Okay, just saw the Howard video "Meet the pickups" GREAT demo on distortion and overdrive, clears that up... hahaha I'm a gain addict, what can I say...

As far as the fingers go, after practicing a bit tonight I am really not too sure to go for 4 or 3, but my LH has always done 4, so I guess I will do the same with my RH until I get my Railboard.

My biggest worry is that I will end up hitting/fretting too hard once I get my stick; everyone says it's almost effortless to get a note to articulate... Can't wait.

This Stick is gonna cost me a lotta money, I can tell already. I won't be able to stop at just one...

Jay- Just to tilt the other way; I watched your video and I think you should give yourself a break .

It is obvious that a lot of skill has been burned into the muscles and that you know exactly what to do .

Acting like you don't know what to do and saying that you play like a chimp just does not compute.

The movements of your hands are articulate and graceful, getting the mind out of the way and letting the songs come through without doubts and self depreciation is the advice
you need .

I am saying this with a little arrogance only because I suffer from a similar malady;
thinking that the music is somehow not good enough when the music is perfectly fine but rather my thinking about the music is where the problem is .

I will make you a deal; create a song
and post a video and I will do the same and we will let our brothers tells us what they think Yes?

jRj

PS. When you get your Stick don't give up the guitar. Guitars are amazing IMHO and I think
that playing both enhances each. Below is a video of Carlos Vamos, if you have not seen this one it is quite inspiring for a tap guitarist...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwm-vxGgFf4

Never will I give up guitar, but I do find myself really obsessing about the stick... Haha really want it bad, I have like zero patience...

Yeah, I have a chop or two on guitar. I also play drums, bass, keys, violin and some lap steel. Lol I am a music school grad, and I practice a lot. Despite that I tend to make a mess of things musically speaking... Haha hence the questions. If I had a stick at my disposal, I would probably dig in to the material and draw my own conclusions. Yep, guilty as charged... I am hard on my playing. The prospect of this instrument is so new...

I shall create a tapped arrangement of a tune. an original! And I will post it, we can laugh at it once I get a stick and have one of those "oh, that's how it works..." moments... I cannot wait to hear what you come up with. Every time I see someone play the thing it's mindblowing. The range. Bassline, chords and melody at the same time? Awesome. Plus I still get to use my amps!

Haha I remember once at music school, my guitar teacher says to me (as I was struggling with some bit of music I wasn't ready for...) " look, a smart chimpanzee could play that" and I'm like,
"are you calling me a smart chimpanzee?" And he replies "No."
Bwahaha

And yeah, Vamos is soooo good!

hey,Jay :

In the past, i playied classical guitar,electric guitar
sometimes bass and drums and in the last, play the guitar like
Stanley jordan(hahahah not like him,or Carlos,but in that way!)
but when my stick come, the biggest trouble to me
was the < LH > not the RH !

because with the LH you can do(but my case in a very simple way)
two ritmic parts,and yes ,you can do the same wit the RH
(and i do it sometimes !) but the RH is usually made
(for my brain and in the 4th tunig side is better so)
to make a melody or a complex chord.and this for a guitarist
(like me) means : i had always playied chords or melody,but i had
never played a Bass and chord at the same time,also with two
separate hands imagine with only a hand !(the LH).

now(i stopped to play the stick for 5-6 years and restart 1.5 years ago)
I play the 90% of the time with only the LH to increase his ability!
but believe me ,the LH for me is really a critical point!
i hope this my experience is good for some other idea for you!
bye !

Dude, I will take any opinions/ ideas I can get. All I can do is benefit from your guys' experience, so thank you for sharing!

I will be using the stick in a 'band' context (well me and a drummer) where we plan to play a lot of fun rock stuff. You know, do our own arrangements and some original stuff. I know what I want to do, but I have a feeling that since the instrument has so many possibilities, I may end up going in a direction I did not expect. As a guitarist, I like to improvise, and I am drawn to players with great technique, and big harmonic implications in their music. I am hoping to do what I do on guitar, only now have control over the chords and bass along with playing melodic lines, and singing also. 'Cause people like songs with words, haha.

Anyways, when you guys practice is it all technical stuff, or is it working out arrangements? Do you jam your arrangements along to a midi version? Do you have a set method book or dvd series you started with, and follow through? If so why did you do what you did, and why do you feel it was most conducive to getting results in regards to your style of sticking?

Thanks again, guys!

I have Emmett's book, Greg's book, and Steve's DVD set. All complement each other, as each player approaches the instrument in a different way. I highly recommend all three!

Mostly when I practice, I just start making stuff up. Once I start to run out of steam, I'll work on bass lines or playing chromatids up and down the melody and bass side, cause I'm still getting used to the scale length.

I'd also recommend you take some skype lessons with Greg. I've only had one so far, but it's helped me tremendously!

Steven: I plan to take some lessons after I get the stick. The idea that I can Skype a guy across the country is awesome! And it's not just Greg Howard, but Steve Adelson and a few others. Not to mention the spirit of collaboration that seems to run rampant on these forums; You guys seem to really "Stick" together hahahah

Tzappatore: Left hand, seriously is not a problem for me so far. The really big challenge? Independence/coordination. Wait, probably patience also... You know, separating the left and right hand parts, playing as one and all that... I want to solo over simple stuff and at a level I'm used to. Only, the right hand is very weak, and I am not getting the greasy Satriani-type tone I am used to -YET! Keep in mind that I don't have a stick yet, and I am just tapping Stanley Jordan-style on a guitar and standard guitars are just not designed for tapping. The tone is really not that great on a guitar, even when you get it set up. Still, your insights are valuable to me, so keep 'em coming! Thanks, man!

JRJ: Okay, I decided to pick up a 9 string guitar to pacify me while I wait for my Stick. Took all day to set up, but I got it the best I could. If Ibanez was smart they would put in a dual output pickup for the bass strings, but meh I think that thing is designed for shred-metalers to do their 'Thwog' thing. It will never approximate a Stick I don't think. Still, It has extended my range quite a bit, and given me some room to move. Sounds horrible with distortion (Can't separate the output...), but I will post a clip very, very soon.

Rclere: Yep, focus on articulation is some good advice, and I am trying hard to get good, clean notes while remembering that I am still playing on a guitar. I am fully expecting to have to make some changes for the stick. I think that I need to get a different strap for guitar though, the positioning of the instrument itself is killing me...

rwkeating: Thanks for the reply, yep it helps. Just some kind of direction so that I don't go off like a madman in the wrong way too far hahaha. Trills have really helped as far as strength goes, and changing my action/setup on my guitar has gone a long ways also. In the end, it's really still a matter of waiting for an actual Stick.

Lee Vatip: Lee, I have already sort of started down a path where I use my pinky. I have always played 4 frets for 4 fingers positionally, and single string on a guitar and it worked for me. I will keep an open mind though, as it would seem there is a reason for everything! hahaha If an amazing player advocates a concept, I will try it! hahaha

earthgene: Dammit! That clip just made it worse for me! GAHHHHH!!! That sounds awesome! What an evil, menacing roar!! Ahhhhhhhh *Sob* It's what I dream about. *Heads off to classifieds to see what sticks are for sale*

Hi Jay, your preference here; a number of years ago I traded a forum member a Stick,
(10 string) for a Santucci Treble Bass, so it is very similar to your 9 string but was intended
for taping and has a stereo output.

But I was in the first run for the Railboard which as I remember took two weeks for delivery . Those were the days right? . And it's blue . I call it my "denim Stick".
So I can follow your lead and go 'guitar esk" or perhaps be a reflection of your future self
with a similar Stick. I am thinking Stick...

Just saying; I have a big resistance to making videos. They never look right to me but I think it's all in my head. So that is the reason why I am walking the plank here, to fall into a sea
of criticism (sharks) that are nothing but phantoms.
jRj

hahaha All good.