Here's a cool tapping run that starts on the high E string and moves across the neck to the A string.
It’s based around the A minor pentatonic box at the fifth fret and includes a couple of color tones added on the D and A strings, namely B and F#.
I tap with my middle finger and begin this lick by lightly flicking the string with the finger to get the sound going, basically doing a "phantom" pull-off to the A note at the fifth fret.
I then play a sequence that goes "hammer, tap, pull" and repeats as I move across the strings, initiating the first note on each lower string with a "hammer-on from nowhere" with my fret-hand ring finger. I do this a lot in my tapping forays.
You’ll notice I backtrack at a couple of points in bars 1 and 2 and move back to the previous string, which I do to extend the run. When doing this, I’ll tap the first note on the higher string.
I finish the lick by pulling off to the open A string, which I then lightly touch directly over the fifth fret to produce a high A natural harmonic, two octaves above the fundamental. I then decorate this final note with a whammy bar dip, shake and dive.
“He combined the passion of Gary Moore with riffs inspired by Zeppelin and Deep Purple, plus unexpected melodic twists like Ritchie Blackmore”: He was one of ’80s rock’s great journeymen – and his searing hot lead work inspired Marty Friedman
How to get better at guitar – 10 proven ways to improve your playing fast
