How do you tap?

I mean I know the basics but how do you learn to get good at it

Practice. With a metronome. For ages (but not if it starts hurting).

What 'basics' do you know? If you already understand how to achieve the technique, it's a matter of practice. Learn licks from a variety of different players, modify them to suit your own playing, and try to use them in 'real world' musical situations as soon as possible.

Far frpom being an expert but when I was dabbling with the widdly-woo techniques I fell foul of the following:

Handling/open string noise : Get used to muting the open strings with spare bits of your left hand and the heel of your tapping hand - if possible have only your tapping string 'open' - all without too much handling noise from the rest. Hmm.

Fat fingers : try it using the edge of your pick rather than your finger - see if that works for you

Originality : I found myself sounding like - OK, here's the tapping bit, which when you are as pants at it as I was (yes, I gave up ) is, well, pants. Try adding it somewhere the effect will be less expected - like tap a note on top of the chord you are holding (also good practice for knowing the next inversion up the neck as it's notes are all ripe for adding with a quick tap)

And practice.

Easy - just quote lines from the film, talk about your amp going up to 11, have a guitar that's still got the price tag on it, a radio mic that picks up the nearest air base, an aversion to partially stuffed olives and write a song in Dm (the saddest of all keys).

That wasn't what you meant was it...

'write a song in Dm (the saddest of all keys)'

Hahahaha..the funniest line in the film...and the title of the song...Lick My Love Pump! Brilliant.

You really really dont wanna be doing all that tapping stuff.....real guitarists dont do that stuff!

Shred.....may it rest in peace...

He he, couldn't agree more. There was a time when you couldn't get through an issue of a Guitar mag without a detailed lesson on improving your sweep arpeggios.

I still think Paul Gilbert's best thing was 'Green Tinted Sixties Mind' - not a drill in sight...

What about, 'WHY do you tap?'???

It's purely for vacuous, talentless airheads who must compensate for no REAL feel or empathy with the instrument...

Personally, I use my fingers lot when playing, but some good friends use picks. They are still friends. Even when I use a bottleneck.

So you can't tap then?