For me, the most interesting feature of Chapman tapping is that it allows fretboardists to study four-part harmony on their own instrument--otherwise not possible on guitar.

Is there anyone out there who's taken the Stick through a traditional theory/composition program, using it as a "pseudo piano"?


mad monk.

Yes sir ! I do ...

This is the basic reason why I started up with this instrument. Among some forumers, there is a tedious (??) debate running upon using the chapman Stick as a guitar+ bass, which does not seem to be its purpose basically (??).

I don't know what to think about this debate and how to find a global position.

I will try to post some MP3 later to show some kind of arrangements you can make using this kind of technique issued from piano: I use it (or try to use it , I am learning now on!) mainly concerning jazz standards.

Keep on tapping everybody !

I think this is an area which can really be utilized on the stick. As someone who is often thought of as a guitar + bass guy I also look at the stick in the way you guys are describing. Listening to great pianists both classical and jazz it never sounds like one hand is dominant This is something that each person can learn in their own way and really expand the instrument. Personally i don't think of myself as a guitar/bass guy I always try to be activly engaged on both sides of the instrument with interplay. I will continue this pursuit and encourage others as well. Stephane you had some great ideas on your myspace page keep it up.

cheers

Brett

I think there is a tendency for most to view the stick as "2 instruments in 1" rather than 1 whole and to focus way too much on strict independence rather than complex interplay between the hands. I think it stems from most peoples desire here to have a more traditional bassline and "rhythm section" as their foundation to work from.

I think the biggest potential for this instrument is for very sophisticated textural and abstract work. It's more of a mindset really. Getting away from seperating the sides and just letting them blur together. Bass being as much a part of melody as melody being a part of the rhythm. Most music generally speaking moves in a very straightfoward way in regards to theme and motif. From point a to point b and so forth. I would like to see people get away from that linearness and see the underlying ambience that can be harnessed to still express your idea, but in a unique way. To "take the long way from point to point" so to speak. It requires a very sophisticated technique and more importantly a highly developed sense of phrasing. Which I think noone has been able to accomplish. Including me.

Overall I think people spend way too much time on the mundane technique aspects instead of working on developing their phrasing. Which is all mental. Music and any other art form begins and ends in the mind. 99% of being and growing as a musician is mental. You need to know yourself and what you want to say before you even pick up an instrument. Have it in your head before you do anything. Once you do that the rest is easy.

Tritone

Hi monk,

Don Schiff does a lot of multi-part play on his NS. The fretless NS video up now has some really interesting sections where he's dividing the hands up in this way.

Check it out:

http://www.stick.com/onlinevideos/don_riding.html

Wow. In my opinion, this is an extremely intriguing direction to take the instrument in, and it's not one I had even remotely considered before.

To elaborate--

The "master fretboard" can be used in just the same way the piano has long been used by students of theory, and by composers...the difference is that skills acquired in playing polyphonic music on the Stick, in fourths, translate well to basses and guitars also tuned in fourths.


mad monk.

Hey, very interesting. I spent a while trying to learn Schoenberg's theory of harmony, (as I'm interested in composition) but never progressed to far as I don't play piano. And doing the exercises in cubase wasn't much fun.

It didn't occur to me that I could do them on my warr... which would be great tapping practise too! No doubt it would improve my technique (both physical technique and compositional) and help give me an interesting playing style

What a great idea! I guess it ties in with Trey's opinions about duality versus one extended range instrument. Can't wait to get home and start trying this out!

I find that one of the main benefits of working on learning someone else's composition is that it always calls for tricky fingerings that I wouldn't have been driven to learn otherwise. I'm not sure how much patience I'd have for learning Schoenberg myself, but it would probably be great for that.

Many community colleges offer 2 years of transferable theory and musicianship courses, for very little money.

Below is a link to a free online theory course, covering the first year. It gives some idea of what the study of theory is about, and why the piano, or 12-string fretboard, is indispensable....

http://www.smu.edu/totw/

mad monk.