Incredible Chapman Stick player

What's Hot
GuyBodenGuyBoden Frets: 733
George Baldwin playing an arrangement of "Sixteen Men of Tain" on a Chapman stick.

Wow.


"Music makes the rules, music is not made from the rules."
0reaction image LOL 4reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
«1

Comments

  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28280
    As an ex Chapman stick player I used to look at a lot of videos. That was very nicely played although I think it's a rather obscure piece, and generally I prefer something more obviously melodic personally. Very good though, and the video was well put together. 

    This terrible quality video is what inspired me to want a Chapman stick:



    And this is my favourite ever stick piece:



    And here's one of mine ...... (On second thoughts I'll spare you that!)


    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • danishbacondanishbacon Frets: 2694
    edited January 2021
    I thought this was going to be a chappers thread. Am disappoint. 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • prowlaprowla Frets: 4896
    I just want one to play Elephant Talk.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 2reaction image Wisdom
  • PhiltrePhiltre Frets: 4164
    Very nice.

    I used to have two Sticks - 10 and 12 strings. In the end I couldn't devote enough time and energy into them, and found it simpler to strap on a good old electric guitar and play some blues licks. Also, the strings are bloody expensive when you import them from the USA.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • MoominpapaMoominpapa Frets: 1649
    Philtre said:
    Very nice.

    I used to have two Sticks - 10 and 12 strings. In the end I couldn't devote enough time and energy into them, and found it simpler to strap on a good old electric guitar and play some blues licks. Also, the strings are bloody expensive when you import them from the USA.

    And to be fair, it doesn't sound nearly as good to sing

    Stranger from another planet welcome to our hole
    Just strap on your Chapman Stick and we'll play some rock 'n roll

    1reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • GuyBodenGuyBoden Frets: 733
    axisus said:
    As an ex Chapman stick player I used to look at a lot of videos. That was very nicely played although I think it's a rather obscure piece, and generally I prefer something more obviously melodic personally. Very good though, and the video was well put together. 

    This terrible quality video is what inspired me to want a Chapman stick:



    And this is my favourite ever stick piece:



    And here's one of mine ...... (On second thoughts I'll spare you that!)



    Yes, both excellent players. Very inspirational.

    I like this a lot too. Maybe because they are songs I know well.


    "Music makes the rules, music is not made from the rules."
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28280
    @GuyBoden yes, Bob Culbertson is amazing, I have several of his albums including his Acoustick one.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • Super cool. I love this song, his interpretation was great. I especially liked the looping part at the end. Holdsworth would have been proud.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • GuyBodenGuyBoden Frets: 733
    Super cool. I love this song, his interpretation was great. I especially liked the looping part at the end. Holdsworth would have been proud.

    His version of Holdsworth's "City Nights" is good too:


    "Music makes the rules, music is not made from the rules."
    0reaction image LOL 1reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • fobfob Frets: 1430

    What was the learning curve like for this - like learning a new instrument or just a bit of an adjustment from guitar?
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • PhiltrePhiltre Frets: 4164
    fob said:

    What was the learning curve like for this - like learning a new instrument or just a bit of an adjustment from guitar?
    I picked it up quite readily, but I can also play piano as well as guitar and am well versed in music theory.

    The thing is that the treble side of the Stick is tuned in 4ths and goes in the same direction as a guitar, while the bass side is tuned in 5ths and the direction is reversed. Then you tap with two hands so it seems as if you've split your brain in half but reversed one of the sides of your brain. I enjoyed playing the bass side more than the treble side, I guess because I like Tony Levin.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28280
    fob said:

    What was the learning curve like for this - like learning a new instrument or just a bit of an adjustment from guitar?
    I play guitar and piano. I found the chapman stick insanely hard, I thought that piano would give me a good start but it didn't really. It doesn't look too bad seeing someone play, but when you are holding it and looking down, the many strings and frets are daunting with the foreshortening. The thing that killed it for me was that I just couldn't get true hand interdependence going. The other thing that I noticed when videoing myself was that my left hand was strong and confident, but my fight hand seemed static and timid - and I'm right handed. I attempted to learn using 4 fingers of my right hand, but many great players including the great Greg Howard advocate using 3 fingers on the right hand (not all though - Bob Culbertson doesn't). When I return to the Stick (and I will one day) I think I will try the three finger approach.

    I did actually get to be able to play the thing, I can show you a video if you want, but ultimately I couldn't get what I wanted to get out of the instrument. Another thing I have found with the stick is that it is infinitely more interesting when you watch someone playing it, listening to a CD of music definitely loses a big chunk of the interest. That was a slight turn off for some reason.

    All this talk and the cool video's, I quite fancy getting it out ....
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • GuyBodenGuyBoden Frets: 733
    axisus said:
    fob said:

    What was the learning curve like for this - like learning a new instrument or just a bit of an adjustment from guitar?
    I play guitar and piano. I found the chapman stick insanely hard, I thought that piano would give me a good start but it didn't really. It doesn't look too bad seeing someone play, but when you are holding it and looking down, the many strings and frets are daunting with the foreshortening. The thing that killed it for me was that I just couldn't get true hand interdependence going. The other thing that I noticed when videoing myself was that my left hand was strong and confident, but my fight hand seemed static and timid - and I'm right handed. I attempted to learn using 4 fingers of my right hand, but many great players including the great Greg Howard advocate using 3 fingers on the right hand (not all though - Bob Culbertson doesn't). When I return to the Stick (and I will one day) I think I will try the three finger approach.

    I did actually get to be able to play the thing, I can show you a video if you want, but ultimately I couldn't get what I wanted to get out of the instrument. Another thing I have found with the stick is that it is infinitely more interesting when you watch someone playing it, listening to a CD of music definitely loses a big chunk of the interest. That was a slight turn off for some reason.

    All this talk and the cool video's, I quite fancy getting it out ....

    Yes, that would be great, go on, get the stick out and have a play about, nothing serious, it would be nice to get something going on this forum with stick players and encourage each other from a beginners level.

    I'm in the process of building my own instrument, which should be finished in a few weeks, so I have a big interest in stick players at the moment, I've even bought the Stickology book.

    Here's my build thread:
    "Music makes the rules, music is not made from the rules."
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • GuyBoden said:
    Super cool. I love this song, his interpretation was great. I especially liked the looping part at the end. Holdsworth would have been proud.

    His version of Holdsworth's "City Nights" is good too:


    Blimey! He can even play the ‘impossible to play’  part! 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28280
    GuyBoden said:

    I'm in the process of building my own instrument, which should be finished in a few weeks, so I have a big interest in stick players at the moment, I've even bought the Stickology book.

    Here's my build thread:
    That's great that you are building something similar!

    I would transpose to a new thread though so it's purely the build rather than the Tapladder stuff at the start.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • RolandRoland Frets: 8590
    Ah, the decision making is part of the build 
    Tree recycler, and guitarist with  https://www.undercoversband.com/.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14321
    Philtre said:
    fob said: 
    What was the learning curve like for this - like learning a new instrument or just a bit of an adjustment from guitar?
    I enjoyed playing the bass side more than the treble side, I guess because I like Tony Levin.
    1) The bass register strings are "upside down" compared to a bass guitar. Some muscle memory moves have to be unlearned. New habits need to be learned.

    2) Your hammer-on and pull-off volumes need to be as closely matched as possible. (I had already been working at this after reading a Holdsworth interview about his legato technique.)

    3) I find the natural sound of the Melody strings on GRP Sticks kinda plinky plonky. It is improved by distortion. It is far better when triggering a MIDI synthesizer or digitally modelled guitar sounds.


    You can probably guess from my forum ID that I am another Levin fan. Markus Reuter of Stickmen does a mean Fripp impersonation on Warr Guitar. Nick Beggs has done some interesting lead stuff with John Paul Jones. 

    prowla said:
    I just want one to play Elephant Talk.
    Funny tuning on that one. 

    The recording that first piqued my interest was DIY by peter gabriel.
    Be seeing you.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • PhiltrePhiltre Frets: 4164
    edited February 2021

    prowla said:
    I just want one to play Elephant Talk.
    Funny tuning on that one. 

    When I played Elephant Talk on my 10 String Stick (Standard tuning) I detuned one of the strings on the bass side by a semitone.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • GuyBodenGuyBoden Frets: 733
    edited January 2023
    For me, in the end, the Tapping Stick proved to be too difficult to play to a high standard.

    Playing a tapping instrument simultaneously with two independent hands, each hand playing a different tune was too difficult. 

    In my opinion, 45+ years of playing normal guitar, practicing using both hands perfectly synchronized was the opposite of the skills I needed to play a two handed tapping instrument.

    I have to admire the skills of the great players.





    "Music makes the rules, music is not made from the rules."
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28280
    GuyBoden said:
    For me, in the end, the Tapping Stick proved to be too difficult to play to a high standard.

    Playing a tapping instrument simultaneously with two independent hands, each hand playing a different tune was too difficult. 

    Yup. I agree. I will get back to my Stick one day though ....
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
Sign In or Register to comment.