one handed tapping

[Igos du Iskana]

Hi everyone,

I have a few questions about the possibilities of the tapping technique.
I've always been a huge fan of music, especially the guitar. Therefore it has always been a dream to play this instrument. However, there is a small practical problem with this... I was born without my left forearm. This makes playing a guitar or bass with more than one string virtualy impossible. This is something that always bothered me.
until i saw a DVD by dream theater where John myung was playing his chapman stick. This sparked my interest. I did an extensive search of the internet and tried to dig up as much information as possible about that weird new instrument...

As I learned more and more, i got the impression i'd be able to play guitar after all with only one hand.

Now for my question... I'm 21 years young, so my wallet isn't that fat. If i am going to spend $1000 on an instument i've never seen in real life (the netherlands aren't that big) I want to be sure i have some possibilities. Can i play 'regular' guitar or bass on a tapping style instrument with just one hand?

Please let me hear some of your thoughts about this..

Auke

[rjgoos]

My daughter is an amputee, so such questions are very important to me.

I would think that a bass guitar especially, properly set up for tapping, could be played very effectively one-handed.

An example movie of a one-handed amputee really smoking on a bass guitar:


http://www.kzoomusicgroup.com/video/bill320.wmv


And there is no reason why great lead lines could not be tapped out one-handed as well.


Jay


You really need to get to Daniel Schell's seminar this coming July. You would have the opportunity to play many kinds of tapping instruments, and be inspired by great musicians.

[Igos du Iskana]

Wow that was an impressive display, that guy can play :D

Thanks for your reaction Jay , It's nice to hear and see how many things you can do with a handicap if you put some effort in it.

[traktor]

John Bailey in New Zealand is playing one-handedly. You can read about his experience, and hear a couple of his songs here.

After some years of believing that he couldn't play music any more, he got an instrument, tried the touch-style technique for a couple of months, and then sent me these recordings --

http://megatar.com/english/Testimonials/John_Bailey/john_bailey.html

(If you wish to contact him, send me a PM, and I'll forward his email address. He may also now be a member on this forum.)

[rpmartino]

Yes, I think that an instrument like a bass or Stick Bass (with 8 strings tuned in fourths) would be great for one handed playing. If you were using your right arm it might make sense to have the instrument set up in "reverse" so that the headstock is by your right ear, so that lower notes can be played easier (i.e. your fingers would coming up from underneath the instrument rather than from above). With an 8 string instrument you could use it as a bass as well as playing chords and lead lines.

Best wishes in your musical pursuits!

[Igos du Iskana]

I'm thinking about getting myself a megatar, since these models, especialy the truetapper, isn't as expensive as a chapman stick/bass stick. Im making some money teaching at the moment, but in august im going to a university to get deeper into medical biology. That pretty much means i'm gonna be broke for the next three years ;) so money is a limiting factor for me, i stil have to get amplefiers and other stuff.
Also i'm not a bass player nor a guitar player. I don't have any experience at all with these instuments so it's impossible to decide between them, especialy as you can do a bit of both on instruments like a stick or megatar
Setting the instrument up in 'reverse' woud probably be a good idea and shouldn't be a big problem

[billbowen]

a megatar (as opposed to an 8 string bass/guitar or something similar) isn't a bad idea for a few other reasons as well. besides being able tochoose between bass and guitar by changing regions (which is possible on 8 string by moving up a few strings) you can play patterns between the two regions. or you can set one set of strings up as an open-type tuning. it also significantly changes what can be played depending on where the bass strings are on the instrument. it is easier to play some things with bass strings in the middle of the fingerboard, and easier to play some things with bass on the edges of the board. with a two region instrument, you can have either on the same fretboard. you could also raise the action on one set of strings, remove the damper, and use them as sympathetic strings or open bass notes like a harp guitar. it would probably not be too difficult to learn to pluck a string with your thumb while tapping with the other fingers. in other words more strings = more choices on how to tune and set them up.

hmmm.... anyone ever try playing two megatars at once? :)

[rjgoos]

Auke,

Drop me an e-mail. I have a friend in the Netherlands, who has at least two different tapping instruments, and who would be delighted to have you try them out.


Jay

[Igos du Iskana]

Originally posted by rjgoos
Auke,

Drop me an e-mail.

Jay

already did...

But i was wondering about this idea of a reversed tuning last night. Does it have any advantages to string a guitar either way when playing only with your right hand? Is it easier/more comfortable playing with your hand on the inside of the instrument (between the neck and your face and across your chest) or on the outside (as you'd hold as regular guitar neck)?

[rjgoos]

Auke,

Please send again. I was having some problem with my e-mail service.

rjgoos

*at*

ydl

-dot-

net

[rpmartino]

Originally posted by Igos du Iskana
But i was wondering about this idea of a reversed tuning last night. Does it have any advantages to string a guitar either way when playing only with your right hand? Is it easier/more comfortable playing with your hand on the inside of the instrument (between the neck and your face and across your chest) or on the outside (as you'd hold as regular guitar neck)?

I think it would be more comfortable on the outside, it seems your hand would be able to play a larger range more easily without awkward wrist angles, and your right hand wouldn't be up around your face playing low notes.

[jean_alexis]

Originally posted by rpmartino
I think it would be more comfortable on the outside, it seems your hand would be able to play a larger range more easily without awkward wrist angles, and your right hand wouldn't be up around your face playing low notes.

I'm currently playing in a salsa band where the only part I have now is the bass. So I'm playing only with the right hand. I have a 8-string long scale guitar in the traditional 4th tuning. I've been playing since october, I usually play piano.

This is great fun and I have no trouble fitting the band, so playing bass with one hand tapping technique is something that works.

For the confort, I think both sides are good. I didn't try the reverse strings (I wished to play uncrossed anyway, to have no interferences between hands when I play two handed). I play more than an hour a day with no problems. I'm just cautious to avoid tensions or akward positions. With this in mind you can find a technique that suits you and your instrument. When I play, the hand is not always perpendicular to the board and the thumb sometimes barely touch the neck, but this does not disturb playing.

[Mathias Sorof]

Hi Igos,

you should follow this idea. I am convineced, that tapping opens the door for handicaped people to play guitar or bass with one hand successfully. I will give one more suggestion, how to handle or to find the right instrument. Well, it´s everytime the same problem with expensive instruments. But I think, it could be easy to try first the simple possibility, to use a common 6-string-guitar or 4-string bass.

1. You can try it with the guitar close to your body, like the common guitar position.

2. You can (and that´s my alternative suggestion) put your instrument on a stand, so that you can easiely reach the instrument from every side. If you wish, you can visite my website www.tapguitar.de (http://www.tapguitar.de) , there I have a picture, while playing chapman-stick with the left i am playing guitar with the right.

Sometimes, when I work on my studies, I only play solo-guitar with my right hand. It moves very good.

Greetings

Mathias Sorof

[billbowen]

to add a little bit to mathias' post: the simplest solution (and least expensive) is to borrow/buy a left handed guitar and set it up for touchstyle. you will want to wear it high on you chest, like a jazzer. lower the action, add a damper, and start shredding! in this position you will be able to reach all the notes on the fretboard with you right hand. try to get a seven string, and you will probably want to tune in straight 4ths. this can be done fairly inexpensively, and will let you test the waters for a while and decide if/what you want out of a more expensive instrument.

[ixlramp]

i think billbowens idea is good. if you don't have much money customising a guitar or bass could be the ideal solution. 1000 dollars would get you a good quality 6 string bass, i have mine set up for touchstyle and tuned in fifths CGDAEB like the bass side of a 12 string grand Stick. it has a complete range from low bass up to high guitar notes and the long scale allows low bass notes with good tone

you could probably find a lefty bass too if that suits you better

;) matt

[Igos du Iskana]

Wohoo! i finaly got my Megatar by mail today! I think i won't be doing anything but playing the next week or so....

[rjgoos]

By all means, after you have had a few days to experiment, post an update of your impressions of tapping, your instrument, etc.!


Jay


P.S. I stopped by the Megatar store on eBay the other day, and saw that there is only one instrument left! A run on the bank??

[GaryOpenhill]

Originally posted by Igos du Iskana
Wohoo! i finaly got my Megatar by mail today! I think i won't be doing anything but playing the next week or so....

Cool! Congrats!
Hope you will be as happy with it as i am. I have played on it every singel day since i got it in october, even during some months that i've had the heaviest extreme work load of my entire life!

[Igos du Iskana]

Well, this calls for a shopping spree!! I'm going to try out all kinds of different amps tomorrow, and meanwhile get myself a small stock of .009 strings.. I broke mine accidentily whilst trying to tune up...

[rockola]

Originally posted by Igos du Iskana
Well, this calls for a shopping spree!! I'm going to try out all kinds of different amps tomorrow, and meanwhile get myself a small stock of .009 strings.. I broke mine accidentily whilst trying to tune up...

Congratulations on your new instrument, Igos! How about coming with it to E-tap in July? it's not that far from where you live...

[Igos du Iskana]

I'm tempted to go, but it happens to start exactly on my birthday and i made some plans alreade for that week... But maybe next year, Brussel (don't know how you say in in english) isn't that far away, 3 hour drive from my sisters' place.

I got myself an very nice roland cube 30 amp. It is great for practice at home. Even the bass sounds good...
the people at the music store were al gawking over my megatar, no-one had ever seen something like it before and the were impressed by the sound of it, so am i by the way
I already tought myself the Imperial March from starwars!! :D