So I have a question for Dweezil which may have been asked and answered at some point, but here goes:
My pals Greg Renoff and podcaster/classic rock/VH cover band guitarist Jeff Goebel and other friends of mine have been going down every possible rabbit hole for information on the source or sources from which Edward drew for his famous right hand tapping technique.
We have essentially all agreed that the most solid evidence on balance points toward Harvey Mandel being the person that Edward got his right hand tapping technique from. Reliable eyewitness accounts from George Lynch who attended a Mandel show at the Starwood with Edward where Mandel played his many advanced right hand tapping runs live and a local scenester who actually saw Terry Kilgore teach Ed the technique after he himself was taught the technique by Mandel. Neal Schon is also quoted as saying that Edward specifically told him that he learned the technique from Mandel by way of Terry Kilgore.
It is an almost foregone conclusion that despite Ed’s best attempts to claim that he came up with the idea on his own after seeing Page’s “Heartbreaker” solo open string legato triplets, he almost certainly actually learned the technique wholly from Terry Kilgore who was taught directly by Mandel and the very reliable account of Lynch having attended a Mandel show at the Starwood where Mandel performed many advanced right hand tapping runs which were all over his 1973 solo album ‘Shangrenade’ and which he he’d been playing since 1969.
Another very distinct possibility is that Edward was aware of right hand tapping from seeing and/or hearing Derringer band guitarist Danny Johnson doing advanced right hand tapping runs in Derringer…who also played a great hard rocking live version of “You Really Got Me” well prior to Van Halen’s breakthrough recording and who also played guitar in the band ‘Private Life’ that Edward produced in the late 80s.
My question and the question from my friends to Dweez is this…Did you ever discuss the origins of tapping with Ed as it related to Frank’s pioneering right hand tapping as we see it in this famous clip of “Black Napkins” from 1976 at around the 2:40 mark?
My dad was tapping on the neck with a pick to make what he called "Bagpipe Sounds" starting as far back as 1973. It was a more randomized hyper fast flutter sound within lines. It wasn't uniform like Eruption.
Thanks for that memory! It’s clear from that footage that 1973’s “bagpipe sounds” evolved into something more “uniform” by the time of that 1976 footage. I think I get what he was driving at with “bagpipe” if the tapped note was a very short one that quickly jumped to the next note in the way that notes in bagpipe music can.
It is really interesting that the whole right hand tapping technique was essentially “in the air” for some progressive rock guitarists and forward thinking guitar players in general. I reckon it is obvious that Edward popularized it because he ultimately made great popular music that reached the masses in a way that others didn’t, but the actual technique and the same basic runs were definitely being done by others just as well, especially from Hackett and Mandel.
Thanks David! It was great fun…I’m glad you enjoyed it! Dweezil is great at editing and audio magic to such a degree that he made a simpleton like me sound passable!
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Duuuude, Hey MAN..just sayin hi ..hope things r good ..hi 2 Megan & rollo...sincerly..did I spell that right ? ha ha Patti & greg
Loving the Pete Thorn episode, Dweezil!
So I have a question for Dweezil which may have been asked and answered at some point, but here goes:
My pals Greg Renoff and podcaster/classic rock/VH cover band guitarist Jeff Goebel and other friends of mine have been going down every possible rabbit hole for information on the source or sources from which Edward drew for his famous right hand tapping technique.
We have essentially all agreed that the most solid evidence on balance points toward Harvey Mandel being the person that Edward got his right hand tapping technique from. Reliable eyewitness accounts from George Lynch who attended a Mandel show at the Starwood with Edward where Mandel played his many advanced right hand tapping runs live and a local scenester who actually saw Terry Kilgore teach Ed the technique after he himself was taught the technique by Mandel. Neal Schon is also quoted as saying that Edward specifically told him that he learned the technique from Mandel by way of Terry Kilgore.
It is an almost foregone conclusion that despite Ed’s best attempts to claim that he came up with the idea on his own after seeing Page’s “Heartbreaker” solo open string legato triplets, he almost certainly actually learned the technique wholly from Terry Kilgore who was taught directly by Mandel and the very reliable account of Lynch having attended a Mandel show at the Starwood where Mandel performed many advanced right hand tapping runs which were all over his 1973 solo album ‘Shangrenade’ and which he he’d been playing since 1969.
Another very distinct possibility is that Edward was aware of right hand tapping from seeing and/or hearing Derringer band guitarist Danny Johnson doing advanced right hand tapping runs in Derringer…who also played a great hard rocking live version of “You Really Got Me” well prior to Van Halen’s breakthrough recording and who also played guitar in the band ‘Private Life’ that Edward produced in the late 80s.
My question and the question from my friends to Dweez is this…Did you ever discuss the origins of tapping with Ed as it related to Frank’s pioneering right hand tapping as we see it in this famous clip of “Black Napkins” from 1976 at around the 2:40 mark?
My dad was tapping on the neck with a pick to make what he called "Bagpipe Sounds" starting as far back as 1973. It was a more randomized hyper fast flutter sound within lines. It wasn't uniform like Eruption.
Thanks for that memory! It’s clear from that footage that 1973’s “bagpipe sounds” evolved into something more “uniform” by the time of that 1976 footage. I think I get what he was driving at with “bagpipe” if the tapped note was a very short one that quickly jumped to the next note in the way that notes in bagpipe music can.
It is really interesting that the whole right hand tapping technique was essentially “in the air” for some progressive rock guitarists and forward thinking guitar players in general. I reckon it is obvious that Edward popularized it because he ultimately made great popular music that reached the masses in a way that others didn’t, but the actual technique and the same basic runs were definitely being done by others just as well, especially from Hackett and Mandel.
Dang, Zappa was on the Mike Douglas show? Nice camera work, never knew Frank used so many upstrokes on downbeats. Thanks for posting that.
Hi DZ! Any estimate when the Line 6 Helix Van Halen presets will become available for us subscribers?
Amazing Pod cast tons of info super love the deep dive thanks Allen and Dweeze!
Thanks David! It was great fun…I’m glad you enjoyed it! Dweezil is great at editing and audio magic to such a degree that he made a simpleton like me sound passable!