GUEST COLUMNIST:

THOMAS CURTIL

Exciting Tapping


Hi everybody! My name is Thomas Curtil. I play in a band called VEDA, a French prog metal band. Let's talk about tapping. Here are 4 licks in the style of Greg Howe and Mattias Eklundh.

Lick one is Greg Howe's way of tapping. The key is Em pentatonic. All the notes played by the left hand (if you're right-handed guitarist!) are made with hammers-on. You'll tap with your right hand's middle finger. Make sure that your hammers-on sound clean.


Lick 2 is variation of lick 1 and still in the key of E minor. The difference is that we have string skipping. I think it's easier than lick 1 at fast tempo.


Lick 3 is in the style of Mattias Eklundh or Ron Thal, great guitar players you must know. We are in Em (again!). The lick contains the 6th of E. So, we have E Dorian. For the tap, you'll use middle and ring fingers of your right hand. All the notes played by the left hand are made with hammers on. Please note how interesting this idea is: the repetition of the 6th first played by the tap then by your left hand. (Personally, I play the 6th on the B string with my index finger).


Lick 4 is an Am11 arpeggio. The taps are easy to play because you'll always tap the 24th fret. Be careful of the string skipping. Good luck and work all licks in each key. It's a freaky lick !


Well, that's all. If you have any questions or comments, please mail me at gariontec@aol.com. You can also visit my band 's website (with tabs!) at : http://www.veda.free.fr.


the following bio material provided by Thomas Curtil

Thomas Curtil was born in 1974. He began to play guitar in 1992. At first influenced by blues guitar players like Buddy Guy and Albert Collins, his first guitar teacher reveals to him many others guitar masters like Steve Vai, Randy Rhoads, Joe Satriani, Joe Pass, Stanley Jordan, Tuck Andress...In 1996, he is a student of MAI (in Nancy, France). After this experience, he decided to continue on his own. His influences are Richie Kotzen, Greg Howe, Al Di Meola, Ron Thal, Robben Ford, Allan Holdsworth. Now he is a guitar teacher in Toulouse (France) and plays with VEDA, a Prog-Metal band influenced by DreamTheater, Pain Of Salvation and many others. Veda is currently looking for a record deal.