EVH Tremolo Technique

[Ted Van Halen]

Brain freeze with the lawn mower. A stick got caught in the door causing grass to fly up into my face.
I got pissed. Instead of taking my hand off the bar I bent down to grab it. My left hand slipped just a little cuz it was sweaty.
Thus, the fun began.

Ouch.

[BlofeldsCat]

Brain freeze with the lawn mower. A stick got caught in the door causing grass to fly up into my face.
I got pissed. Instead of taking my hand off the bar I bent down to grab it. My left hand slipped just a little cuz it was sweaty.
Thus, the fun began.

I think it's safe to say you won't make that mistake again.

It reminds me of the time I inexplicably tried to separate two frozen burgers by holding them vertically in one hand and ramming a large, sharp knife inbetween them, as though I was stabbing someone to death. It'll come as no surprise that a few seconds later, the burgers separated and the knife plunged into my hand at great speed.

[Get The Show On The Road]

Brain freeze with the lawn mower. A stick got caught in the door causing grass to fly up into my face.
I got pissed. Instead of taking my hand off the bar I bent down to grab it. My left hand slipped just a little cuz it was sweaty.
Thus, the fun began.

Ehhhh! Ouch.

[joezlo]

I can't trem pick like Ed to save my life, but I can trem pick. Mostly using my forearm with its upper most part resting on the body. My middle finger and pointer wind up holding the pick with my thumb and some times my pinky just juts out - laughs-

[PrideofPasadena]

Ouch.

It actually didn't hurt that much. My threshold is pretty high.
Everyone in the ER was amazed how calm I was.
I was so pissed I did it I think it helped block out the pain.
Trying to sleep that night was the worst part. Luckily, I had some good drugs for the pain.

[PrideofPasadena]

I think it's safe to say you won't make that mistake again.

It reminds me of the time I inexplicably tried to separate two frozen burgers by holding them vertically in one hand and ramming a large, sharp knife inbetween them, as though I was stabbing someone to death. It'll come as no surprise that a few seconds later, the burgers separated and the knife plunged into my hand at great speed.

That definitely aint happening again! Five years later I still can't believe I did it.

I did gain a weapon out of it, though. I slam my crazy nail middle finger on concrete and don't feel a thing. I could probably dent a dome with it.

No freakin' way! I did the same thing, Blofeld. LOL. I was teen at the time.
I didn't hit my hand though. It came down on my middle finger. Nice little gash...a few stitches.
From then I was more careful.... and used a fork.

[joezlo]

Well, to me, people just dont look right tapping with their middle finger. They definitely dont look as fluid as Ed tapping with his index finger.

I tap with my middle finger -laughs-

[RRvh1]

Someone reposted a video on FB, of Stanley Jordan playing Stairway to Heaven on a double-neck guitar, using only tapping - with BOTH hands. Chords, melodies, lead runs with multiple fingers, etc. The guy is amazing!

Made me also think of Jeff Watson and his '8 finger piano tapping' technique. For that matter, even Vai uses his middle and ring fingers, mostly, to tap. Same with many others.

I tap 'normally' with my index while tucking the pick in the middle fingers' bent knuckles. I will normally do EVH style tap harmonics this way as well, for single notes. For chord harmonics ala DTNA etc, I use my middle finger to sound them, while holding the pick with my thumb and index digits.

Whatever works!