So the straight up and down stick position doesn't work for me. ..the bifocals just don't let me see when it's up that close. ...so after working with Steve A, I was able to get a slanted approach and I was always using the lap stand for practice. Was going along great.

And then it happened....the stand snapped ( cheap wood)

So now I have moved the stick to the belt loop. ..still slanted. ..but a slightly closer and a different angle slightly. ... what a total different feeling. Tone changes because finger angle changes. ...total kick in the nuts here.

So. .do you guys try practice sitting vs standing, lap thingy vs seated with the belt? Totally found a chink in the armor here

Tp

First order of business safety. ...secure your nuts in case they get kicked.
After that it's s total breeze

Jen Itals

I've never felt comfortable playing stick while sitting, and to quote the late Dimebag Darrell, "You don't go to war sittin' down, son."

ooo You know, looking at the neck, trying to get a "visual" sense of the instrument killed me. I now try to get a broad "overview" of the instrument these days. ('cept my right hand is in a cast, that sucks hahaha)

Steve teaches, and very insidiously I might add, intervallic relationships, melody notes corresponding to bass notes, whether it's root notes or 10ths or a full 7th chord or a triad.

The "Let it Be" "Canon in D" "Gardens of Limahuli" lesson had a profound impact on me; 1645 progressions are a great starting point... Also, simplify, simplify, simplify. Bite size chunks my friend!

No bad habits, just learning milestones...

I happily concur with this- no bad habits, just better ones.

Which lap stand were you using? Homemade?

Hi Thomas,

Since I tend to tap my left foot quite a but, I prefer to use a loose belt when playing seated. I find using a lap bar causes the instrument to move around a bit. whether you practice sitting or standing, it's important to have the instrument in the same location and at the same angle relative to your torso in both scenarios, so that switching back and forth isn't too disorienting.

As far as vertical playing goes, what it gives you in terms of easier to play chord shapes outweighs the visual aspect, in my opinion. Try not to look, try to "know", or to see through visualization. If you're "looking" at your left hand, then you aren't concentrating on what your right hand is doing (and vice versa).

As an aside:
Linear inlays making seeing where you are much easier in any case. If you don't have them, they are easy to add using violin fingerboard tape.

[quote="

No bad habits, just learning milestones...[/quote]

I'm pretty freeform in a lot of thinking at the moment, I like to move around a lot, hell my Alto can almost be horizontal if I'm really excited. But Yep I like the linear inlays on my sticks for sure and I get the "mechanics "of playing thing. But then when I think of guitarists, some do pretty well on stage running about and being partially in mid air ( apart from the guy who strictly taught me classical technique ! ) so its good I guess just to take it all in and find your best place. All that said , I like to stand up because I cant really be that still playing sometimes , though to be honest I've thought for a while about sitting down to practice, so maybe you've changed my habits .....

Did you ever consider playing without the glasses?

Thomas, I had the same problem when I first started playing Stick. I couldn't see the Stick up high and down low both. Kevin-C and others recommended that I get progressive lenses, that don't have the sharp line that bifocals do. It's worked awesomely! I have no more vision problems using the progressive lenses. I told my optometrist exactly what I was trying to do (play Chapman Stick near my face and far) and he also recommended the progressive lenses (and made me email him Stick videos so he could see what a Chapman Stick was). I sent him Bob playing "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," and he was a big fan. He plays viola and played in orchestra through college! I haven't seen him in 6 months to find out if he went any further.

Anyhoo, progressive lenses for the win!