Romeo's legato tapping...

[MorphineChild205]

Does he just tap with his right-hand index finger, or other right-hand fingers?

Also, how does he keep the strings he's skipping from ringing out, yet still play at blazing speeds? For example, I can do the "Sea of Lies" interlude section at about 3/4 speed, but the 2nd string rings out, and the passage sounds like shit.

Anyone have any explanations?

 

[Dobbit]

He has incredible technique, thats why he has no string noise, or barely any. Also, I've only seen him tap with his right index finger.

 

[Zax666]

Play with flatwounds.

(j/k, flatwounds are a r33l b4d idea for a metal player.)

 

[SyXified]

Romeo uses more than one finger to tap at times, but it really isn't a huge deal. To avoid string noise I find that using your middle finger works better than the index because your right hand tends to lay across the strings that way, rather than with the index finger where you kinda float and poke at the strings. To avoid string noise you really have to be super conscious of your right hands muting and be careful to lift the fingers on your left hand directly off rather than dragging them of like a pull off. Not to take any credit away from MJR but keep in mind he is running through a noise compression system, with lots of reverb and gain which makes it a hell of a lot easier to make a tap sound clean. Don't get discouraged if you are playing on a crummy amp and are getting some a little bit of noise here and there, because that happens to the best of us.

 

[seed2003]

Romeo uses more than one finger to tap at times, but it really isn't a huge deal. To avoid string noise I find that using your middle finger works better than the index because your right hand tends to lay across the strings that way, rather than with the index finger where you kinda float and poke at the strings. To avoid string noise you really have to be super conscious of your right hands muting and be careful to lift the fingers on your left hand directly off rather than dragging them of like a pull off. Not to take any credit away from MJR but keep in mind he is running through a noise compression system, with lots of reverb and gain which makes it a hell of a lot easier to make a tap sound clean. Don't get discouraged if you are playing on a crummy amp and are getting some a little bit of noise here and there, because that happens to the best of us.

My shitty guitar and amp make lots of extra noise lol It's an ass to play a clean run on it (I know it isnt all me because i can play my friends guitar clean lol) That tapping run is a beeotch though, romeo is a tapping monster.
Oh and i hate flatwound strings lol they do make for easier tapping and such..

 

[Zax666]

Umm, SyXified...

Lots of compression and gain make the string noise more apparent too.

I'd say, try to use the least gain you can get away with.

 

[Eternal Dragon]

The way in which you position your left hand helps. Like if you jump strings but keep your left hand touching the middle string. You have to be conscious of this though, so maybe its not as good a replacement as good technique. Keep practicing and you'll get it eventually. I tell myself that every time I try the Sea of Lies tapping solo but it gets a bit rediculous when you play the same loop over and over for an hour.

 

[Granskog]

The way in which you position your left hand helps. Like if you jump strings but keep your left hand touching the middle string. You have to be conscious of this though, so maybe its not as good a replacement as good technique. Keep practicing and you'll get it eventually. I tell myself that every time I try the Sea of Lies tapping solo but it gets a bit rediculous when you play the same loop over and over for an hour.

this works for me aswell. the left hand index kind of barres (just mutes) the higher(in pitch) strings.
a good general rule is that the left hand mutes the higher strings and the right hand the lower ones. the bigger the skip the harder this is to maintain. (ex: 4string skip in inferno)

 

[SyXified]

Umm, SyXified...

Lots of compression and gain make the string noise more apparent too.

I'd say, try to use the least gain you can get away with.

Ummm, not really, it makes OPEN string noise more apparent, but if you mute those you get a lot less of that pull off noise on the strings you are playing on. I just recorded an album that has a tap with that same string skip double tap pattern as in Sea of Lies, only in the blues scale and it sounded just about as clean as MJR. If you have an amp with GOOD gain/distortion rather than fuzz, like a 5150 or a Laney GHL50, it really helps smooth out the sound of those legato style taps.

 

[Zax666]

Ummm, not really, it makes OPEN string noise more apparent, but if you mute those you get a lot less of that pull off noise on the strings you are playing on. I just recorded an album that has a tap with that same string skip double tap pattern as in Sea of Lies, only in the blues scale and it sounded just about as clean as MJR. If you have an amp with GOOD gain/distortion rather than fuzz, like a 5150 or a Laney GHL50, it really helps smooth out the sound of those legato style taps.

I was talking about the string noise problem I am experiencing.

It happens when I mute all the bass strings I'm not playing at the moment (with my right palm) and shift the position of my right hand. THAT kind of string noise proves a pain with oversaturation (any gain past what you need to pull off a tapping pattern fluently and hit a pinch harmonic on the low E).

And one more thing, you might not have mixed your guitar with other instruments yet, but less gain actually sounds bigger (your guitar doesn't sound like you're forcing it in). If you don't trust me, listen to some Opeth.

And then again, there is noise floor to consider (ain't cool when the noise floor goes through the roof).