There have been a few recent discussions about the guitar tapping (or touch) technique.
I became curious about its origins and did a little research.
It seemed that Jimmie Webster's name kept coming up as one of the earliest pioneers.
He even wrote a method book on the technique in 1952 called "The Touch System for Electric and Amplified Spanish Guitar".


Jimmie Webster:


Jimmie Webster: Brief Biography

You're probably wondering where two handed tapping came from. It wasn't Van Halen, or any of the other California dreamers of the 70's. It was Jimmie Webster, a great musician and visionary. I'll tell his story here, mostly in his own words, and in the words of those who knew him.

James Donart Webster was born August 11, 1908 in Van Wert Ohio. He is a direct descendant of Daniel Webster on his father's side, and of John Quincy Adams on his mother's. In the picture below, he is seen with his sister Virginia on a piano bench when they both were young children. Virginia went on to become a jazz pianist herself.

Jimmie served in the war as a musician, staioned in Iceland. He later lived in Toledo, Ohio, and on Long Island, NY. His first wife was L'Ana Webster (later L'Ana Hyams), who was well known as one of the first women band leaders. In the picture below, taken before the war, Jimmie is pictured in her band, he is the one with a guitar. L'Ana is also featured on the CD cover seen below that "Forty years of Women in Jazz".

Jimmie travelled around the country demonstrating his technique, and teaching it. One of his students was his grandson Pete Sears, who is a quite a fine guitarist to this day.
Jimmie Webster died April 11, 1978, on Long Island, NY. Thanks very much to Reid Gray, a great-nephew of Jimmie, who supplied the detailed biographical information and pictures.

He had a close associaiton with the Gretsch Musical Instrument Company for many years, until his death in the late 70's. He helped with some of their guitar designs and was responsible for much of their success after WW2. As I will discuss below, he had patents for some very novel, revolutionary, ahead-of-its-time guitar ideas. Word has it that he saw Harry DeArmond demonstrate some hammer-on techniques, in order to show off the sensitivity of DeArmond pickups. Jimmie took this idea and ran with it. He developed the technique into a far more orchestral concept: the guitar as a complete ensemble.

Jimmie is mostly rememebred as a pioneer of the two handed tapping, "tap-style", or "touch-style" technique. He called it "the Touch System", so "touch-style" would be the most accurate short abbreviation. Funny but I don't think Jimmie used the word "tap" at all in his book, though this is used interchangable with "touch" today.

He wrote a book in 1952 describing the technique. He would play chords on the lower frets of the instrument, just the way guitarists have for centuries. The thing that made it special is that he "hammered on" strongly enough so that plucking was not required. With this, then, he had a free right hand to play tunes with. He tapped with the right hand on the higher strings, and higher frets, to get the melody. Mostly, he only had the two or three highest strings to work with when he was tapping the melodies. But he was very adept at the technique. Listen, for instance, at his rendition of Ellington's Caravan, where he is able to get a full rhythm section sound with his left hand. At the same time, he plays the melody with the right hand.

In addition to many jazz standards, Jimmie Webster wrote some songs of his own like Scarlet Mood, and Fountain Mist that really showcased his Touch System. He must have been quite a showman as he travelled around America, promoting Gretsch Guitars and his own revolutionary playing system wherever he went.

Sadly, like many who are way ahead of their time, he died well remembered but without ever really getting his due.

Jimmie Webster was the first "touch-style" player to play simultaneous melody, chords, and bass. He was also the first to wrote a method book for it, design specialty instruments for the style, and record an LP record. In fact, not only was he first, but to this day, he is the only touch-style player to ever design his own patented touch-style instrument and make a record for a major label (RCA). He demonstrated his technique around the country, and his method was "the envy of professional guitarists".

Who carried the torch for his original method after he was gone? Why are there so many tappers today? We do know that Jimmie demonstrated his technique, as a promo man for Gretsch, for many years. He showed other guitarists how to play this way, all over the country. He was seen at the California NAMM trade show in the mid 60's. About this time, two handed tapping started to catch on big in California, especially in the San Jose area, where there was at least one Webster "tribute" act in the early 70's. According to the Guitar Player magazine article, there were fanatics who followed him on tour for hundreds of miles in order to learn the technique by watching him play!

Because of their enthusiasm, he firmly believed that the Touch System would one day take its place as an accepted method of playing the guitar electronically. It wasn't back then, but it sure is today.

One of the best known six string tappers is Stanley Jordan. In an internet post, he said how Chet Atkins gave him a copy of Jimmy Webster's LP, which he treasures. Stanley has really done an awful lot bringing acceptance to tapping for guitarists today.

http://www.geocities.com/...bster.html
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Dave Bunker:

Lots of controversy exist over who did what and when on the Touch/Tap Method of play, well here it is" and this is right, Actually Merl Travis was one of the first artist to play using two hands on the fingerboard. The first artist to really bring it out and do something with was Jimmie Webster, who wrote the first touch System method book for a single neck type electric guitar played with two hand tapping. I was the first to build and patent one you could tap on both necks which was made posible by damping each neck at the nut as refered to in patent #2,989,884 filed in 1957 and issued in 1961 and also wrote and copyrighted the first double neck Method Book, One of the earlier great contributors has been Emmett Chapman with the Stick design, which is probably the best known of the touch/Tap type instruments. Some great Artist followed like, Edward VanHalen and others. Most of the touch/Tap style instruments incorporated my manual mute (Duo-Lectar ™) into there instruments.



This group of wild outfits,hairdoes and guitars was one of the hi-lites of the Golden Nugget casino in Las Vegas for over 10 years. That was when the Nugget was a real live entertainment spot with music going around the clock.

All of the guitars were built by Dave for his group and as you may note were very original. Each of the girls instruments featured on board mike attachments so they could wiggle and move around at will, it worked.

http://www.bunker-guitars...story.html
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An international practitioner, Enver Izmailov:



http://www.youtube.com/wa...ed&search=
http://www.youtube.com/wa...ed&search=

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More info: http://www.megatar.com/en...#Evolution
http://www.traktortopaz.c...istory.htm
http://tappistry.org/


I'm sure it's possible that deeper investigation could trace this technique back to some ancient civilization that used stringed instruments.

Go for it.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

theAudience said:

That is too cool for words! But I think the gypsies invented it.

heartbeatocean said:

You're really getting into the Gypsy thing.

If you ever disappear...



...this'll be the first thing i'll be on the lookout for.



tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

has prince ever used this technique on one of his songs?

i think there might be some brief tapping at the end of
"Had U", but i'm not sure.

i've seen him do something resembling tapping live at a
few occasions. but he just does it for like 3 seconds.

heartbeatocean said:

I tend to agree.

Anyway, cool info tA. And as always, complete with pics and all. (you know I'm a visual person. )

Is this the sound on Jaco's "Portrait Of Tracy"?

theAudience said:

Workin' on it!

CinisterCee said:

The version on...



...Jaco Pastorius is more of an exercise in the use of "harmonics".


Maybe on some of his wilder live performances he incorporated touch/tap techniques.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

IstenSzek said:

Not that i'm aware of. I'd have to listen to that particular tune.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431