It was the little ditto looper I had in mind, simple and probably a goos way to test the water. Now a days gardening is out of the way ( no one has time when I'm away ) better get back to STICKing. With winter coming on the new Maple grand is rattling like crazy with a month left alone in colder temps, Adjusting today, the Alto has always been pretty stable. B

With the right effects and muting with your hands you can make interesting percussive loops.
A low muted note can sound like an old 808 drum machine, tabla like tones in the upper register, slapping the board with reverb. Then just drone and play scales for an hour. It's fun

If you look at the Ditto, consider the X2 version.
Loopers number ONE need ergonomics for you to get good with them.
Number 2 is sound quality.

Here's another Stick looper piece by Glenn that I just love to death. I swear I've heard and seen this somewhere else (I think it's one of the tunes you've played at Stick Night at Oz Music and even better in person, if that's possible!). Man, this is one of my favorite songs on Stick. Glenn, is there another version of this video out there? Just wanted more eyes and ears on this one, since we're talking about the possiblities of Stick Looping.
Glenn Poorman - In The Orchard
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVAtai73pLg[/youtube]

Thanks for that Steve. I shot that video right when the piece was written. Below is another vid Steve Balogh shot at Interlochen in 2013. A few timing issues though leaving me feel like I've still not yet achieved a really good recording of that tune.

This brings up another good point though and that is how useful a looper is for working on your timing. In my opinion, there is nothing that will kill a piece faster than poor timing. If you're working with a looper, the looper will only amplify your poor timing so it's really important to work on getting it right and also getting it right the first time since you don't generally get a "redo" in a live setting.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuPVyTMKMgs[/youtube]

Phil Keaggy is another timing master. I saw him do this tune at Interlochen in 2010 when he was teaching at the guitar workshop.

If you don't want to watch the whole thing, kick ahead to about 3:10 where he gets cooking with his JamMan feeding some hand percussion through the mic on his acoustic guitar.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wpn6LVxX0s[/youtube]

For those interested in Ditto X2, also consider TC Electronics released the X4:

http://www.tcelectronic.com/ditto-x4-looper/

I have the X2 as well, the sound quality is fantastic. Some loopers degrade as you add loops to them, not this one.

That looked pretty powerful, Steve! I bookmarked the website to come back and take a longer look.

I need to start asking Stick guys what they're rocking when we get together but y'all have so much awesome gear and experience with it, it's drinking from a firehouse (which was an unintentional awesome typo--firehouse is bigger than a firehose!). But I'm pretty thirsty! So thanks!

Speaking of, Glenn comes through with the video--filmed with the awesome talents of Stevie B (My middle name is "Bryson" and people called me "Stevie B" all the time, as if we didn't need to confuse things even further hanging out at Steve Oz's music.)

I watched all of that, Glenn. He was rocking two capos, and took things on and off the guitars and was just generally awesome and amazing. Well done! A true looping master, definitely. Thanks for writing and sharing "In the Orchard"! I'd humbly submit that it's More Than Worthy of getting "a really good recording" whenever you can get around to dashing out that Mona Lisa! (Maybe Sistine Chapel is a better example: built up by layers over long years!)

--Stickist Steve #6 ("Stickist Steves: Thick As Thieves" --it'll catch on!)

Along these lines, a drum machine is a GREAT practice tool, especially for improving your consistency, and ability to play on top of or behind the beat.

And yes, playing the Stick can be like having one hand looping. In fact, when reviewers started writing about Water on the Moon, they all assumed it was done using loops, except Mike Joyce of the Washington Post. He "got" it....

The Ditto X4!
Excellent. I hadn't seen that.
I fear that summer NAMM is going to cost me some money

And PHIL KEAGGY...I have gotten to work with him several times.
It takes a while to stop staring at him and just play.

Let me just say that that's one of the many reasons this forum--and you, sir--are awesome! I love the fact that many of these awesome musicians are so accessible to us and each other--everyone on this thread counting as awesome musicians! It's very inspiring and incredibly useful!

Which segues nicely into Greg:
A great point. Drum machines are another great practice tool--and really the same thing in concept if not in kind as a looper.

That behind or on top of the beat part--that was something I noticed just this morning, finishing up a Day 260 Progress video, and I used a drum machine instead of a metronome to do bass lines, because the extra energy of the background congas made it much easier to get a groove on than just a straight "Click, Clack, Click, Clack." Plus, you wouldn't get to see me dancing to a metronome.

Greg, your ears will be burning in about 30 minutes--when I can finish uploading the progress video--as I demonstrate this technique I invented called "Hand Motion"--I kid! I gave you a shout in the video for my crappy version of the term you coined (I call it "moving the claw" on piano and your term is much sexier!), and for rocking 3-finger bass.

I'll get those pinkeys in there eventually! (I have really strong pinkeys from piano and as part of my piano style but they're pretty much wasted right now on Stick. That'll come!) Cheers!