Van Halen Guitar Tricks Lesson #1

Guitar Fingertapping

This lesson explores a few of the basic guitar tricks
performed by guitar legend Eddie Van Halen. Eddie is
famous for his fingertapping and whammy bar (vibrato
bar) techniques. These examples are taken from various
Van Halen songs, and have been transposed to the key
of A for basic and easy to learn simple guitar learning
method.

Note: Guitar Fingertapping: T=tap the fret indicated
to produce the sound of the note. This is most commonly
performed by using the index or middle finger of the
pickhand, to "tap" the fret to produce the sound of 
the note(s), followed by pulling-off to the notes indicated
that are fretted by the frethand fingers. 

Guitar Fingertapping Trick #1 * Octave Tap
This guitar trick demonstrates tapping an octave note.
An "octave" is the same note at a higher pitch.
   

   Pick the A note        Tap the A octave
                                   t
e :-------------------------------------------------|
B :-------------------------------------------------|
G :-2------------------------------14---------------|
D :-------------------------------------------------|
A :-------------------------------------------------|
E :-------------------------------------------------|

  Bending & Tapping
  Make a full bend on the 7th fret, release the bend
  so that the note returns to it's normal pitch, then
  followed by another full bend, tap 12, pulling-off,
  releasing the full bend (7th fret) to it's normal pitch,
  followed by making another full bend (7th fret)
  (returning the note at the 7th fret to it's
  normal pitch, followed by another full string bend
  and tapping the note on the 10th fret. Pick only the 
  first note at the 7th fret.

    f.rel.f   t.rel.  f.rel.f          t
e :-------------------------------------------------|
B :-------------------------------------------------|
G :-7---------12------7----------------10-----------|
D :-------------------------------------------------|
A :-------------------------------------------------|
E :-------------------------------------------------|


   Guitar Fingertapping Lead Guitar Patterns
   This is among the most common of Eddie Van Halen
   guitar techniques and can be heard in many various
   songs from "You Really Got Me" to the Eddie Van Halen
   guitar solo, "Eruption". This is one of Eddie's
   most useful guitar licks, taught below in the key of
   A. To play this lick in the key of B, move up 2 frets
   from A. To play this lick in the key of C, move up
   3 frets from A, etc...
   
    Play 2x each

    t p h    t p h    t p h   t p h
e :-------------------------------------------------|
B :-10-5-8---10-4-7---10-3-6--10-2-5----------------|
G :-------------------------------------------------|
D :-------------------------------------------------|
A :-------------------------------------------------|
E :-------------------------------------------------|

   Guitar Chord Tapping
   This example is taught using a B5 powerchord. Begin
   by holding the frethand fingers in position of the 
   B5 chord. Then tap the same notes of the chord, an
   octave higher, pulling-off to the roote notes of the
   chord. Try moving this guitar trick up 1 key to C,
   then 2 frets to D, the 2 frets again to E, etc...

          Begin
    B5     t p     t p     t p
e :-------------------------------------------------|
B :-------------------------------------------------|
G :-4----------------------16--4--------------------|
D :-4--------------16--4----------------------------|
A :-2------14--2------------------------------------|
E :-------------------------------------------------|

   Note on Harmonic Chord Tapping:
   You can also perform the guitar trick above as 
   "harmonic" guitar tapping. To perform this trick,
   instead of tapping and actually fretting the tapped
   notes, use your tapping finger to slightly tap or
   hit the string, so that the tapped notes ring out 
   as harmonics.


  Tap & Slide
  This is one of Eddie's most intriguing sounds. Begin
  by playing the "trill" (hammering-on & pulling-off)
  in continuous motion, followed by randomly tapping the 
  note indicated. As you tap the note shown, slide it up
  the neck using your tapping finger to an unknown
  destination.

     Trill
     h p h         s
e :-------------------------------------------------|
B :-5-8-5-8--------10-------------------------------|
G :-------------------------------------------------|
D :-------------------------------------------------|
A :-------------------------------------------------|
E :-------------------------------------------------|


Lead Guitar DVD Lessons

Easy Guitar TrickVan Halen Fingertap Trick

See all DVD Guitar Lesson Descriptions
Buy * Purchase * Online
Van Halen Guitar Tablature & Sheet Music