ok,have a question about sticks

[dragon]

I'm just learning about these instruments,So be patient with me.Can you pluck a stick ?Can you play open strings on it?
I understand it's based on the hammer on tecnique?
So,there are some questions I live in Canada and can't get any info on where to even see one!
Any help ?

[traktor]

Dear Dragon,

Playing a Stick (http://www.stick.com), Megatar (http://www.megatar.com), Warr Guitar (http://www.warrguitars.com), Box Guitar (http://www.bme.com.au), Solene (http://www.flash.net/~solene/), Bunker Touch-Guitar (http://www.bunker-guitars.com), or Santucci TrebleBass (http://www.traktor.com/resource/instrum/adverts/ADVERTS-INSTRUM_1Page7.html) is easy.

First, you experiment with positioning it so that all your fingers can fall easily upon the fretboard without a lot of contortion or weakness. Most of these instruments have special straps or hooks or something to help you. For most of these instruments, the tuners will be somewhat higher than is common with guitar or bass. For many instruments, the tuners will be up to the left of your head.

Next, put your right hand in your pocket, and using your left hand, just pretend you were fretting the strings as usual. You don't have to think about using force; it's not really a 'hammering', just fretting the strings the same way you do when playing melody on your guitar. Any of these instruments (set up correctly, of course) will produce plenty of sound through your amplifier with just this 'fretting'.

Presto! You are now playing Stick, Megatar, etc with your left hand.

Now, place your right hand on the fretboard, and do the same thing with your right hand.

Again Presto! You are now playing Stick, Megatar, etc. with your right hand.

Now we go on to playing *music*, but that's another story.

For guidance about how to play music, and lots more info about how to play a tapping instrument, see the 'resources' section here at Tappistry.Org for the links to lessons, books, and videos.

[dragon]

Alright,thanks for answering one of my questions .Sounds great.
So,I take it the open strings can't be played at all then,and you can't slap or pluck these instruments.
Can you hammer-on and off the open strings or what,I'm still confused about this.I understand the fretting making the sounds and all, is there anything else you can do on it?
dragon

[traktor]

Generally, with these instruments you put a 'string damper' next to the nut so that open strings don't ring much. Here's why --

Without the string-damper, with every note you play up on the neck, when you take your finger away, you've just done a pull-off to the open string. The open string note in many cases will have nothing to do with the key you're in, so this godawaful ringing chord of open strings will generally not be musical.

Once the string damper is in place, you can't play open strings much. (You can sort of play low bass strings; they sound like an acoustic bass note fading quickly.)

You *can* learn to play without a string damper, but it involves learning to damp each string after each note. Few people do it. I think Robert Turley plays his Santucci without a damper. There's a song of his on the jukebox at www.traktor.com.

Because a tapping instrument depends upon the physical energy of tapping the string to the fret, you'll find that the standard pull-off is a bit weak. However, you can pluck the string with your higher-note finger as you lift it. I've heard Emmet get a very good country sound, using this technique and others.

Snapping and Popping can be done, but are also a bit more difficult on these instruments because the strings are generally closer together than on a standard bass. Why? Because with lots of strings, wide string spacing means super wide neck and trickier hand positioning. But it can be done, with care.

However, if you're approaching the tapping instrument, why not start with its strength? It's strength, like a piano, is that you can play with both hands. There is some trade-off of single-hand expression.

I have learned none of these techniques, just seen and heard them. Any others here who have learned them? Jersey Ray? Others?

[wmlusk]

With the 8-string Warr I have no trouble playing normal strumming and two-fingered bass plucking w/the damper in place. You could do the same on an NS-Stick, too. On the 10-string Stick, I found it difficult but not impossible to pluck/strum. I find the 8-Warr (and would assume NS/Stick) to be better suited for this approach.

[TheLad]

i strait up replaced my bass with the phalanx, it is a bass.
fingerstyle,slap,tap, HARMONICS!.. and about the mute...
you cant get those great bass harmonics with the mute in, so
i dont use a mute on the bass side of my warr, i just use my
left hand to mute what needs to be muted while im playing..
in uncrossed tuning of course...
only muted guitar side..


.g

[dragon]

hey lad,what's up dude!
I do alot of harmonic playing with my bass right now.Holding down a note and tapping the harmonics higher up.I'm not sure what your playing,is it a warr?So,with this instrument of yours,you have no prob doing the slapping? that's cool,which I'm also into and by the way,what is uncrossed tuning ?

[traktor]

Here is an article by Daniel Schell that describes the uncrossed hands string arrangement, as well as some other tunings where the strings are 'mirrored' --

http://www.megatar.com/documents/newsletters/archive/MTN-200106.html#Article1

(This link is long. If it chops into two parts, you might have to paste both parts into your browser address bar.)

[TheLad]

Yeah im playing a Warr phalanx 12 string...
my uncrossed tuning is Db in acsending fourths guitar
and B in fourths like a normal bass on the bass side.

uncrossed is so you play bass with the left hand on the right side
of your neck, and guitar with right hand on the left side of the neck... so your not reaching over a set of strings to play the other.


.g

[Manny Tau]

There's a lot of info re: the Chapman Stick at:
Stickist.com (http://www.stickist.com)

and the NS/Stick at:
NSStickist.com (http://www.ns.stickist.com) though this is site newer and doesn't have as much content.

Though you can pluck and strum a Stick, it's really a dedicated tapping instrument.

The NS/Stick on the other hand, can be picked, plucked, strummed and tapped. On the NSStickist.com (http://www.ns.stickist.com) site, you can find some videos of Don Schiff...check the clips from NAMM 2003 - you'll find him doing all of the above, plus using a small key chain fob as a slide.

[dragon]

All of you helped to direct me to the info I have found,thanks alot.After looking over the prices though,I think that the instruments are beyond my means I'm afraid at this point.I would have to get one shipped in from the states without even being able to try it out first.I live in Canada and I've phoned all over Toronto and London and can't find a single one .I know many are custom made and that's why the price,soo.....I'm out for now,but I still have my bass and since reading into the touch instruments am now employing techniques on my bass that I may not have tried before.Also what sucks is my computer won't play video or mp3 so I can't even check out those either.I can't see one played or find one to play,not today maybe in may but ya all have a good day anyway.
DRAGON

[rockola]

I would have to get one shipped in from the states without even being able to try it out first.

This is what I had to do way back when. Let me just remind you that these instruments hold their resale value quite well, so it won't be money down the drain if you decide to sell it (though of course you'd take some sort of a hit there).

There's some kind of Stick happening going on in Canada in April. See the SE website for more info.