Metal Guitar Lessons

Updated 25 Sep 2026 · 8 min read

Two-hand tapping fundamentals

The short version

Tapping isn't a trick you sprinkle over a weak fretting hand. Your tapping finger hammers onto a higher fret, then pulls off toward the nut so a note held by your fretting hand rings out. If that pull-off is quiet, you've got a click, not a line.

Why tapping usually sounds sloppy

Players copy a three-note tap lick at full speed and get slaps, open-string noise and a tapped note louder than everything else. What's usually missing is legato in the fretting hand, and muting from the spare fingers of the tapping hand.

Two panels: the fretting hand holds lower notes and must pull off clearly; the tapping hand hammers a higher fret and pulls off into that shape.
Two separate jobs. Practice them separately before they share a click.

Step by step

  1. Prove the pull-off. On one string, hammer on and pull off between two notes with no pick and no tap. Every note the same length. If this fails, go back to legato first.
  2. Add one tap. Fret a lower note. With your picking hand's index or middle finger, tap a higher fret on the same string, then pull off toward the nut so the lower note rings. One tap, one pull-off, repeat.
  3. Match the volume. The tap is usually too loud. Lighten it until it matches the pull-off. High gain hides this, so turn it down while you check.
  4. Mute the other strings. Use the side of your tapping-hand palm or your spare fingers. A tapped lick with four strings ringing is just noise.
  5. Loop a three-note group. Tap, pull-off, pull-off. Loop one bar with the 1-bar routine.
  6. Only move it once it's even. Changing strings too early brings back all the string-crossing problems, plus new muting work.

Exercise

One string (B). t = tap, p = pull-off. Triplets. Your fretting hand holds the 8th and 5th frets, and you tap the 12th. Loop until all three notes match. Together they spell E minor (B, G, E).

e |------------------------------------|
B |--t12-p8-p5--t12-p8-p5--t12-p8-p5---|
G |------------------------------------|
D |------------------------------------|
A |------------------------------------|
E |------------------------------------|
     1           2           3     (rest on 4)

If the 8 and 5 are ghost notes, that's a legato problem. If the 12 slaps, lighten the tap. Mute the D, G and high E strings, or this turns into four strings of noise.

Common questions

Which finger should I tap with?

Whichever one stays relaxed and can pull off cleanly toward the nut. Many players use the middle finger so they can keep holding the pick; others use the index. Consistency matters more than copying a famous player.

What do I do with my pick while tapping?

Tuck it against your index finger with your thumb, or curl it into your palm. Don't invent a mid-lick pick flip until the notes themselves are clean.

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