Who Invented Tapping on Guitar? Introducing dr. Vittorio Camardese from Italy

Tapping on guitar is a shining guitar technique. Do you know who invented tapping on guitar?

Of course Eddie Van Halen got tapping into mainstream, it’s true; but he didn’t invented this particular technique. In the Sixties a few guitarists had the smart idea to tap the strings with the right hand.

Among them there was an italian doctor, Vittorio Camardese. He was a radiologist and self-taught guitar player. This thing makes me a little proud because as you might already know, I’m from Italy as well.

It was 1965, and the tapping technique developed by doctor Vittorio Camardese was amazing, please watch this video:

At one point the presenter says to doctor Vittorio Camardese: “I was told you play with a particular technique” and Vittorio Camardese simply answers: “It what they say; I always played this way; instead of pinching the string, I tap it”

Some years later this way to play guitar will be named “tapping” (in italian “picchiettare”)