Bass Tapping - You Need To Know Your Fretboard

The bass tapping technique is used in classical, rock, metal, jazz, fusion, blues and can be done with one finger, or be multi-finger - two, three, four fingers. Bass players like Les Claypool, Billy Sheehan, and Victor Wooten for example use tapping to one extent or another. Bass tapping refers to the use of the fingers of the right hand to play the strings on a bass as opposed to using a pick or fingerpicking. In addition, the tapping finger is used to actually play a note on the fret it taps as opposed to other picking methods which simple sound the string to play the note that is fretted with the fretting hand.

Bass tapping can be used with bass chords, scales and arpeggios. Generally this technique is used with a series of fretting hand hammer-on and pull-off moves. Also the right tapping hand often employs a pull-off as well. A hammer-on is integral to the tap, as a hammer-on is by default how the picking hand "taps" a note.

A scale can be tapped up the fretboard with only hammer-on's with the fretting hand and the tapping hand. Although pull-off's are often simply integral as well to the tapping hand and the fretting hand. While bass tapping is often used in conjunction with some form of picking, that is moving from one method to another, you can employ all tapping for entire playing sessions. Or switch between "picking" playing methods. For example, watch Billy Sheehan and Victor Wooten.

Up to four fingers of your tapping (picking) hand may be used, or simply one finger. Some players anchor their hand to the neck with thumb and or another finger. Bass tapping with the index finger and or middle finger is the most common method you may encounter. Players who like to use a pick as well may tap with the middle and or ring fingers while holding the pick in the thumb index finger to switch between picking and tapping quickly. You will find a guitar player doing this more than a bass player but you should know the various way you can and may choose to incorporate tapping into your playing.

String dampening is often, but not always, used with the bass tapping method. There are string dampening devices that you can attach to your bass to reduce string noise from open strings.

You will probably find that it is a good idea to have some proficiency with bass tapping as part of your playing skills as it is used often in many playing situations even if for just short runs or passages.

However, more importantly than the actual technique of bass tapping is a complete understanding of bass music theory and your bass fretboard, because that is the key to be able to actually implement tapping into your playing other than just memorizing some licks.