The Key to Learning Two-Handed Tapping on Guitar

I’d been trying to learn two-handed tapping on guitar due to liking bands like Don Caballero and Maps and Atlases, this great new-to-me band Adebisi Shank, Marnie Stern, Hella, etc, and of course Van Halen etc but could never figure it out. I watched this video http://www.jamplay.com/guitar-lessons/full/basics-of-tapping-111.html and it taught me what I was missing! Basically, I was missing that you can “flick” the string to play a note you’re holding down, and you can flick it at a different fret than the note you’re currently fretting, at a fret that you’ll play later–so say you’re holding down the 3rd fret on the high e string, you can flick the high e with your right hand finger at the 12th fret to play the string, it will play the note of the fret you’re holding down such as the 3rd fret, then you can hammer on the fifth fret with your left hand, then with your right hand you can press down at the 12th fret or whatever for a cool two-hand tap triplet of the 3-5-12 notes. Anyway, I had been missing that “flick” motion to play notes, I had though you were supposed to sound certain notes by just hammering on, but the “flick” while actually holding down the note actually sounds a lot better. I would try to just hammer on say a 3rd fret instead of flicking the string first and it wouldn’t sound good or wouldn’t make any noise at all!

Picture of Ian Williams from:

Maps and Atlases: Best New Band Ever!!!

Maps and Atlases: MTV2 Interview

Maps and Atlases: Songs for Ghosts to Haunt To (Live)

Wow! Maps and Atlases are the best new (to me) band ever! Imagine Yes, Gentle Giant, Brian Eno, Dave Matthews, Peter Gabriel, Captain Beefheart, and Don Caballero playing some amazing psychadelic pop tunes, and that might give you an idea of the pop and technical might of Maps and Atlases! From Chicago! On tour now!

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The Fall of Troy–Ghostship Part V (Live)

The Fall of Troy: as if prog legends Yes and King Crimson met Unwound, Drive Like Jehu, Voivod, and 2008 emo.  I would like to see a Fall of Troy/Maps and Atlases show.