Tapping a Backbeat Plus Playing a Melody on Ukulele

Helpful Tips

This lesson provides eight exercises to help you learn how to tap a backbeat while playing a melody simultaneously. Two commonly used percussive techniques are taps and slaps, but they differ from one another. A tap is performed by using your thumb to strike the ukulele’s body above the strings, while a slap (also known as a chuck) is executed by using the palm of your hand to strike down onto the strings. A slap is played without producing a note, whereas a tap can be performed while playing a melody note at the same time.

I recommend mastering slapping before attempting tapping. Click HERE to watch our lesson on slap technique.

Lesson Video