Intro to Slap Tap Acoustic Guitar

3-D Acoustic Guitar , Igniting your Creativity with Percussive techniques, Alternative Tunings and Rhythmic Harmonics is about charting new territory in your playing and creative process as it relates to the guitar. It's about having conversations with your instrument, about listening in new ways, responding to what you hear with confidence and curiosity, with abandon, without inhibition. It's about a new vocabulary, and it's about your thirst for new ways to express your deepest thoughts, feelings, visions and dreams. It's about adding some new tricks to your collection and it's about courageously embracing your muse.<p>We start with techniques – drawing from my collection of original material – which reflects over 20 years of experimenting and exploring with the use of open tunings, percussive techniques, harmonic tapping, funkified bass note slapping and the like. Breaking things down into small, bite sized pieces, you’ll get an opportunity to see, hear and understand many new approaches to making sound on the guitar and you’ll get plenty of exercises to help you practice them and make them your own. Then we go into the deep water – creating and exploring new tunings on your own. I’ve given you lots of suggestions and I take you through them -step by step. You’ll see and hear how much fun it is to explore and discover new sounds, new harmonic combinations, new melodic and rhythmic possibilities.<br><br>It's about going deeper, wider and higher....3 Dimensional. You ready?<br><b><br>Section I - Techniques (Kali-sthenics)<br></b>- Thumb Slaps<br>- Harmonic Tapping<br>- Harmonic Brushing<br>- Left Hand Harmonics<br>- Body Percussion<br> <b><br>Section II - Creating & Exploring Open Tunings<br></b>- 5 Specific Tunings<br>- Listening<br>- 12 Steps to exploring a new tuning<br><br>>> Start Right Now! <br>Take the advice of one of my teachers, Edward Flower: Spend the first 5 minutes of your playing time playing things you've NEVER played before! That's the only rule. Try this in standard tuning or any tuning. Go ahead - try it right now!

Hold your right hand as if you are going to shake hands<br>- Pivot from the elbow<br>- Strike string with side of thumb - try different positions and see/hear what works best for you!<br>- Mute strings 5-1 with Left Hand so they don't interfere with the sound of your bass note<br><br>>> Forearm Mute: <br>- Play around with positions until you find what works for you. <br>- Don't forget to roll up your sleeve (right hand).<br>- Rest forearm directly on 6th & 5th strings<br>- Change pressure - more pressure = more muting, less pressure = more 'true note'<br>

Have you found the 'sweet' spot on the 6th string when slapping?<br>- Are you pivoting from your elbow?<br><br>>> Tips:<br>- When slapping 5th and 4th strings you can use your Left Hand thumb to mute the 6th string (over the top of neck).<br>- Be sure your thumb comes off the string quickly - immediately after slapping!<br><br> Practice the exercises with and without Forearm Muting.<br>Take some time on your own and jam around with Thumb Slapping and Hammer Ons. Try using the muted and open sounds. Have fun!

Review:<br>Do you know the difference between 'Open', 'Left Hand Muting' and 'Forearm Muting'? If not, go back and watch this segment again!<br><br>Practice this simple exercise with Mindfulness and Patience and you will quickly become a skillful thumb slapper! Take your time. Focus on these 3 things:<br><br>1 - Crisp, funky tone<br>2 - Clean muting with Left Hand<br>3 - Clean muting with Forearm (Right Hand)

Review:<br>For those of you who may be new to making these sounds (harmonics), make sure you spend time finding the right 'touch'; the right amount of pressure (left hand) and the right point of contact - directly ON the fret. It's well worth spending the time getting this just right. I promise!<br><br>Listen for a bright, ringing harmonic tone. Once you get it down, you won't have to think about it anymore!<br><br>For those who are familiar with harmonics make sure you haven't become lazy and that you're really getting the brightest ringing harmonics that you can. You may want to spend some time perfecting the 7th and 5th fret harmonics as these require more focus and accuracy.<br><br>When 'brushing' all 6 strings, make sure you're hearing all 6 strings! You may have to adjust your middle finger.<br><br>>> BONUS - If you spend time practicing getting the harmonics in the 9th and 4th frets to sound well - you'll be amazed at how easy it is in the 12th, 7th and 5th frets!

Can you pick out all the different techniques in this piece? (We've learned them all!) Hint....there are 4.<br><br>