Category Archives: Composing

In Jamaica

 

In Jamaica on a weeks vacation. No chapman stick with me dig this. I just have my laptop and IPod.

So I have been collecting some song lyric ideas, building some drum tracks to build on and listening to my personal Stick jams from the last few months.

Some audio coming…

The Stick 1 Year Later

In October 2010 I discovered the Chapmam stick.

Have you ever been a frustrated (instrument of your choice) player?

You know I was a frustrated lead guitar and piano player. I knew the theory, and I could compose musical pieces. (Notice I said pieces and not songs).

Playing bass came easy because I always had rhythm and I love dancing! (OK, I said it. Dancing…) And I love technically challenging music.

So the stick allows me to combine the two in real time.

When I got the stick I found every advancement was like the steps on a flight of stairs. Playing and practice lead to individual advancements. Some came quicker then others.

In about a year I became familiar enough with the fretboard that I could play bass and chordal phrasing simultaneously. Like a piano man, but with the punch and groove of a bass and harmonic accompaniment of an Electric Guitar.

Now put some lyrics on top and voila… You have the tools to create some Cool-Prog-Funk-Rock.

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It’s time to get composing

Ok!

Tried the stick at a rehearsal. Not what I expected.

Here is a list of discoveries…

Know your amp – At the rehearsal I normally use an amp that is there. However… SURPRISE! When I got there the usual amp was gone and the amp available was awful. Lot’s of bottom but no highs. The stick just did not sound articulate. So could not really hear what I was doing.

Practice with your own amp on your own first… – Because I am in an apartment with thin wooden floors I can not practice with an amp in the apartment. Needc to get out and rent a room to practice in.

Know your instrument – Because the bass side of the stick is tuned in reverse and in fifths. You have to be comfortable with the tuning before bringing it into a band jam.

Now back to practicing…