Spanish Fly by Van Halen

"Spanish Fly" by Van Halen is a masterclass in acoustic guitar technique, showcasing the legendary Eddie Van Halen's virtuosity on the nylon-string guitar. This instrumental piece, often considered a follow-up to Van Halen’s iconic "Eruption," demonstrates how Eddie’s electric guitar techniques can be seamlessly translated to acoustic guitar, providing a rich learning experience for guitarists of all levels. In this guitar lesson, we’ll break down the key techniques used in "Spanish Fly," giving you the tools to master Eddie's signature style and improve your own guitar playing. Dave Kilminster breaks down this classic track in this exclusive Lick Library video tutorial.

The Influence of Eddie Van Halen

Eddie Van Halen’s impact on guitar playing cannot be overstated. With his innovative approach, Eddie pioneered numerous guitar techniques that have since become essential tools for modern guitarists. In "Spanish Fly," Eddie demonstrates his trademark two-handed tapping on an acoustic guitar, an unconventional approach at the time, proving his boundless creativity and technical skill. Learning from Eddie’s playing not only enhances your technical abilities but also expands your musical vocabulary, allowing you to add a dynamic flair to your playing.

Techniques Used in Spanish Fly

Two-Handed Tapping

In "Spanish Fly," Eddie utilises his famous two-handed tapping technique. This involves using both hands on the fretboard to tap out notes, creating fast, flowing passages that are impossible to achieve with standard finger or pick techniques. The two-handed tapping in this song creates a cascading effect of notes that add a melodic and percussive element to the piece.

Benefit: Mastering two-handed tapping will significantly increase your speed and dexterity on the guitar. It opens up new possibilities for creating complex melodic lines and fluid runs that are key to advanced guitar playing.

Alternate Picking

Eddie also employs alternate picking throughout the song. This technique involves alternating between downstrokes and upstrokes with the pick, which is essential for playing fast, articulate runs on the guitar. The rapid picking in "Spanish Fly" creates clean, precise notes, even at high speeds.

Benefit: Developing your alternate picking technique will help you play faster and more efficiently. It also improves timing and accuracy, which are crucial for tight, rhythmically complex passages.

Legato

In addition to fast picking, Eddie incorporates legato playing in "Spanish Fly." This technique relies on hammer-ons and pull-offs to create smooth, connected notes without the need for continuous picking. The legato passages add fluidity and a sense of seamless motion to the performance.

Benefit: Practicing legato improves finger strength and control. It also allows for faster, more effortless playing by reducing the amount of picking needed.

Hammer-ons and Pull-offs

Closely tied to legato playing, Eddie uses hammer-ons and pull-offs extensively in "Spanish Fly." These techniques involve pressing down or releasing the string with the fretting hand to create notes without picking, contributing to the song’s fast, flowing lines.

Benefit: Mastering hammer-ons and pull-offs will enable you to play faster, more fluid phrases with less effort. They are essential techniques for achieving smooth transitions between notes.

Trills

Another key feature in "Spanish Fly" is the use of trills—a rapid alternation between two notes, typically played using hammer-ons and pull-offs. The fast trills add a dynamic intensity to the song, creating a sense of urgency and energy.

Benefit: Trills are great for building finger strength and dexterity. They also help in developing endurance in both the fretting hand and the picking hand, allowing for sustained passages of fast playing.

Tremolo Picking

Tremolo picking is another important aspect of the song. This technique involves picking a single note or string rapidly to create a continuous, sustained sound. Eddie uses tremolo picking to add intensity and drive to certain passages, making them sound more energetic and forceful.

Benefit: Practicing tremolo picking will increase your picking hand speed and control, allowing you to maintain a steady, fast rhythm for extended periods.

Slides

Eddie also incorporates slides in "Spanish Fly," moving smoothly between notes by gliding the finger along the string. This adds a more vocal-like quality to his playing, mimicking the sliding pitch variations of the human voice.

Benefit: Learning slides will give your playing a more expressive and connected feel. It also helps with transitioning smoothly between different positions on the neck.

Arpeggios

Although the piece is highly technical, Eddie also uses arpeggios to break up the fast runs with more melodic, chord-based passages. The arpeggios in "Spanish Fly" are played with precision and clarity, highlighting the harmonic structure of the song.

Benefit: Practicing arpeggios enhances your ability to outline chords and build solos that are melodically and harmonically rich. It also improves your finger independence and accuracy.

Guitar Techniques Used in "Spanish Fly"

• Two-Handed Tapping
• Alternate Picking
• Legato
• Hammer-ons
• Pull-offs
• Trills
• Tremolo Picking
• Slides
• Arpeggios

Mastering these techniques will not only help you learn "Spanish Fly" note for note but will also greatly improve your overall guitar proficiency. Dive into this lesson and discover the thrill of playing like Eddie Van Halen!