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Contrapuntal Tapping

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In the Beginner Tapping course, we learnt how to use the tapping technique to play a variety of different lines, from outlining chord progressions effectively using voice leading, to providing accompaniment parts using chords and arpeggiated figures. Consequently, you should by now be quite comfortable with the basic mechanics of the technique. In this course we will put the rhythmic independence ideas that were covered in the previous course to use in some contrapuntal basslines.

Counterpoint is the relationship between two or more parts that work together, but which are rhythmically independent. Music written in this way is described as ‘contrapuntal’. This chapter will explore some basic contrapuntal ideas on the bass, most of which will consist of a bassline performed by the fretting hand, and a melody or chordal motif performed by the picking hand.

Don't forget to hit the Download Resources button above to receive the PDF worksheet that accompanies these lessons! This course contains the following videos, each of which can be selected from the video player above:

1. Exercise #1

This exercise is a swing jazz piece with a walking bassline played by the fretting hand and some partial chord voicings played by the picking hand.

2. Exercise #2

This exercise is an indie/rock-style line. There are two distinct parts here: the fretting hand performs a continuous eighth note root-fifth bassline, while the picking hand plays a very simple melodic part.

3. Exercise #3

This exercise has a reggae feel. The fretting hand plays a simple reggae bassline while the picking hand taps out a ‘guitar part’ using partial chord voicings.

4. Exercise #4

This exercise follows the same popular chord progression that was used in Exercise 11. The walking bassline performed by the fretting hand is also the same. The difference is that some alternative rhythms have been added to the chordal part to make it more interesting/authentic.

5. Exercise #5

This exercise has a Latin rock feel. A common Latin groove is played by the fretting hand, while the picking hand reinforces the harmony with a chordal part.

6. Exercise #6

This exercise is similar in style to Stuart Hamm’s famous rendition of Vince Guaraldi’s ‘Linus & Lucy’, better known as ‘The Peanuts Theme’.

7. Exercise #7

This exercise is a slow funk groove in the style of the popular Billy Cobham track ‘Red Baron’.

8. Exercise #8

This is a more complex jazz line. This time the chord progression is a basic jazz blues (a 12-bar blues with some added chords for extra colour), played at a medium swing tempo.

9. Exercise #9

This exercise uses a similar chord progression to the popular bossa nova tune ‘Blue Bossa’. The fretting hand plays a traditional bossa nova bassline, while the picking hand plays chords using some simple Latin rhythms.

10. Exercise #10

This exercise is a slow blues in 12/8 time.