In this episode of Power Up! we’re going to look at a simple tapping lick in B minor. This will help you to perfect the technique before moving on to more complex tapping ideas.

Tapping in B Minor – We’re going to tap with both hands rather than pulling off from the picking hand to the fret-board hand, although feel free to play it that way too. This will give us a slight “staccato” feel. Check out the video below:

Power Up! ep.2 Video:

Tapping in B minor Tab – Section 1

We’re starting off by tapping the IV note of the scale (E) at the 12th fret with our picking hand. Note that this is at the end of a “pre-bar”, meaning it comes in before the 1 beat of what seems like the first bar. We’re coming in on the “And of Four”. As this is tricky to explain I’ve written out below how to count the “pre-bar” in eighth notes, we’re starting on the one in bold:

One – And – Two – And – Three – And – Four – And.

If these seems confusing check out the video above to hear the timing. Every note in this exercise is tapped with either the picking hand or fret-board hand. Feel free to use whichever finger is most comfortable. I use my Middle finger on my picking hand. I’m switching between my Middle and Index fingers on my fret-board hand. Next we are going to tap with our fret-board hand on the 10th fret (D) This is the iii note of our key, then return to the IV note with the picking hand. Next we move to the II note (C#) again with our fret-board hand.

We’re going to continue tapping, alternating between the picking hand and the fret-board hand. Playing back and forth between the IV, iii, IV, II notes.

At the end of the second bar we tap the 12th fret on the A string, this is the vii note (A) (a minor 7th above the root note). Next we repeat the same pattern but on the A string. The sequence is vii, vi, vii, V:

After this part we repeat the first sequence. However this time we end on the IV, 12th fret E string (E), not the vii:

Tapping Tab – Section 2

The second section is two bars long but we repeat them for a total of four bars. Here we are alternating between the IV and the I note in the first bar. For the second bar we’re moving into the B Harmonic minor scale, playing the V and VII (Major 7) notes (E and A#).

Tapping in B minor Tab – Ending

To finish off the lick we are returning to the first section. Then to end it simply tap the Root note (B) at the 7th fret E string and slide out downwards, towards the nut.

Have fun with this, once you get used to the technique try moving the patterns around and see what you can come up with!

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