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

Greg Howard shows how the physical aspects of hand movement in two-handed tapping can be explored through the exercises in his "Stick Book, Volume 1":

http://www.stick.com/instruction/books/stickbook/

The book has over 90 pages of tabs, exercises, and complete song arrangements written in the new StaffTab Fretboard notation system that he developed with Chapman Stick and Free Hands method inventor, Emmett Chapman.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• stickbook
• demo
• Emmett
• Chapman
• Stick
• Free
• Hands
• two-handed
• electric
• guitar
• tapping
• lesson
• instruction

[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

[gusletarist]

Fine video work!!

[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]

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.

[NicoA47]

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

[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.

[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.

[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...

[ConceptOfAHuman]

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

[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.