Building The Church Tapping Lesson.

Finally here is the lesson to play the intro to "Building The Church" by Steve Vai. The intro is a two-hand tapping riff.

This piece is really cool and simple to play. Many guys must be wondering that its so difficult and all, but no, its really simple/ Its just a mind game...!!!



|------10------------10----------10----------10----------10----------10------------10----------|
|---13------------------13----------------13----------------13------------------13----------13-|
|---------12------------------12----------------12----------------12------------------12-------|
|-------------10-----------10----------10----------10----------10------------10----------10----|
|-----------------12----------------12----------------12------------------12-------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|-10----------------|
|-------------------|
|----12-------------|
|-------10----------|
|-------------------|
|-------------------|


Lets look at the tapping sequence in two part, left hand part and right hand part.

Left hand ( positioned from the top of the neck)
I replaced the right hand notes with "xx" so that you can see what the left hand is actually playing. Isnt it simple..??!! Its nothing but just two alternating notes.!
I suggest just practing your left hand at 100 bpm, keeping it really clean, no additional fret noises, etc.

Your left hand palm acts as the string dampner here.

The left hand sequence is played continously as L2 L1 L2 L1 L2 L1 etc.


       L2    L1     L2    L1    L2    L1    L2    L1    L2    L1    L2    L1     L2    L1
|------10-----------10----------10----------10----------10----------10-----------10----------|
|---xx-----------------xx----------------xx----------------xx-----------------xx----------xx-|
|---------xx-----------------xx----------------xx----------------xx-----------------xx-------|
|------------10-----------10----------10----------10----------10-----------10----------10----|
|----------------xx----------------xx----------------xx-----------------xx-------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

  L2    L1
|-10----------------|
|-------------------|
|----xx-------------|
|-------10----------|
|-------------------|
|-------------------|

NEXT,

Right hand
I replaced the left hand notes with "xx" so that you can see what the right hand is actually playing. This is a little complex as compared to the left hand, yet very simple.

Look at this sequence now. 

The left right sequence is played continously as R3 R2 R1 R3 R2 R1 R3 R2 R1 R3 R2 R1 R3 R2 R3 R2, etc.

I recommend practicing the right hand sequence at 100 bpm, again, keeping it really clean with no additional fret noises, etc.

    R3    R2     R1    R3    R2    R1     R3    R2    R1    R3    R2     R1    R3    R2    R3
|------xx-----------xx----------xx-----------xx----------xx----------xx-----------xx----------|
|---13-----------------13-----------------13----------------13-----------------13----------13-|
|---------12-----------------12-----------------12----------------12-----------------12-------|
|------------xx-----------xx-----------xx----------xx----------xx-----------xx----------xx----|
|----------------12-----------------12----------------12-----------------12-------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

     R2
|-xx----------------|
|-------------------|
|----12-------------|
|-------xx----------|
|-------------------|
|-------------------|

Once your comfortable with both hands, then follow the next step.

Now use both hands. The trick here is to play alternating fingers of left and right hand.

Ex. L2 R3 L1 R2 L2 R1 L1 R3 L2 R2 ... etc.

Practice this at around 70 bpm. Once u get comfortable, build up speed.

And there you have it.! A Piece of cake isnt it? ;)  


Any more questions feel free to ask me.

danielarlington@gmail.com