret legato. Often times, a note will ring out SO LOUD that it sounds unpleasant and "abraisive" while others dont ring out loud enough.

im sorry, i know that description prolly wasnt the best either.

For example from "Sea of Lies" Tap16 p12 p11 p9 h11 h12 tap16
thats all on one string and played legato. I cant get all the fretted notes to be consistant in volume.

 

[Yngvai X]

For example from "Sea of Lies" Tap16 p12 p11 p9 h11 h12 tap16
thats all on one string and played legato. I cant get all the fretted notes to be consistant in volume.

I think this is a problem concerning finger strength and independance more than anything else then.

Try practicing exercises like these:

trills: hammer on/pull off between any two fingers of your left hand on any string on any two frets. different finger combos might be 12 13 14 23 24 34. Try doing these trills for a minute each to a metronome. I bet I can tell you what some of the weaker trills will be already (34 will be a tough one).

rolls: I like these because they make good licks too if you extend them across the fretboard. Think of rolls as 3 finger trills. You hammer on and pull off between any 3 fingers of your left hand. You can either do these chromatically or within your 3 note per string scale shapes. for example: 1h2h3p2p1h2h3p2p1h2h3p2p1 etc this would be a 123 roll done chromatically. Also try 234, 124, 134 (124 and 134 will be what you'll use most in scalar patterns). Like trills, do these for 1 minute each, to a metronome.

 

[yeet_SAY_jama]

again, thank you very much

I do need more practice excercise.

 

[Zax666]

1st- set your action comfortably low for tapping an legato. That's the high E about 1.2 - 2.0 mm from the 12th fret.
2nd - if you have enough gain your guitar shall be more controllable. In time you'll be able to use less gain.

Practice makes perfect.

In other words: REHARSE OR SUCK!!!

 

[Nevermorian]

What about using a compressor?

 

[ElPredicador]

you know, to make a pull off sound louder, you have to let the string go with a little (very little) bend, so that thestring goes off with higher amplitude, thus sounding stronger. for hammer-ons, it's just practicing the strong hit.

 

[the_satanic_rabbit]

you know, to make a pull off sound louder, you have to let the string go with a little (very little) bend, so that thestring goes off with higher amplitude, thus sounding stronger. for hammer-ons, it's just practicing the strong hit.

I never thought about that, but you're right.

When I do a pull-off, its I'm actually bending slightly before my finger leaves the note, but I'm really just pulling the string slightly, that must be why its a "pull-off" :Spin:

Bigger frets and flat neck / low action will help with this kind of stuff too.
I tried flattening my ltd deluxe the other day, but its so shitty, I was getting buzzes all over. Fuck the samick factory.

 

[MorphineChild205]

It's my belief (and probably a fact) that Romeo has the most active pickups in the world.

 

[the_satanic_rabbit]

It's my belief (and probably a fact) that Romeo has the most active pickups in the world.

Nope...
He uses Dimarzio Tone Zone and X2N pickups...both are passive.

He used to use EMG 81's, which are not by the way...the most active (if there is such a thing) for emg's.

 

[yeet_SAY_jama]

Nope...
He uses Dimarzio Tone Zone and X2N pickups...both are passive.

He used to use EMG 81's, which are not by the way...the most active (if there is such a thing) for emg's.

active pickups?
passive pickups?

please explain how they differ.

 

[the_satanic_rabbit]

Active pickups actually use a battery (9V) to power themselves. Other pickups are Passive. They have no power source and are usually a bit more noisy or microphone-like.
Actives are cleaner sounding, but at the price of sounding processed. To me they obscure the natural tones of the guitar.

Active pickups, like EMG's can make a cheap guitar sound pretty good. While Passive pickups, good ones, will make a good guitar sound great!

Active pickups probably do help bring the noise level down during those tapping sequences. But you should not rely on the pickup for tapping or tone as Yngvai already stated. You just need to learn muting, and that's all you need to really know. The action must be low too as Zax666 said. It is very hard to tap sequences like Romeo does with high action.

Actives and Passives also have different electronics and wiring schemes altogether, for instance Actives use 25K pots, while passives use 250K or 500K pots. However, you shouldn't worry about all this. Just worry about your technique and not the equipment.
Good luck

 

[the_satanic_rabbit]

Another bit of advice for the tapping sequences.

There are certain things regarding technique that can be adapted to suit your body and style. You don't have to copy exactly the technique and posture of who you are emulating (MJR)

What does that mean?

I watched the guitar chapter video and saw that Romeo almost always taps with the index finger of his right hand for those complex sequences.

I have always tapped with the middle finger of my right hand, but I tried to use my index finger when first learning the technique cuz that's what he did.

Well I got it to where it was ok, but not that great. I think one day I just forgot and used my middle finger like I would otherwise. You know what? I never played it cleaner. I find that by using my middle finger I can mute the surrounding strings easier.

So my point is, play how you need to play to get it to sound right. You can tap with your damn pinky if that works for you.

Good luck

 

[Yngvai X]

You can tap with your damn pinky if that works for you.

Kiko Loureiro from Angra taps with his middle, ring, AND pinky fingers to do 6 note per string stuff...grrr...

 

[the_satanic_rabbit]

Kiko Loureiro from Angra taps with his middle, ring, AND pinky fingers to do 6 note per string stuff...grrr...

I've only done the index and middle combo....maybe I could add the ring...not the pinky though! my pinky is way too short...that guy must have really long fingers

 

[yeet_SAY_jama]

wow great info .
thanks very much.

why would any one have HIGH action any way?

 

[the_satanic_rabbit]

wow great info .
thanks very much.

why would any one have HIGH action any way?

No problem.

There are a lot of guitarists who use high action. Yngwie is one of them. Higher action creates more sustain and affects the tone. Marty Friedman is another guy who plays with high action.

But notice, Yngwie doesn't tap very much and his tapping sequences aren't that complicated from what I have seen... and Friedman never taps at all, ever.