How do people hammer and tap so easily?

T

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I've always found tapping hard. I don't mean the coordination part, but the actuation of notes. I have to slam the string down with my (picking hand) finger to get it to ring that loudly and all. Everybody else I see doing this, it looks like they're barely touching it.

Then there's the hammer offs and stuff. Especially doing it straight up and down (so you don't get that keoww Holdsworth calls it) is hard for me to get much volume. Does this take serious calluses or something?
 
I don't know much about this stuff but some of the tapping videos that I've seen appear to show the fingers pull the string in downwards a bit to give the strings a pulling motion.
 
Here's how I do it but there are many ways to approach the method.

It's up to you to find what is comfortable and works for you. I hold the pick as normal, (this is to be able to go back to picking in a snap) and use my middle finger to tap. The middle finger action to describe it is after the initial tap, it kind of bounces off the string(s) and there is a slight upwards motion/movement which is a natural way for the finger to move.

Hope that helps but try other methods and find what works for you.
 
That's strange. It's one of the easiest things, provided your strings are preferably not too high and you have enough gain going on. You can adjust it so you indeed barely have to touch it, which is good if you don't have more muscle.

I can't do the Holdsworth way though and I wish I could do Satriani style way down the neck, but that just stretches my hand too much or tires/hurts me very quickly.
 
I think actuation comes with speed and a fair amount of gain. By first you have to practice slowly with a semi-dirty clean sound. Try to dial the amp to breakup when you play harder on your guitar and cleaner when playing just a tad softer. This way you're constantly reminded of how hard you're hitting the strings. Try to keep the sound as even as possible, the same level of breakup all the time. Practice until you can "shred" with an semi-clean sound, this might take months. Then you can add a little more gain - just for effect. Years ago I read an article with Vinnie Moore where he explained this method in brief. Look at his legato playing. So fluid:

 
Do a search on youtube. Tons of vids on the subject. Whether it's two handed tapping or legato stuff the key is the pull off itself coupled with hand strength and good action on your guitar. As others have said, when you pull each note off, be sure to pull it downward (or push upward) which gives the next note a pluck which in turn gives the note it's volume and sound. Do the same for the next note and so on. The combo of hammering the note on and pulling it off keeps the chain of notes in the lick alive.
 
Learning to play in the eighties it was required learning to be able to tap at a decent level, this is how I learnt to tap. I use my tapping finger as you would use your plectrum, as you tap the note you need to move your finger in the way you would use the plectrum up or down (while you still have the note depressed). Practice using a metronome slowly at first making sure that the volume is consistent. I hope this helps.
 
You should be able to tap on an acoustic or an unplugged electric and hear a decent amount of volume. But without slamming your fingers too hard :) so it may be setup or technique that needs to be improved.
 
Strong fingers, and all the other techniques people have mentioned ,practice makes perfect,start slow
 
That Vinnie Moore vid is the kind of thing I like to see. Very economical technique (although....why do all the shredders have long finders that bend like that??), just seeing it gets my brain going. Thanks.
 
When I can not play guitar (bus stop, office, defecation...), I sometimes have that grip-master thing on my hands, to increase the finger strength and practice coordination of movements:

gripmaster-blue-01-170x128.jpg


I have no problem at all with fingertapping
 
IMO, the strength required for hammer-ons and tapping is minimal. The same goes for most other guitar techniques. The more force you apply, the more tension you have in your hands, and that slows you down.

And at low gain, the speed of your tapping/hammering finger becomes more important. It's how fast the string hits the fret that determines how loud the note will be—it's not how hard you hit it. Once the string makes contact with the fret, any additional force you apply is time and effort you could be spending to get ready for the next note. Watch any good tapper. You'll see easy, fluid motions, without bearing down on the string.

And I'll echo what others have said: practice makes everything easier.
 
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