good tapping sound?

[chrisd24]

I'm basically rubbish at tapping but getting a bit better and I think it would probably help if I had any idea of how to set an eq for it and or what effects would give it a little lift,any help and mild mannered p#ss taking is invited!

[Dood]

[quote name='chrisd24' post='1246405' date='May 26 2011, 10:59 PM']I'm basically rubbish at tapping but getting a bit better and I think it would probably help if I had any idea of how to set an eq for it and or what effects would give it a little lift,any help and mild mannered p#ss taking is invited![/quote]


Hi Chris, first of all forget plugging in for now. I say this because you'll get much better results concentrating on getting loud clear and unmessy tapping out of the instrument amplified if you can tame all of those buzzes and rattles before you plug in. I like nice new strings for that 'ping' - some also prefer a much lighter gauge as they are easier to bend. The action on my instruments is really low with a flat board (practically no relief in it at all). It rattles badly if you dig and and play hard, so it requires a lighter and more controlled touch. So, action nice and low.

Two complaints I have of tappers that will change you from a good tapper to a great tapper is firstly to concentrate on the timing between individual notes with a metronome and get them REALLY tight. Anyone can flail away in an 80's style 'widdle' - but I'd liken it to a drummer with no sense of timing - it just sounds really messy. Next up is 'droning string syndrome'. Keep an eye on those other strings rattling away doing there own thing when you are playing others. I use a hair band to wrap around the bass neck to keep any strings I'm not using quiet.

When it comes to plugging in, I recommend pulling back the deep lows and to boost regions of the EQ around 800hz and 2-4Khz (depending on your gear) as it will help to bring out the clarity and impact of each tapped note. Another secret weapon to bring up the level of the lighter tapped notes is a multiband compressor (that compresses Bass, Mids and Treble separately) - even better, one that can do 'Parallel Compression' as well, such as the TC Electronic Nova Dynamics.

For solo pieces I like a little chorus and reverb to give the sound a bit of width.

Here's a vid with a bit of tapping and arpeggios - well - all the way through the choon!



Apologies, it's an old song from back in 2000!

[AttitudeCastle]

Set up of your bass is more important for a good tapping sound than EQ in my experience!

What kind of tapping are you doing?

I do everything from the odd right hand single note to finish a lick, to whole arrangements played with both hands and such like!

A little bit of compression can be useful, and a little scoop in the mids, with a little bass boost (just a tiny tiny bit!) and a decent amount of treble is a classic two handed tap sound which i use for whole two handed pieces,

But low action with a good set up is key for "good tap tone" and it makes it easier! as it were.

Chorus and echo can be fun, and i use delay pretty often! But to me its just another thing to do, so i'll EQ and use effects just as i would as if i was playing normally

[Dood]

[quote name='AttitudeCastle' post='1246452' date='May 26 2011, 11:28 PM']Set up of your bass is more important for a good tapping sound than EQ in my experience!

What kind of tapping are you doing?

I do everything from the odd right hand single note to finish a lick, to whole arrangements played with both hands and such like!

A little bit of compression can be useful, and a little scoop in the mids, with a little bass boost (just a tiny tiny bit!) and a decent amount of treble is a classic two handed tap sound which i use for whole two handed pieces,

But low action with a good set up is key for "good tap tone" and it makes it easier! as it were.

Chorus and echo can be fun, and i use delay pretty often! But to me its just another thing to do, so i'll EQ and use effects just as i would as if i was playing normally [/quote]


ey mate! I think scooping mids would be ok for a solo piece, but I think in a band situation you'll disappear as soon as both hands are on the board. Those pesky guitarists and keyboard players mask those important frequencies!

[AttitudeCastle]

[quote name='dood' post='1246454' date='May 26 2011, 11:33 PM']ey mate! I think scooping mids would be ok for a solo piece, but I think in a band situation you'll disappear as soon as both hands are on the board. Those pesky guitarists and keyboard players mask those important frequencies![/quote]

Well it depends how its being used! Though yes 'tis true. Though if your one of those metal heads who has the mids at negative 400 it won't make a difference will it?

But at times i scoop the (though never a huge amount!) in a band situation so you hear more of the top/low end only but thats situation as is Eq in general!

[chrisd24]

[quote name='dood' post='1246445' date='May 26 2011, 11:25 PM']Hi Chris, first of all forget plugging in for now. I say this because you'll get much better results concentrating on getting loud clear and unmessy tapping out of the instrument amplified if you can tame all of those buzzes and rattles before you plug in. I like nice new strings for that 'ping' - some also prefer a much lighter gauge as they are easier to bend. The action on my instruments is really low with a flat board (practically no relief in it at all). It rattles badly if you dig and and play hard, so it requires a lighter and more controlled touch. So, action nice and low.

Two complaints I have of tappers that will change you from a good tapper to a great tapper is firstly to concentrate on the timing between individual notes with a metronome and get them REALLY tight. Anyone can flail away in an 80's style 'widdle' - but I'd liken it to a drummer with no sense of timing - it just sounds really messy. Next up is 'droning string syndrome'. Keep an eye on those other strings rattling away doing there own thing when you are playing others. I use a hair band to wrap around the bass neck to keep any strings I'm not using quiet.

When it comes to plugging in, I recommend pulling back the deep lows and to boost regions of the EQ around 800hz and 2-4Khz (depending on your gear) as it will help to bring out the clarity and impact of each tapped note. Another secret weapon to bring up the level of the lighter tapped notes is a multiband compressor (that compresses Bass, Mids and Treble separately) - even better, one that can do 'Parallel Compression' as well, such as the TC Electronic Nova Dynamics.

For solo pieces I like a little chorus and reverb to give the sound a bit of width.

Here's a vid with a bit of tapping and arpeggios - well - all the way through the choon!



Apologies, it's an old song from back in 2000![/quote]

Cheers dood,

Strangely enough i have playing all night not plugged in so accidently doing your first tip there due to a lack of amp!

Currently just playing around on my p bass,the action is pretty high as when i play normally i dig in a bit, but as I don't really gig this bass any more I will have a tweak with the truss and maybe put on some lighter strings which would make sense. Also now I finally know why I have seen sweatbands wrapped round nuts of bass necks!

I'm currently just fiddling around with some classical stuff,no fusion just yet but gimme a week! Must admit I'm really enjoying it so far, kinda feels like im playing a completely new instrument though

[Dood]

[quote name='AttitudeCastle' post='1246463' date='May 26 2011, 11:39 PM']Well it depends how its being used! Though yes 'tis true. Though if your one of those metal heads who has the mids at negative 400 it won't make a difference will it?

But at times i scoop the (though never a huge amount!) in a band situation so you hear more of the top/low end only but thats situation as is Eq in general![/quote]


No true, anyone scooping all their mids out has no hope in hell of a decent tapping tone - yes Fieldy, I'm looking at you ha ha!! The main 'volume' of tapping is in the mids and trebles and by boosting those frequencies instead of just cranking the volume will get yourself heard, but your amp won't have to work as hard. Actually a couple of good examples would be Billy Sheehan and John Myung, whose mids are boosted quite a lot to overcome big guitar sounds.

Speaker cabinets can have a big effect on a tapping tone too - if you use only 15" speakers - they *could* be lacking in upper mids and thus will have to boost them on EQ to be heard. Some cab manufacturers, such as Epifani have an accentuation in the upper mids which is great for a nice modern tone. I owned an Epifani UL610 for a while and it was a really nice cab for soloing with as well as moving some bottom end air too!

[chrisd24]

[quote name='AttitudeCastle' post='1246452' date='May 26 2011, 11:28 PM']Set up of your bass is more important for a good tapping sound than EQ in my experience!

What kind of tapping are you doing?

I do everything from the odd right hand single note to finish a lick, to whole arrangements played with both hands and such like!

A little bit of compression can be useful, and a little scoop in the mids, with a little bass boost (just a tiny tiny bit!) and a decent amount of treble is a classic two handed tap sound which i use for whole two handed pieces,

But low action with a good set up is key for "good tap tone" and it makes it easier! as it were.

Chorus and echo can be fun, and i use delay pretty often! But to me its just another thing to do, so i'll EQ and use effects just as i would as if i was playing normally [/quote]

I guess you would call it 2 hand tapping....I'm basically playing a root note with one hand and playing the lead part with the other (sorry i sound like a complete noob!)

Think a re set of my bass is certainly the first port of call here....now where's that allen key......

[chrisd24]

[quote name='dood' post='1246445' date='May 26 2011, 11:25 PM']Here's a vid with a bit of tapping and arpeggios - well - all the way through the choon!



Apologies, it's an old song from back in 2000![/quote]

Is that you btw?

[AttitudeCastle]

[quote name='chrisd24' post='1246486' date='May 26 2011, 11:55 PM']I guess you would call it 2 hand tapping....I'm basically playing a root note with one hand and playing the lead part with the other (sorry i sound like a complete noob!)

Think a re set of my bass is certainly the first port of call here....now where's that allen key......[/quote]

Ah ok, so not the rock style van halen tap so we are on the same page!

If you look up "Jean Baudin" he is quite well known/respected for playing like this and he has written an E-book "The Mechanics of tapping" and its a great resource its avalible from his website www.jeanbaudin.com its about £10 but its worth it!

I like to tap like this because its fun and i think it sounds ace, but many guitarists disagree but its useful to help flesh out backgrounds, which Dood demonstrates wonderfully with Real there!

He is better known for playing Extended range basses though it seems these days

And before anyone says thats all he does, listen to nuclear rabbit, some fantastic "pocket" playing and general excellent bass lines!

[quote name='chrisd24' post='1246498' date='May 27 2011, 12:08 AM']Is that you btw?[/quote]

And yes that is the mighty Dood himself!

[xgsjx]

Another tip for faster tapping pieces where you need a heavier touch is to put your middle finger over the nail of your index finger (I learned that one from a Billy Sheehan book back in the early 90s).
Tho this method might not suit more intricate pieces unless you can do the same with the next two fingers!

[51m0n]

Once you've got your technique down unamplified to the point where you arent creating so much gank that no one can make out what you're playing you would be well advised to help yourself keep that tapped sound as loud as your fingerstyle.

Decent quality compressor or a nice overdriving front end preamp (be it pedal, rack or amp itself) will really help here. Billy Sheehan makes a big point of the two fingers overlapped thin g, but also uses seriously overdriven parallel signal and compreesion by the bucket to get his chainsaw through mud tone. Which ugely helps both tapping and harmonics.

I used to spend a lot of time in chopons switching between fingerstyle, slapping and tapping and the only way to remain heard is a decent compressor IMO (assuming you like cleaner tones).

[charic]

[quote name='dood' post='1246445' date='May 26 2011, 11:25 PM']Hi Chris, first of all forget plugging in for now. I say this because you'll get much better results concentrating on getting loud clear and unmessy tapping out of the instrument amplified if you can tame all of those buzzes and rattles before you plug in. I like nice new strings for that 'ping' - some also prefer a much lighter gauge as they are easier to bend. The action on my instruments is really low with a flat board (practically no relief in it at all). It rattles badly if you dig and and play hard, so it requires a lighter and more controlled touch. So, action nice and low.

Two complaints I have of tappers that will change you from a good tapper to a great tapper is firstly to concentrate on the timing between individual notes with a metronome and get them REALLY tight. Anyone can flail away in an 80's style 'widdle' - but I'd liken it to a drummer with no sense of timing - it just sounds really messy. Next up is 'droning string syndrome'. Keep an eye on those other strings rattling away doing there own thing when you are playing others. I use a hair band to wrap around the bass neck to keep any strings I'm not using quiet.

When it comes to plugging in, I recommend pulling back the deep lows and to boost regions of the EQ around 800hz and 2-4Khz (depending on your gear) as it will help to bring out the clarity and impact of each tapped note. Another secret weapon to bring up the level of the lighter tapped notes is a multiband compressor (that compresses Bass, Mids and Treble separately) - even better, one that can do 'Parallel Compression' as well, such as the TC Electronic Nova Dynamics.

For solo pieces I like a little chorus and reverb to give the sound a bit of width.

Here's a vid with a bit of tapping and arpeggios - well - all the way through the choon!



Apologies, it's an old song from back in 2000![/quote]

Yes, your action is VERY low however when I finally get a 6 string (again) it will probably be very similar. I found it a bit difficult with a pick but that's going to be the prime use for my ACG

[AttitudeCastle]

[quote name='xgsjx' post='1246619' date='May 27 2011, 08:18 AM']Another tip for faster tapping pieces where you need a heavier touch is to put your middle finger over the nail of your index finger (I learned that one from a Billy Sheehan book back in the early 90s).
Tho this method might not suit more intricate pieces unless you can do the same with the next two fingers! [/quote]

I do that for tapping out octaves on the right hand, its basically live long and prosper

Though i think the OP is using one finger per fret right hand tapping, which is great for chords or whole lines,

Billy Sheehan does the Van Halen style thing

Also Billy is playing with basically no effects these days, i'm interested to hear him when the Hartke kilo comes out though!

I know a thing or two about Mr. Billy Sheehan being a huuugggeeee Mr. big fan

[Truckstop]

Just make sure you're tapping as fast as possible. Don't worry if you mishit some notes, people will be too amazed to care.

Truckstop

[AttitudeCastle]

[quote name='Truckstop' post='1246726' date='May 27 2011, 10:07 AM']Just make sure you're tapping as fast as possible. Don't worry if you mishit some notes, people will be too amazed to care.

Truckstop[/quote]

Thats the story with eruption - EVH there are like 7 mistakes whichs why he "hates the recording" as they made him do it

He doesn't seem to mind the bragging rights though

[chrisd24]

Im guessing doods abilitys are all due to those extra 3 strings rather than experience and talent.....well im gonna keep telling myself that anyway

[dc2009]

Dood that action is lower than kicking an old man in the balls!

Who do you play for btw, I don't recognise the song, but quite liked it?

[Chris2112]

Good tapping tone - plug in a Kubicki and away you go!

In all seriousness, I think developing hand strength is the most important aspect to start with. This will help you get an even, controlled sound from every note, no matter which finger you use. And becoming adept at using free fingers to mute strings as you need to. I basically started learning to tap listening to Stuart Hamm, playing an Ibanez BTB and a Kubicki.

Then once you've learned how to do it you can stop, or do it in small quantities. I've found that outside of Stuart Hamm and Michael Manring tap quickly becomes quite dull and often sounds vert overdone and contrived.

[Truckstop]

I used to tap all the time but then I realised that it must have sounded awful to the ears of the audience and must have looked pretty sh*tty too. Now I only ever tap to provide a harmony if it's too far to stretch.

Truckstop

[dc2009]

For some nice technical pieces that aren't too hard but sound good to get you going, try:
Terminal Beach - Stu Hamm
Moonlight Sonata excerpt from bass solo - Stu Hamm
Blackout - Gorod
Waiting Silence - Angra
And then various Necrophagist songs if you're feeling brave. There's that little run at the start of Fermented Offal Discharge, and the intro to Only Ash Remains is blindingly fast (and sound good too) - some Symphony X could be good too

[leschirons]

[quote name='chrisd24' post='1246498' date='May 27 2011, 12:08 AM']Is that you btw?[/quote]

No, it's Paul Rogers in 1973

[xgsjx]

Just DON'T end up like this!

[chrismuzz]

What the f*cking f*ck

Edited May 28, 2011 by chrismuzz

[dc2009]

F**k me that was awful. xgsjx, you owe me three minutes of my life.