The guitarist David Gilmour, Brian May, and Slash all called the greatest

Guitarist Eddie Van Halen’s tapping technique amazed fellow musicians and helped change how rock guitar could be played. David Gilmour, Brian May and Slash each praised his ability and influence, despite their own distinctive styles.

Gilmour said he could not master Van Halen’s fast tapping ideas, while May likened seeing him play to discovering Jimi Hendrix. Slash recalled listening to Van Halen’s debut album with Steven Adler and said Eddie changed guitar playing; the article presents the enduring interest in tapping among new guitarists as evidence of his legacy.