I have been a stick owner now for just a few months and have really enjoyed working through the first few chapters of the books and watching Steve's DVD. However, when I listen to and watch the things posted here I feel like I am never going to get anywhere.

I do not have any deadline or pressure to learn, but I want to learn. I want to be able to use The Stick to express myself.

With some of chords and lines I feel like my spatula hands and sausage fingers won't ever be able to play them properly.

I need to sign up for a lesson from Greg or Steve, but finding the time and a quiet room is more of a struggle than the getting the funds together.

I am lucky to have a Stick and the time to learn it. Sometimes I just feel like I have bitten off way more than I can chew.

if people who took up instruments got discouraged every time they saw somebody else play it better, we would never have any new musicians.

do you enjoy playing it? If yes, then who cares if somebody is "better" than you or a faster learner? That is 100% irrelevant to YOUR musical experience.

I always enjoy playing the various instruments that I have - guitar, bass, Stick. I'm not great at any of them, but I always enjoy playing them - either alone or with friends.

Fingerings and chords are muscle memory - you have to keep at it and keep alternating the way you play them to break through your natural tendencies to always make the same hand shapes in the same patterns.

I think you might be looking at this the wrong way. Just sit down and play - if it's still fun...that's all this is about!

Randy

hey john.

dont give up brother, you have only been at it for two months. the breakthroughs and discoveries will come. i have been at it for 10 months and i have epiphany moments every time i pick this thing up. as a matter of fact i can honestly say that i am making music with this thing, albeit nothing earth shattering.

try putting the books down for a while (greg, steve,.... dont hate) and just have fun exploring the stick.

cheers
kev

HI JHC.

Are you a family man..? If so you probably got an excuse to find time, but as the Merovingian said in Matrix Reloaded, how can we "find" time... we have to make time.

Get on to lessons with Greg straight away. I firmly believe that the first 6 months can be a really wonderful but often daunting period as your ego tries to get around how good you want to be and how much "work" you think that might take. You need someone to keep it real for you and that's a good teacher.

Always remember everyone in this community has gone or continues to go through a similar process as you. You must have a light attitude if you want to be able grow and keep coming back to the instrument everyday.

I leave mine on the stand in the living room.

One thing I've also done, which many different musicians talk about, is getting performance ready on any simple song, something you can easily play, e.g. Greg's Stick Book page 5-4, Renaissance Lute Melody. Now that can sound sweet if played with intention and could even sound good at your first Cafe gig, once you learn to move a little (improvise) in the melody side, in between repeats of the melody.

OK. Once you've got that down remember time management.

Say it's 8:50 AM and you have 4 emails to get off before 10am plus do the dishes and shower before you go out the door... sorry this is getting personal now... lol.

Grab 10 minutes ONLY to play the page 5-4 and play it convincingly in performance style. That will get you ready for anything. You may have only played for 10 minutes that day, but guess what, you played Stick that day, and that's a good day.

Lots of Sticky love.

What Kevin-c said.

Definitely do that, find out what can happen on the touch board when you let your fingers wander. Keep a video diary of your ideas.

When you need something else come back to the books, it's always back and forth creative/books/creative/books... yes?

Man I feel your pain. It takes time. And that can be discouraging. My "frustrations" are well documented........believe me no one is a slower learner than I am. Good things will come with hard work and patience.

I suggest that you concentrate on learning a song or composing one which will help you express yourself. Also sit down and make a list of what you want out of your instrument and create a pathway towards your goals. what techniques will be needed for you to achieve your goals? what steps will help you develop those techniques?

For me working toward a "song" always helps.

Remember that many of the posters here have been playing a looooooong time.(Steve and Greg are ancient)

As for Sausage fingers, join the club!!!!!!! Get a Skype lesson from Greg!!!!!

I'm about to hit my 10 year anniversary and I'm setting up a skype lesson with Greg right now.
I never want to stop taking lessons, or seeking out new and better ways to express myself.

And yes It can be frustrating, but remember we all go through it. I really try not to compare myself with others (except as a learning tool) it's a poor benchmark, we are all different.

I hope this helps
Brett

Also feel your pain.

Unfortunately I'm in a discouraged hiatus so I can't even pick the stick up at the moment, which makes things all the worse (this also goes for my bass and piano). However, I'm old and ugly enough to recognise that I will walk out of this wilderness into a new place of energy and discovery - it is only a season. I just wish it would end so I can get on with it!

"Do, or do not. There is no try." - Yoda.

I hate it when even puppets philosophise to me!

All good words everyone , if only my STICK wasn't 3000 miles away , makes for a musical homecoming though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hey, I've been at it for 15 years. And I STILL have issues. So it goes.

Everybody here has given good advice and I back up everybody's comments.

My only addition: attend a seminar. By all means, save up every nickel you can and fly to the next one possible. There's just something about "getting away" with a bunch of other Stick players at a remote locale and doing nothing but Stick for a weekend. SO much encouragement and inspiration from each and every attendant...

I was recently at the Vancouver seminar (on Gabriola IS in BC). As (probably) the most advanced student in attendance, I was greatly inspired by Tommy Stanton, a bluegrass banjo player who had only owned a Stick for four months. I was so impressed with his confidence and desire. He even played a few ditties at the local pub we performed at that weekend.

These seminars will change your life.

Brian Baggett
Fort Qu'Appelle, SK

Sounds like we all have been where your standing
( and most of the time I still am )

I've only had the stick around 3 years or so
But I still find the playing a simple chord pattern hits home with me
After close to 40 years of guitar playing
The stick is still the only instrument I pick up now
Lessons with greg ( 20 bucks is SUCH a deal for his time )
If my job pans out over this next year I'll be getting back on schedule with him.
I've done a couple of seminars but still lack a repertoire
( I think that will be my new years resolution )

Hang in there


Tom