Want to Learn How to Tap Oye Como Va?
Why Tapping?
There is so much to learn from studying Tapping. Of course, there’s no denying the cool factor of playing two parts of a song simultaneously. It’s just not something people see everyday from the bass player. But the real power in tapping, beyond simply the cool factor, is the deep dive into the construct of the song to pull out the essential notes and rhythms to create an arrangement that evokes the song’s full band sound.
A typical tapping arrangement may use two fingers tapping harmony in the higher register – but which two notes in a three or four-note chord? That’s where the “magic” happens, deciding the two notes that the listener will recognize as the chord. Then you add the bass line with your other hand to fill out the chord. So in my example, maybe the 3rd and the 7th win the upper register with the root and scale notes driving the rhythm and bottom.
And so many other ways to create a working arrangement, including using the upper register for a melody and the low end for chord tones and rhythm. That’s where the “gold” lies – in tapping (pun intended!) into your knowledge of theory and the journey in creating an arrangement.
Josh Cohen – Our Guest Tutor!
As part of our Guest Series of Practice Groups, we present Josh Cohen’s “Tapping Grooves for Beginners”. Josh’s first practice group was a huge success and everyday bass players spent 10 weeks with Josh learning the fundamentals of tapping. And from square one, these participants were able to create and perform their own arrangement of a song they selected. Take a listen.
Find out more about Josh at Josh’s website
For this course, you will need Josh’s book!
This could be you in 10 weeks!
Check out a Teaching Sample – Oye Como Va on Tap!
Note: this video may not load in Safari. Please use Chrome or Firefox to watch it. I promise it is worth it! This is the direct Link to this post
Editor’s note: We are no longer offering these 10-week practice groups. However, you can join live group practice sessions with Ari by joining our Membership.
For more info and a whole lot of questions answered, click through to our Practice Groups Page.
Interested in more tips on tapping? Check out Tapping Triplets on the Bass
