Guitar and .....

[Kev_IMO]

Rather than tapping on the guitar with both hands, does anybody here tap on the guitar with one hand and play something else with the other? Lately I've been working on playing guitar and keyboards at the same time. I'm wondering if there are others out there doing this that might be able to offer some helpful tips.

[loneguitarist]

I personally enjoy tapping with my left hand on an Ashbory Bass and playing a drum machine or keyboard with my right hand.

[PhoBucket]

Steve Hahn plays Stick and trumpet at the same time. He has a device with foot pedals that work the trumpet valves.

I can barely walk and chew gum at the same time.

[Igos du Iskana]

Well, i play guitar with my right and do nothing with my left, since i don't have a left hand :D

[Kev_IMO]

Lately I've been tapping a 7-string guitar with my left hand, and playing a keytar with my right. It's weird to get used to, but I'm starting to get more comfortable with it. I was just curious who else was playing this way.

[rjgoos]

Hey, for the ultimate multi-tasking (or, should I say, multi-tapping) experience:

http://stringstation.com/

But why stop there?? Put an instrument under each foot!! US Patent number 4,024,787 describes a tapping instrument that is played with the toes:

http://homepage.mac.com/tap6/stomp.jpg


Stompstyle?

[Rayzcane]

You could have a real toe jam with that instrument.

In the beginning, I had high aspirations of being a one-man band. I could see myself playing bass and guitar at the same time with my Megatar. I bought a small digital drumset with foot pedals. With the foot pedals, you can assign any of the percussion instruments to either foot. In its simplest form, I had planned to play bass drum with the left foot and a snare with the right. A harmonica holder would support a harmonica and a KAZOO. A keyboard instrument was placed on the keyboard stand, along with the Megatar.

However, dreams and reality often take separate paths.

In the beginning, I did find that (for me) it was easier to play bass with the Meg and leads and chords with the keyboard, than it was to play both parts with the Meg only.

Now, I am back to square one! I started over on December 1, 2007. It is now Dec 13th. I am still working on the first four bars of "Go Tell Aunt Rhody". Next up will be "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and "Goodnight Ladies". All of my other instruments are out of sight.

I have made more real progress in two weeks than the previous 8 months. I am learning simple I - IV changes and am working on the II - V - I change, in the key of C. I can finally see that I will eventually be able to play the tunes I love the most.

Ray Langley

[adde65]

There was a guy who busked at Venice Beach around the late 80's who used to play a guitar, sax and cymbals with a kick drum lever controlled by flapping his elbows. Halfway through a song he'd go "Take it away, big toe!" and proceed to play bass solos with his toe on a P-bass lying on the ground. I hope he made enough money to retire, because he was great.

Slightly OT:

I've just completed my first year as a professional busker. The great thing about tapping is that it allows for orchestration and self-accompaniment on a single, portable string instrument. In my case it's a Stick, but the same can apply to a guitar.
Having said that, "the people" still go for the flashy production more than anything. Carlos Vamos playing recently in Adelaide proves that to me. Don't get me wrong; I'm a Carlos fan, but we're talking cookie-cutter, 1-bar drum loop new age songs repeated over and over on a BIG system in order to sell maximum CDs.

So Ray, I might "beef up" my act a bit next year and take the drum machine and extra speaker to the streets...

Seasons greetings,
Andy

[GaryOpenhill]

I know stanley jordan dabbles in the art: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WziGyXsSPM