Amateur Guitarist Vittorio Camardese Displays Two-Handed Tapping Technique in 1965 — Video
Although they certainly popularized it and "took it to the next level," we all know by now that guitarists Stanley Jordan and Eddie Van Halen did not invent two-handed tapping.
Some sources claim it started centuries ago (albeit on other instruments), and people like Roy Smeck, Harry DeArmond, Jimmie Webster, George Van Eps, Barney Kessel, Emmett Chapman, Harvey Mandel, Randy Resnick and Steve Hackett had been spotted doing it long before the rise of Jordan and Van Halen.
A YouTube video that's been making the rounds lately shows another guitarist, an Italian radiologist named Vittorio Camardese, showing off his own two-handed tapping technique on an Italian TV show (on the RAI network) in 1965.
In the video, Camardese says he's an amateur guitarist who works at Rome's San Filippo Hospital. He says the guitar was loaned to him by a coworker.
If you don't want to listen to their conversation, which is in Italian, skip ahead to 1:14 — although the real playing starts at 1:30. After a break and some more chatting, Camardese starts playing "All of Me" at 3:10. He breaks into some tapping again at 3:53, complete with what looks like devil horns (\m/).
Anyway, a big shout out to Mr. Camardese, wherever he might be! Enjoy!
P.S.: Because we didn't feel the need to mention everyone, we've left some names off our brief "pre-EVH two-handed tapping pioneers" list above. Feel free to add names in the comments below! One commenter has already pointed out Dave Bunker (Watch a VIDEO here).
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Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
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