Tapping technique: Learning 'Hot for Teacher'

allen

Hi there,

I'm a pretty intermediate guitar player and have mostly played hendrix/srv stuff in the past. I've suddenly got inspired to learn the tapping intro for hot for teacher.

I've got the lick library dvd where that nice chap shows you the notes and plays it very nicely. That isn't the hard part.

My problem (apart from getting speed up - but not worried about that now) is that I can play it pretty cleanly on the A string, but when I get to the D string the noise from the other strings is too much.

I'm trying to rest my tapping thumb on the string above, which works when on the A string, but can't seem to do it when on the D. 

Oddly enough the next couple of bars on the G string are not that bad (I think the tone cuts through the noise).

Neither do I seem able to mute with my right palm with the degree of accuracy to just get the E and A strings and let the D ring out.

Thinking about it now, I think it might be a problem created when I release my left little finger off the last note of the A and then move down to the D it is still in 'pull off' mode and sounds a big note that seems to ring on. That's not the only problem though.

Hopefully there is a magic piece of equipment that can fix this!

Any advice or thoughts?

fastonebaz

I find my stretch isn't big enough to play it sadly.   

For muting it's mostly my right hand when tapping.

Danny1969

Eddie did love a stretch. Hot for teachers ok, try Spanish Fly the stretch on that is brutal. 

When you are hamming on with your fretting hand your fingers should be flat ish so they mute the other strings ... so when I'm working on the A string the D and G are muted and then when I go to the D string the G and B are muted. 

Don't use too much gain either, the notes volume comes from power in the hammer ons .. 

Richardrichard

I just played it to work out how I play it, and it seems I grip the fretboard with my thumb and third finger, nothing touches the strings other than tapping finger, and obviously left hand.

I then went and checked Google to see what Eddie did as what Danny said above confused me a bit, seems Eddie did it similar to the way I do it, but with his thumb and pinkie gripping the fretboard



I think I have always tapped this way, have never really thought about it before!

Richardrichard

Just realised Danny was talking about muting with fretting hand, that sounds right.

Specifically when moving from A to D, the last note on the 9th fret you mute with your pinky as you release it. Again, never really thought about that before it just kind of happens, but is an intentional thing if you know what I mean.

allen

fastonebaz said:

I find my stretch isn't big enough to play it sadly.   

For muting it's mostly my right hand when tapping.

I don't have the biggest hands going so all my guitars are 24.75 scale. Even with that I can only just make it. Hoping that practice will stretch them out. It worked on the riff from 'Every breath you take'

kelpbeds

Use the tip of your index finger on the fretting hand to mute the string above.

Danny1969

allen said:

fastonebaz said:

I find my stretch isn't big enough to play it sadly.   

For muting it's mostly my right hand when tapping.

I don't have the biggest hands going so all my guitars are 24.75 scale. Even with that I can only just make it. Hoping that practice will stretch them out. It worked on the riff from 'Every breath you take'

I did a video for my guitar channel on stretching. I don't have big hands but it's actually technique that enables the big stretches 

 ....... big stretches start around the 4 min mark

poopot

When you’re not playing... try sitting around with some fruit between your fingers to stretch the tendons....

start with some easy peelers...

Then maybe progress to a smallish nectarine...

Then maybe a small Jaffa 

next week, pink grapefruit

bloodandtears

as long as it's not a pink oboe

poopot

bloodandtears said:

as long as it's not a pink oboe

Yeah... I don’t need to stretch to do that!!!! 

allen

Danny1969 said:

allen said:

fastonebaz said:

I find my stretch isn't big enough to play it sadly.   

For muting it's mostly my right hand when tapping.

I don't have the biggest hands going so all my guitars are 24.75 scale. Even with that I can only just make it. Hoping that practice will stretch them out. It worked on the riff from 'Every breath you take'

I did a video for my guitar channel on stretching. I don't have big hands but it's actually technique that enables the big stretches 

 ....... big stretches start around the 4 min mark

Nice video. Thank you.

that's roughly been my approach. and strange coincidence about that stewart copeland riff. There's also mr brightside.

allen

kelpbeds said:

Use the tip of your index finger on the fretting hand to mute the string above.

Thanks. I've been kind of trying that. The problem is that the accuracy needed when quickly switching strings is beyond me at the moment. I also think that even if I nail it on the switch the finger then drifts a bit due to the fast waggling of the little finger and the constant hammer ons.

allen

Richardrichard said:

I just played it to work out how I play it, and it seems I grip the fretboard with my thumb and third finger, nothing touches the strings other than tapping finger, and obviously left hand.

I then went and checked Google to see what Eddie did as what Danny said above confused me a bit, seems Eddie did it similar to the way I do it, but with his thumb and pinkie gripping the fretboard



I think I have always tapped this way, have never really thought about it before!

Looking at that video he looks like he's using a lot of right hand muting to keep it as clean as possible. Just rewatched it, he's clean as a whistle.