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Next Level Stuff
https://stickist.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=12672
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Author:  Carbon [ Sat Dec 16, 2017 4:41 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Next Level Stuff

I've been dealing with many of the issues that you describe from technique to musical styles.

My solution to the playing posture is that I've completely abandoned playing seated. Whenever I practice or play, I stand.
If the practice sessions are longer I find that having a 10min break every 45mins helps a lot and I don't get too tired.

The instrument position for me that's comfortable is more towards the position of a guitar, maybe more vertical, a little more than 45 degrees from the floor - maybe 50 to 55.
The headstock is also a bit more away (forward) from my body.

What also helped my wrists was modifying the belt hook with spacers, so that it's not angled.

This requires that you train to play blindly most of the time, with an occasional glance when doing larger shifts. I was very bad at this at the beginning, but after about 6 months it got much better.
This also is good for the neck if you look straight ahead instead of peeking the fingerboard.

And for the stylistic preferences you mention, I think it's very liberating to forget that you can play two parts at the same time on the stick once in a while.
It frees amazing possibilities of what you can do as a single line with two hands - speed, complexity, the unexpected.

Keep in mind that I'm a beginner still...

Kaspar

Author:  lminor7 [ Sat Dec 16, 2017 3:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Next Level Stuff

Carbon wrote:
I've been dealing with many of the issues that you describe from technique to musical styles.

What also helped my wrists was modifying the belt hook with spacers, so that it's not angled.

This requires that you train to play blindly most of the time, with an occasional glance when doing larger shifts. I was very bad at this at the beginning, but after about 6 months it got much better.
This also is good for the neck if you look straight ahead instead of peeking the fingerboard.

It frees amazing possibilities of what you can do as a single line with two hands - speed, complexity, the unexpected.

Keep in mind that I'm a beginner still...

Kaspar


Thank you for the thoughtful post, Kaspar.
One of my main reasons for seeking out comfortable ways to play seated has to do with the concept of placing a straight road directly over a hill...
That's why the band harness was useful; the distance at the bottom end of the stick was farther away.
HOWEVER, I take your points about hand positions, the angle of the instrument, and especially the idea of "playing blindly". Greg Howard made the same suggestion and I did try it for a while, frustrating! But I do know if I stick with it I will master the technique. Being a pianist I learned that lesson long ago and I became a better pianist when I stopped looking at my hands and trusted 'the force' :idea:

As to the idea of letting go of playing two distinct musical ideas simultaneously, one backing up the other, and using both hands toward the same musical expression, I'm 100% with you! Many of my favorite clasiccal composers, as well as fellows like Tony Levin, Kerry Minear, and a number of the stick players I met at last year's get-together, provided masterful examples just asking to be emulated :-)

Thanks again
Cheers
Harry

Author:  Carbon [ Sun Dec 17, 2017 3:35 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Next Level Stuff

@lminor7
Cool!

Edit to my previous post:
Got to check the neck angle with a CAD program :) Actually it was more vertical than I initially thought - about 60 to 65 degrees.

And also, I found that I adjust the angle a bit, depending where on the fingerboard I play. Like a guitarist (which I was) would bring the neck vertical when soloing on the higher frets.

Author:  rodan07 [ Sun Dec 17, 2017 8:31 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Next Level Stuff

I once read in a piano technique book about "throwing the hand". Sometimes, to make the fingers work right, you have to "throw the hand" into position, and I've found, away from the instrument, imagining some difficult passage (specifically, Steel Drivers' "Reckless Side of Me") that I have to move my entire hand up and to the left a little to make my RH pinky work correctly in the passage.

I still don't have it up to tempo,esp. my band's tempo (they love going faster than the original!).

I hope that helps. Slow practice may give you similar ideas.

BTW I got a major inspiration from one of your videos, that helped me with RH articulation. I'm working on that now.

R

Author:  Jayesskerr [ Sat Dec 23, 2017 9:52 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Next Level Stuff

Cool replies, guys. Thanks for the input, I (for one) appreciate it all.

I was able to replace the lap dawg's threaded studs with slightly longer ones, so playing seated and hand access to the notes I wish to play (all of them) is no longer an issue. The Lap dawg is great, I highly recommend it!

And yes, I know that slow practice is a key part of getting faster, clean execution, rhythmic control, phrasing, accents, etc etc. I spend many hours a day with a metronome doing a lot of different things... polyrhythms, rests, tied notes, odd note groupings, etc, etc

I do practice standing sometimes, and when standing it's really not an issue (the hand access) but I have to be able to be seated for some of it. Gotta take notes, enter stuff in the computer, adjust tones, answer the phone things like that. Some seated practice HAS to happen (for me) it just does.

Remember, I am nobody. I just ask questions and try out the suggestions posted. If "it" works for me, I use it. If not, "it" gets discarded in favour of a more efficient, and practical method. I take my fun seriously...

For me, "next level" means a few different things, but mostly just "what I'm working on next" heh :D

Author:  WerkSpace [ Sat Dec 30, 2017 7:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Next Level Stuff

This was my solution to the problem. Fully adjustable.
http://www.stickist.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=12070
Sit or Stand... no longer a problem.
I prefer playing laying down though. 8-)

Jayesskerr wrote:
:D Hmmn, I'm thinking that I have perhaps just not phrased my question very articulately. Maybe this video will help clarify?

Thanks for the replies thus far, I take everything you guys seriously, and as such I'll try it all. Repeatedly if I have to. I will resolve this one way or the other, but I thought I'd ask the same as I always do.

The video of suck...


Author:  Jayesskerr [ Wed Jan 03, 2018 6:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Next Level Stuff

WerkSpace wrote:
This was my solution to the problem. Fully adjustable.
http://www.stickist.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=12070
Sit or Stand... no longer a problem.
I prefer playing laying down though.


Very cool, Werkspace. That's pretty excellent!

Author:  jacubert [ Thu Mar 15, 2018 11:44 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Next Level Stuff

BSharp wrote:
I'll "harp" on this theme again because I find it so useful. For very fast lead lines, try fingers 1, 2 and 4 per string until you get to that pair of strings that require an ascending pattern of a whole step followed by a half step. Here switch to fingers 1, 2 and 3 with a slight twist of the wrist.

It's all a three fingered technique, conceptually, that is, but you're using four fingers and can feel the torque strength at both sides of the hand. Of course you'd have even more of that if the thumb were involved as on keys (no so practical, however, on strings).

If this approach feels good on the fast melodic passages, then slow it down and use it everywhere. You'd never have a problem reaching across five frets wherever your right hand lands on the board.


Since I was off social media (still am) and most online forums for a while, I missed this thread - very interesting and helpful. Emmett mentioned his 1, 2, 4 finger method to me last week and I have spent some time working with it on the Grand Stick and NS/Stick. The torque strength is a real advantage - plus you can very easily play a whole step-minor third interval very fast (if you are into that sort of thing). The challenge for me is switching back to 1, 2, 3 cleanly. BTW, this technique is especially useful on the NS/Stick where a wider reach is needed. Thanks, Emmett!

Jeremy

Author:  BSharp [ Thu Mar 15, 2018 2:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Next Level Stuff

Thanks Jeremy, for trying out my RH 3-fingered concept using 4 fingers, and for supporting that instruction here. If it turns out to improve Stick players' melody prowess, that would of course be good all around, for The Stick instrument and players.

There are several substantial benefits to this fingering technique on uniform 4ths (to infinity), including the following two:

1) You have 5 successive strings using fingers 1, 2 & 4. It feels like 1, 2 &3 and you can rip thru scales and lines when you want a dense guitar lead legato style. Typical guitar type fingerings have a basis of 3 notes per string for all modal scales and if the tuning is all 4ths, the overall pattern follows my "Strings in Fourths to Infinity" chart, Free Hands page 41. The pattern covers 7 strings (even tho there are only 5 or 6 melody strings), but all 7 finger patterns show up if you play at different RH scale positions along the board. The 2 remaining strings in the 7-string pattern are played with fingers 1, 2 & 3 (and a slight twist of the wrist).

2) For 2-finger pentatonic scales, especially those interspersed within 3-finger modal scales, you have an extra resource, a double right hand! Fingers 1 & 2 can play a pentatonic, omitting those modal notes played by the 4th or 3rd finger. Fingers 2 & 4 then have their own pentatonic, still within the mode but omitting the 1st finger.

Why shouldn't guitar lead melody be within the scope of Stickists? It's the reward, after all.

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