In this lesson, I'm going to show you a two-hand tapping workout based on the foundation of my previous lesson, “Pentatonic Workout: Increase Left Hand Strength...
In this lesson, I'm going to show you a two-hand tapping workout based on the foundation of my previous lesson, “Pentatonic Workout: Increase Left Hand Strength and Produce Great-Sounding Sequences."
Assuming you're already comfortable with the five positions of the pentatonic scale and the sequences discussed in this previous lesson, we'll now take it to the next level.
We’ll use the A minor pentatonic scale at the fifth position as our example, but you will want to make sure you can perform this routine in all five positions of the pentatonic scale.
This workout starts with the A minor pentatonic scale ascending and descending, with the added element of our right hand, tapping an additional note normally found in the next position of the scale (Example 1).
After this establishes the fingering for your left and right hands, the workout continues with a two-string sequence, where you play the “high note-low note-middle note” tapping pattern across sixth and fifth strings. This pattern starts again on the fifth string, continues to the fourth string, then repeats in a similar fashion ascending across all six strings. Turn the direction around to descend (Example 2).
The third part of the workout is a sequence that ascends in nine-note groups (three strings’ worth of tapped pentatonic scale), then back a string, start on the D (fifth string) and ascend another nine notes (three strings).
Continue this pattern until you start the sequence on the G string, at which point you simply turn the pattern around and perform the sequence in reverse: From the high E string, you play the tapping pattern descending nine note (three strings), go back a string and start the pattern again on the B string, and again, continuing in the same fashion