Who Invented Tapping on Guitar?

Tapping on guitar is a shining guitar technique. Do you know who invented tapping on guitar ?

Of course Eddie Van Halen got tapping into mainstream, it’s true; but he didn’t invented this particular technique. In the Sixties a few guitarists had the smart idea to tap the strings with the right hand.

Among them there was an italian doctor, Vittorio Camardese. He was a radiologist and self-taught guitar player. This thing makes me a little proud because as you might already know, I’m from Italy as well . My country also had a great rock scene in the seventies: here are seven Italian prog rock bands you should know.

It was 1965, and the tapping technique developed by doctor Vittorio Camardese was amazing, please watch this video:

At one point the presenter says to doctor Vittorio Camardese: “I was told you play with a particular technique” and Vittorio Camardese simply answers: “It what they say; I always played this way; instead of pinching the string, I tap it”

Some years later this way to play guitar will be named “tapping” (in italian “picchiettare”)

Eddie Van Halen, who brought tapping to the mainstream, even filed a guitar support patent that leaves both hands free.