Skip to main content
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
UK EditionUK US EditionUS AU EditionAustralia SG EditionSingapore
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Artist news
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Controllers
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Guitar Amps
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About us
Don't miss these
The Spice Girls
Artists Greg Lester on how he crafted the classic nylon-string guitar solo in the Spice Girls’ 2 Become 1
No Surprises
Artists The elegant simplicity of Radiohead’s second biggest song
Yes backstage
Artists Unpacking the technical genius behind one of the most iconic rock songs of the 1980s
Steve Morse poses in the studio with his Ernie Ball Music Man signature model – not the guitar synth at the bridge.
Artists “Nobody can play better than that guy, man!”: Steve Morse on the supernatural powers of Petrucci, Johnson and Blackmore
Neal Schon
Artists “There are players with amazing dexterity”: Journey’s Neal Schon says that “classic guitar records” still matter
John Mayer
Artists “It wasn’t anywhere close to being a single”: The classic track that defines John Mayer as a guitarist and a songwriter
Justin Hawkins
Artists “He wanted it to sound tinny, so he literally put the mic in a tin”: When The Darkness teamed up with Queen’s producer
Fender and Jackson's Iron Maiden 50th Anniversary Collection: FMIC has unveiled a signature guitar and bass collection to celebrate 50 years of the British metal institution.
Artists Fender and Jackson celebrate 50 years of Iron Maiden with limited run signature collection
A Cort G200SE on a dirty white floor
Electric Guitars "Just as good as many affordable Squier, Epiphone, or Yamaha guitars I’ve played": Cort G200SE review
Green square on a cream background
Singles And Albums "This record shouldn’t, strictly speaking, be possible at all”: Here's Autechre – reinterpreted on acoustic guitar
A PRS McCarty 594 on a hard case
Electric Guitars Best electric guitars 2025: Our pick of guitars to suit all budgets
songscription
Tech "Humans will be doing all the serious music transcription for the foreseeable future": Songscription review
Close up of a Taylor GS Mini acoustic guitar lying on a wooden floor
Acoustic Guitars Best acoustic guitars 2025: Super steel string acoustics for all players and budgets
Status Quo
Artists “I remember saying to Clapton, ‘You try playing that one riff for eight minutes!’”: The secret to Status Quo's riff power
Gretsch Electromatic CVT Double-Cut in Wychwood greenburst finish
Electric Guitars "For garage, punk, and rock styles, it’s got the tonal firepower on offer": Gretsch Electromatic CVT Double-Cut review
More
  • "The most expensive bit of drumming in history”
  • JoBo x Fuchs
  • Radiohead Daydreaming
  • Vanilla Fudge
  • 95k+ free music samples
  1. Tutorials
  2. Guitar Lessons & Tutorials

Quick licks: intermediate #8

News
By Guitar Techniques ( Guitar Techniques ) published 21 November 2011

Classical counterpoint and two-hand tapping

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Intermediate lick one: classical counterpoint

Intermediate lick one: classical counterpoint

This short classical etude will help to develop the concept of playing two independent lines at once. The trick is to play both parts in a strong enough manner that they have equal volume and importance. Follow the picking and fretting hand fingerings faithfully for the best result.

Page 1 of 2
Page 1 of 2
Intermediate lick two: Two-handed tapping

Intermediate lick two: Two-handed tapping

The tapping in this line is focused on a single string and the melodic content is reminiscent of JS Bach. All of the notes are on the fourth string except the first note of the third bar. Tap smoothly but percussively so the open string sounds as evenly as the fretted notes and crank up the metronome to 208bpm!

Page 2 of 2
Page 2 of 2
Guitar Techniques
The worlds best high-quality guitar tuition from the UKs foremost teachers and players image
The worlds best high-quality guitar tuition from the UKs foremost teachers and players
Subscribe and save today!
More Info
Read more
Creating chord progressions in Ableton Live
Creating chords for electronic music: 3 ways to generate more interesting progressions in Ableton Live 12
 
 
The Spice Girls
Greg Lester on how he crafted the classic nylon-string guitar solo in the Spice Girls’ 2 Become 1
 
 
Ableton Live MIDI tools tutorial
Stuck for ideas? Here's how to create fresh basslines and melodies with Ableton Live 12’s MIDI tools
 
 
James Hetfield plays his white Gibson Explorer live with Metallica in 1986. He wears a black Metallica longsleeve.
Metallica’s Master Of Puppets has been to the Upside Down but this backwards version might be the Strangest Thing you’ll hear this year
 
 
Yes backstage
Unpacking the technical genius behind one of the most iconic rock songs of the 1980s
 
 
John Mayer
“It wasn’t anywhere close to being a single”: The classic track that defines John Mayer as a guitarist and a songwriter
 
 
Latest in Guitar Lessons & Tutorials
Close up of a person playing guitar
With a massive 89% discount, $99 for a year's worth of Guitar Tricks online lessons is the best way to upgrade your guitar playing this Black Friday
 
 
Close up of a person holding an acoustic guitar bathed sunlight
Ignite your inner guitar god for just 27 cents a day with TrueFire’s July 4th sale - save 60% on online lessons
 
 
MusicNomad fret tuition
Can you fix your guitar's frets yourself? We try three innovative approaches from MusicNomad to investigate how they might conquer a major cause of fret buzz
 
 
George Harrison
How to play like George Harrison on The Beatles' Abbey Road
 
 
MusicNomad guitar fret cleaning
"You owe your guitar the chance to be its best": How to clean and polish your guitar frets a better way
 
 
Jimmy Page
Play like Jimmy Page! Exclusive video lesson
 
 
Latest in News
Bill Ward of Black Sabbath, inductee, and Lars Ulrich of Metallica
"I just love Metallica. I love Lars' drumming": naysayers, listen up - Bill Ward explains why Lars Ulrich is a brilliant drummer
 
 
David Byrne against a blue background, shielding his eyes from a birght light with his hand
“Rowdy, fun songs that gently poke at and refer to the holidays”: Hate Christmas music? David Byrne has a gift for you
 
 
Breland takes part in the panel Country Music In The UK: Growth And Influence at Shoreditch Town Hall during SXSW London 2025 on June 04, 2025 in London, England
People were asleep at the wheel”: Country star Breland lambasts record companies over their investment in AI
 
 
Green square on a cream background
"This record shouldn’t, strictly speaking, be possible at all”: Here's Autechre – reinterpreted on acoustic guitar
 
 
Lead singer and guitarist Robert Smith of The Cure performs on stage at Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam, Netherlands 25th November 2022
“A run of shows to dream about”: Robert Smith announces line up for his first run of Teenage Cancer Trust concerts
 
 
Steven Tyler and Joe Perry
“The whole thing that AI can do – if you think about it, it’s just really creepy”: A warning from Aerosmith's Joe Perry
 
 

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...