Chapman Stick lesson - Greg Howard - exploring hand movement with the Stick Book

[NicoA47]

By the way, this method book seems to truly cover a broad range of topics. I wonder if I could get something out of it, even if all I own is a Megatar tuned in fourths. Of course I would not be able to aply the notation system and the left hand chord shapes among others. But do some of these methods generalize on other tapping instruments? I just don't want to not have any teaching material until I can afford a Chapman Stick.

[gregplaysthestick]

@NicoA47 Hi Nico. My material is very specific to the ergonomics of The Stick. If your fretboard is wider and tapered, you may have trouble reaching over the board to play some things in the book, especially at higher frets. If you can't lean it back toward your shoulder like The Stick, you will find the left hand movements much more difficult, I think. So I can't guarantee its efficacy on instruments that have different designs, but if you want to take a chance, that's up to you.

[NicoA47]

The picture at the right at 1:38 is hilarious :)

[simonglenayre]

Hi Greg- I can see how your system can actually help accelerate the reading skills of someone who does not know how to sight read. It simply has a few more bits that are specific and helpful to a free-hands player, such as the discussed guitar players who never learned to read music. Well done, and thanks for your contribution to the instrument.

[stickplayers]

@simonglenayre Thanks for the comment. I've had several students say that they are not good readers, but they seem to do okay with StaffTab. I'd love to find a comprehensive online source for leaning the basics of notation, if you have a recommendation. Happy Tapping, Greg

[ConceptOfAHuman]

Once each segment is created, I through IV, write each segment above the desired note in the grand staff to indicate which part of the neck it will be played on, as that single note in that octave will only occur once per segment. For chords that pass between two, the deciding factor is the lowest note.

[grayeric]

@ConceptOfAHuman Hello, I'm trying to make sure I understand exactly what you mean and I'm curious if this can be done for Stick with only guitar notation. When you say, "Use each dot or bar as a segment", are you referring to the white linear fret markers in Greg's video? On most Sticks there are 4 of those markers, on the 2nd, 7th, 12th, and 17th frets. What would a roman numeral "I" indicate? Would II be from fret 2 through fret 6 and so on? Thanks.

[ConceptOfAHuman]

@grayeric If you look at classical guitar notation, it is just a treble cleff. But to indicate where on the neck a segment of song would be played is shown with a roman numeral, telling the 'position,' or which fret would be played with the first finger.

Yes, I'm talking about the white linear inlays. Segment 1 or roman numeral I would start on fret 2, Segment 2, or II would start at fret 7, and so on and so forth.

[ConceptOfAHuman]

Since each note in that segment only appears in that octave once, then notating, say, an A in the staff, with a 'IV' above it would indicate, that, on a stick with matched reciprocal tuning, you would play the second string, 12th fret, since that is the only A of that octave in segment 4.

[grayeric]

@ConceptOfAHuman I have been experimenting with classical guitar notation for the Stick and it does work just fine. However, I realize what the issue is here. You are assuming that Stick players read music. StaffTab is a teaching notation that combines the Tablature (Tab) type of notation with a full music score. StaffTab allows us to fully communicate exactly where notes should be played and by what fingers, on what frets, and what string. Someone who only reads Tab can use it. cont...

[grayeric]

@ConceptOfAHuman Cont... Non-classical guitar players are notorious for not reading music. Lots of new Stick players come from guitar or are new to music altogether. The Stick has a 5 octave range with lots of overlapping notes. With StaffTab, a new person can learn the instrument and will be learning standard music notation at the same time, maybe without realizing it. The more experienced I get on Stick the less I need the full StaffTab. But, that takes time and ST helps people learn.

[ConceptOfAHuman]

@grayeric I can see the benefits in that. But I suppose I am a proponent for every musician to be able to read. On top of that, if one wished to get the Stick academically accepted, as I do, at say Berklee or the Manhattan School of Music, the first step is to make it as accessible as possible, to pare down everything until it is utilitarian in it's function.

[ConceptOfAHuman]

There is an idiosyncratic genius in your notation system. But there's way too much to take in, making that system a nightmare to sightread, if not impossible outright. You say it's impossible to signify everything with just notes, but I disagree. If you approach the Stick using classical guitar as a model, which helps outline fingerings by notating positions, then it becomes much simpler. Use each dot or bar as a segment, starting with 1, or the roman numeral I.

[stickplayers]

@ConceptOfAHuman Thanks for taking the time to watch the video and to post your comment. StaffTab is not intended for sight-reading at all. You are right that there is a lot of information to take in, but that's the point of it. Without an articulating hand, the player has to learn certain kinds of moves in order to accommodate position shifting.

Your suggestion leads to the problem tapping musicians face, which is not what to do within one position, but how to get from one to another.

[ConceptOfAHuman]

@stickplayers No offense, but I honestly don't see how that's a problem at all.

[stickplayers]

No offense taken. I'll try to lay it out as I experience fretboard navigation in tapping.

If you look at the section at 11:25 it makes the case as best as I can for the utility of StaffTab. If you limit each finger to specific notes on specific strings in each position, it makes repeated notes & notes at the same fret less fluid because they have to be tapped with the same finger, which is very staccato sounding.

StaffTab specifically shows more fluid fingerings, and position shifts.

[ConceptOfAHuman]

@stickplayers I think that's easily solved. Above the staff, indicate that every other note should be tapped in alternating segments.

[ConceptOfAHuman]

@ConceptOfAHuman Sorry, I misunderstood. All of those arpeggio lines can be notated just the way I am talking about without any confusion as to which fingering and positions should be used.

[stickplayers]

@ConceptOfAHuman Thanks for talking this out (and to you, Eric). I'm always looking for ways to notate Stick music more clearly. The example in this video are pretty simple compared to my songbook, which has pretty constant position-shifting. The string markers are the least necessary symbol, as the fret number basically does what you are describing with Roman numerals. For teaching movement, the finger symbols are the most important I think.

[Powagoat]

@ConceptOfAHuman I've been working on a concept for a more sight-read friendly notation for the Stick. Nothing to show yet, but I should be able to get the first version out soon.

[ConceptOfAHuman]

@Powagoat Please, keep me informed. I'd love to compare notes.

[shivabala9]

Great post !! Your playing is very inspiring !!! Thanks so much !!!

[pyroseed13]

What is the name of the piece you play at the beginning and end of the video?

[stickplayers]

@pyroseed13 It's called "Shapes", the title track from a CD I put out in 1994. It was the first song I wrote on The Stick, back in 1985, and there's an arrangement of it in "The Stick Book" and a slow-tempo recording on the Stick Book companion CD as well.

The shapes CD is currently not in print, but the track will probably reappear sometime soon in remixed form. Thanks for the question.

[gusletarist]

Fine video work!!