So, I've been playing with my new Stick for a couple of weeks now, and a couple of interesting observations.

First is my "flying thumbs"

As I'm working on Greg's 3-finger technique, playing with the hand, and not just the fingers, I sometimes find my thumb resting along my hand, and NOT hooked over the edge of the Stick!! That's getting corrected as I'm able to concentrate a little more on my hand position, posture etc. rather than just hitting the right strings on the right frets.

The second is "Stick Neck". Being the noob I am, I'm constantly looking closely at the fretboard as I play. I'm almost 72, and it's very interesting after sitting for 60 or 90 minutes continuously doing various exercises to hone my technique, fingering melody lines or scales and harmonizing with something or other on the bass side, and deciding to knock off and try to lift my head into a vertical position!

I swear, they can hear the creak of my neck in the next county!

Anyway, I'm having a ball...

Me too. There's a slight debate here about which pair of glasses to wear! The optimum for me seems to be a 'sharp' view for the higher bridge end of the fretboard & accept that the lower nut end is a bit fuzzy. LOL!


For all instrument practice I try not to do any more that 40m (well, maybe 60m on occasions) before a break, or at least a distinct change of activity/position.

At present I'm still working on the set up of both instrument & signal chain (MOD Duo-X). Those are now both just about okay for the level I'm at (i.e. so poor that most issues are probably me!), but those things alone have tended to mean plenty of position changes.

My copies of The Stick Book & Free Hands arrived from SE yesterday.

One strategy to help with looking is to use a mirror for a while. You still get to look but with better ergonomics.

Good idea. I don't have a handy mirror in my practice room, but with guitar
I've sometimes used a video camera (same one I as I use for Zoom) and the computer screen as an alternative.

It might even be a better alternative as you can be more flexible with the angles and you can choose if the image is 'mirror', or not.

...and come to think of it, now I have my copy of The Stick Book, I'll need those particular glasses anyway if I'm to see the book while using my Stick!

How's this for a noob issue?

I've found I that, for the present at least, I seem to prefer using a belt rather than a lap bar when sitting. A loose 2" wide 'work belt' with a clip-lock buckle is comfortable, adjustable, & feels more secure/stable.

So comfortable that when I finish practice I un-hook, take off the shoulder strap (leaving it on the Stick), get up, hang the Stick up, then move on to whatever is next, only remembering about the belt as after a short while it slips past my waist and heads down my legs! LOL!

Had that happen a couple of times now...

That mirror trick is interesting. I'll have to try that.

I play laying down, fully relaxed, with my eyes closed.
With a bit of practice, it's easy to find any note on the fingerboard.
The most important thing: learn how to relax and enjoy the music.

At first, you will make some mistakes, but that's part of the learning process.
As time goes on, your fingers instantly know where they should be.
It is a great way to literally feel the music.

@WerkSpace I think that has to be the ideal way to get over the issue, especially with seeing the headstock end of the stick through & 'around' prescription lenses (spectacles).

But I'll try it without the laying down.

The prismatic effect of the edge of my glasses really makes that 2nd-fret marker jump - by inches!!