We
all have our reasons for playing the instruments that we play.
Those who know me
know that I've been singing and playing the
guitar Chapman stick
EVI Steiner since the middle 70s. Yeah I
know it makes me
old LOL. Or maybe just experience. OK both.
.
My reasons and passion
for different instruments has always been
that they all become
different colors on the artistic palette. With
different instruments
I could access every orchestration sound.
With my electric
horns I have access to all of various Horn sounds
that any synthesizer
player can access. Skies the limit.
.
Of course much later
I added NS Stick to my multi instrumentalist
team. It's a great
hybrid for a guitar player. I can use my guitar & stick
chops, apply my
stick knowledge and reflexes as well as tapping
techniques used
on the stick. But still apply and look at it with all of
my experience as
a guitar player.
.
So if you take the
sticks guitars midi violin Zendrum which is also a midi
percussion instrument
....Again skies the limit with the percussion sounds
using the software
instruments on the Zendrum. And let us not forget
keyboards which
I play every day as vocal instructors backing up students...
.
So there it is the
whole orchestration pallet horns rhythm sections
percussion sections.
And all the various techniques that are applied
to them tapping
on the sticks tapping keyboards tapping on the
Zendrum playing
the drums opens up your whole rhythmical concept
in a big wayI also
play the Cajon which gives me many finger tapping
ideas on the other
instruments..
.
So are you wondering
if I'm ever going to get into actually talking about
how to do something
on the NS stick ,The Chapman 10 classic, grand
sticks. All right
let's get started.
.
What I'd like to
share with you is my approach after all of these years of
being a multi instrumentalist
and using different techniques on different
instruments. As
time goes by you start to realize that the techniques start
to blend into each
other the technique's can be applied on any of the
instruments you
don't need a special tapping instrument to tap on any
instrument. You
can apply tapping ideas on any instrument.. Of course
the special instruments
make it easier.
.
I take a basic harmony
idea, apply it to my guitar and then apply both
fingerpicking and
tapping techniques to the harmony concept.
For example
.
I take the interval
of a 10th first and work it out on the guitar. On three string
sets. Far too much
work to do to get started with the best thing to do is to
start with one string
set. And work through the concept of them right and left
hands. Even two
fingers on each hand thinking of the fingers as left and right
tapping implements....
The first string set will be on the 4th and first strings
played both simultaneously
and individually,
.
From there I take
the same idea and apply it to fingers on the same
hand looking at
my 1st finger as right 2nd finger as left.. from there any
combinations of
two fingers on each hand
.
And I also go back
and forth with two hands like a drummer...
As far as taping
in these patterns I then apply them to any combination
of music theory
concepts for example
.
Step one major and minor tenths
Step two major chord Calling system
Step three Notes in a circle of 4th 5ths
and
shift points on fretted instruments.
.
Hopefully everything I just shared with you
you will find interesting?
And I could certainly demonstrate all
of this a lot better using video which
I do with my students as they say pictures
worth 1000 words. That actually
breaks down to many videos and is the
whole course...
.
But I think I can share a beginning rhythm
workout that I use that can be
of great value to stick players both the
NS sticks and classic/Grand stick.
As well as guitars, ukuleles and bass
& keyboards... it's a rhythm work
out that I originally used to learn basic
rudiments playing drums.
.
Now this is just a starting point and
all I am going to do is show you the
workout for tapping concepts...
.
So here it is...... it's called "The workout"
and I also believe in giving credit
where credit is due this is a drum workout
that Rick Alegria shared with
me many years ago. But I took it and started
applying it to all my instruments
not just the drums. It became the pathway
into understanding how to take
rhythmical percussion and apply it to
all my instruments. I will show you the
basic beginning workout. But first I would
like to talk a bit about what tunings
I us on my NS stick... So I can show stick
players a application for it...
.
The NS Stick I use two different tunings
on the NS the standard guitar tuning
except range down a 4th.. the 2nd
tuning tuning Emmett suggested after
watching me play the NS on a few videos
I had posted...
8-string Guitar Lower Octave
This tuning is the same as the basic notes
in 4ths with the major 3rd
between the 3 - 2 stings... major 3rd
interval between the 3rd and 2nd
strings. This is the same as the Guitar
Intervals tuning except the range
is lower then the actual tuning of a guitar
by a 4th...
.
1
A
2
E down a 4th
3
B down a 4th
4
G down a major 3rd
5
D down a 4th
6
A down a 4th
7
E down a 4th
8
B down a 4th
.
My other tuning I use is the same tuning above
except I changed 7th & 8th
string... they are tuned down a whole
step this was Emmett's Idea...
.
1
A
2
E down a 4th
3
B down a 4th
4
G down a major 3rd
5
D down a 4th
6
A down a 4th
7
D
8
A
.
By doing this my 7th and 8th string our now
the same letter named notes
as 5th & 6th String a octave down
This allows me to apply the drum rudiments
on the next page in many
fun ways...and again fingers on the same
hand or alternate fingers with
separate hands... with this tuning, strings
7-5 & 8 -6 share the same letter
names and are one octave lower from each
other.......
.
This is just a beginning to start developing
many different tapping methods...
I use so many different patterns in a
real arrangement...
.
I also own a eight string "Strandberg"
I tune it like a regular guitar and
continue the fourth on the 7th 8th
strings
.
Really to me it is the same tuning as
on the NS but up a 4th... all the reflexes
and patterns are the same... but of course
it sounds different range wise...
again different timbres... I love it....
.
Stradberg tuning
.
1
E
2
B
3
G
4
D
5
A
6
E
7
B
8
F#
.
The Workout
.
Play each pattern 4 times without stopping,
without stopping go down
the column to the next pattern till you
get to pattern 10, without stopping
continue to pattern #1 in the right hand
column, continue down the column
till you reach #10
.
01. RRRR LLLL RRRR LLLL
01. LLLL RRRR LLLL RRRR
02. RRRR RRRR LLLL LLLL
02. LLLL LLLL RRRR RRRR
03. RLLL RlLLL RLLL RLLL
03. LRRR LRRR LRRR LRRR
04. RLLL LLLL RLLL LLLL
04. LRRR RRRR LRRR RRRR
05. RLLL RLLL RLLL LLLL
05. LRRR LRRR LRRR RRRR
06. RLRL RRLL RLRL RRLL
06. LRLR LLRR LRLR LLRR
07. RLRL RLRL RLRL RLRL
07. LRLR LRLR LRLR LRLR
08. RRLL RRLL RRLL RRLL
08. LLRR LLRR LLRR LLRR
09. RLRR LRLL RLRR LRLL
09. LRLL RLRR LRLL RLRR
10. RLLR RLLR RLLR RLLR
10. LRRL LRRL LRRL LRRL
.
I've been doing these patterns over and over
again till they have been
ingrained into my muscle memory... After
a while you will be able to play
them at pretty decent speed's. That's
the trick they can be practiced with
your hands on your legs or chest. With
fingers on the same hands and
alternate hands... as previously explained
In every combination you can think of...
use a metronome and slowly
increase the speed...
.
And like I said they can be applied to
any instrument and any combination
of harmonies. Maybe in some future lesson
I could expand upon this and
show you how I start to work this into
a whole harmonic concept. So can
you with your own thoughts all it takes
is practice patiences & imagination
truly is the only limitation.....
Keep playing,
