I would think if you can hook up with a decent teacher (Via skype maybe?) it wouldn't be a big deal. The big concern, I think, is the difficulty in finding a wide variety of materials to learn from. I mean, I can only think of ONE songbook offhand
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| Is it possible to learn the Stick as a first instrument? https://stickist.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=7324 |
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| Author: | Use whose name? [ Wed Jan 29, 2014 3:27 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Is it possible to learn the Stick as a first instrument? |
Okay, perhaps Is it within reason...? (disregarding the obvious financial obstacle) would be a better question, but Is it possible...? is a little more provocative. Anyway, after skimming this section of the forum and sifting through an hour-and-a-half's worth of Google results, I didn't find any questions of this sort. It wouldn't actually be my first instrument; I used to play trombone, but I don't think that skill would be of much use. I can't afford to buy a Stick, so I'm really just asking out of curiosity, but I'm sure some other musically-inclined non-musician out there has seen a video of Tony Levin playing the Stick with King Crimson and wondered the same thing. And maybe that musically-inclined non-musician has either several buckets of cash lying around or (inclusive) a problem with impulse spending. I'm going to go against my better statistical judgment by making this into a poll, although I'm really hoping for insightful comments. |
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| Author: | metalken [ Wed Jan 29, 2014 3:53 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Is it possible to learn the Stick as a first instrument? |
I would think if you can hook up with a decent teacher (Via skype maybe?) it wouldn't be a big deal. The big concern, I think, is the difficulty in finding a wide variety of materials to learn from. I mean, I can only think of ONE songbook offhand
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| Author: | Luc [ Wed Jan 29, 2014 3:54 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Is it possible to learn the Stick as a first instrument? |
Yes; I suspect it'd be about the same level of difficulty as piano. |
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| Author: | earthgene [ Wed Jan 29, 2014 4:07 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Is it possible to learn the Stick as a first instrument? |
What Luc said. Anything is possible if one has the gumption to commit to learning a musical instrument. Having knowledge of another instrument is almost assumed in this musical community, but not required. |
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| Author: | AndyJPro [ Wed Jan 29, 2014 4:21 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Is it possible to learn the Stick as a first instrument? |
I used to play trombone. The only immediate connect between Stick and trombone that comes to mind is that the slower the passage feels, the faster you need to move your hand(s) to retain fluidity. Being able to read bass clef (or any standard notation) is definitely of aid but not necessarily exclusive to the trombone, of course. I say ye to the ability to learn it as a first instrument. A first time musician might become frustrated at the lack of instant gratification due to the lack of material specifically made around Stick. Not to say there isn't any because there is EXCELLENT material out there, along with superb instruction books/videos on behalf of Greg Howard, Steve Adelson, Dave Brosky, Josh Goldberg and Bob Culbertson. But it may not be as easy as strumming out two chords of "Working Class Hero" Of course each instrument has its advantages and disadvantages as far as learning. But no reason Stick can't be learned first! I hope there comes a time where that's a feasible thing for more people! |
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| Author: | canyon [ Wed Jan 29, 2014 5:00 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Is it possible to learn the Stick as a first instrument? |
I would think doing so would bear a bit of an advantage, even, in that you wouldn't have all those other-instrument habits getting in the way of grasping the methods. |
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| Author: | Nomad Monday [ Wed Jan 29, 2014 6:51 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Is it possible to learn the Stick as a first instrument? |
In line with what has been said, piano is often a lot of people's first instruments, and that thing is about as complicated as a Stick. Also, I can't find the exact quote, but I'm pretty sure Tony Levin, himself, said that playing bass lines on the Stick was like going to a piano and playing with just your index fingers.
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| Author: | Per Boysen [ Thu Jan 30, 2014 3:08 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Is it possible to learn the Stick as a first instrument? |
Yes, certainly! Just be sure to learn music in the first place. It has never been a good idea to focus on an instrument as "a set of magic buttons that if punched in the correct sequence produces melodies to be heard". |
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| Author: | Shedua511 [ Thu Jan 30, 2014 3:12 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Is it possible to learn the Stick as a first instrument? |
Of course it is. I guess the reasons it doesn't happen more often are that it is a lesser known instrument and that the price, even for the Railboard, is higher than what most people are comfortable spending for a fist instrument (usually the first instrument is bought by parents). That being said, I know of at list one kid who had the Stick as his first instrument: met him at a stick seminar in Belgium some years ago, he was about 10 years old at the time. |
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| Author: | Per Boysen [ Thu Jan 30, 2014 3:22 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Is it possible to learn the Stick as a first instrument? |
Shedua511 wrote: That being said, I know of at list one kid who had the Stick as his first instrument: met him at a stick seminar in Belgium some years ago, he was about 10 years old at the time. |
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