Joe Satriani - Joe Satriani - Tapping Section & Outro - Guitar Lesson

Surfing with the Alien

1987 3:14

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About Joe Satriani - Tapping Section & Outro

The tapping section and outro from "Surfing with the Alien" sits at the technical heart of one of Joe Satriani's most celebrated Instrumental Rock records. Running at 120 BPM in E minor and standard tuning, the passage demands clean two-handed tapping with precise synchronisation between your fretting and picking hands. The real challenge is not the speed itself but keeping each tapped note even in volume, because any imbalance in finger pressure gets exposed without a vocalist covering it. The outro pushes that further, requiring smooth position shifts while maintaining the legato feel that defines Satriani's style. Start by mapping out which fingers handle which notes before you attempt it at tempo. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop the tapping run slowed right down, building muscle memory in small segments before stitching them together. Getting the muting right with your picking-hand palm is equally important so unused strings stay quiet throughout.

• Two-handed tapping is the core technique required, demanding even finger pressure from both hands to keep notes balanced in volume.
• The section sits in E minor at 120 BPM in standard E tuning, so no retuning is needed before you start.
• Practising the tapping run in short looped segments slowed down is the most effective way to build the coordination this passage requires.