19 Lecciones tiles de Stick

Chris Crain
2









19 Lecciones tiles de Stick

Por Chris Crain







2009 Chris Crain
Editorial Barefoot

Publicado por Chris Crain
205 Main Street, Suite 600
Jasper, Indiana 47546
www.ChrisCrain.com
chris@chriscrain.com























Todos los derechos reservados. Ninguna parte de este libro puede ser reproducida en su totalidad o en parte, por
cualquier medio, sin el permiso escrito del autor

Chapman Stick, The Stick, Stick, Grand Stick, y Touchboard son marcas comerciales registradas federalmente de
Stick Enterprises, Inc. Otras marcas comerciales que pertenecen a Stick Enterprises incluyen; Meloda de Baritono,
Meloda profunda de Baritono, Emparejada recproca, y Emparejada Recproca profunda.

StaffTab es una marca de Greg Howard y Emmett Chapman.


3
Contenido






Introduccin

Serie de Coordinacin de la mano
4
Parte 1: Chopsticks 5
Parte 2: Tema Misin Imposible 9
Parte 3: Maleguena 12
Parte 4: Oda a la alegra 15

Los Acordes, Sustituciones, e
Inversiones
Part 1: Ebb Tide



17
Parte 2: Nawty Nuff 19
Parte 3: Otros acordes de la mano
derecha

21
Parte 4: Giddy Yup 23

Estudio de Lnea Paralela
El primer Noel 26

Andando el Bajo
Parte 1: Lento y estable 29
Parte 2: Andando la Lnea 31
Parte 3: Nos movemos ahora 34

Touchboard

Basico
Parte 1: Relaciones del grupo de
cuerdas

37
Parte 2: Msica en mi mente 41
Parte 3: Lectura de notas de la mano
derecha

43
Parte 4: Mirar punto controlado 45

Tocando el Blues
Boogie Woogie 56

Tcnica
Parte 1: Transiciones 58
Parte 2: Campanas de plata 60
4
Introduccin

Este libro electrnico es una compilacin de los artculos que yo escrib para StickNews, entre
Febrero de 2005 y Enero de 2007.antes de estas publicaciones, estos artculos y relacionados
podan ser descargados por quienes fueran suscriptores de StickNews y a todos aquellos que
activamente buscaron nmeros antiguos de Stick.com. El contenido de este libro electrnico ha
sido reformateado para que tenga consistencia, pero de otra parte es dejado inalterado de los
originales

El material de instruccin presentado aqu es dedicado a todo aquel que inicia la tcnica Stick
y es ofrecido sin cargo alguno. Todas las transcripciones son escritas en la notacin
StaffTab, como se ha usado en el libro Greg Howards Stick, Vol. 1, y en mis libros Stick
Lecciones electrnicas y Nuevos Estndares. Los diagramas de acorde usan la misma
estructura la cual he usado en mi libro de acordes, El Stickcionario y el libro Emmett
Chapmans, Manos libres.

Las lecciones estn agrupadas por temas, uno independiente del otro. Por lo tanto, no es
necesario completar cada seccin antes de seguir a la siguiente.

- Chris
P.S. No olvide descargar los archivos de audio MP3. Aqu una lista de los archivos de audio
necesarios.

chopsticks.mp3
mi_theme.mp3
maleguena.mp3
odetojoy.mp3
ebbtide.mp3
nawtynuff.mp3
rh7chords.mp3
giddyyup.mp3
firstnoel.mp3
slownsteady.mp3
walkinline.mp3
weremovin.mp3
georgia.mp3
boogie.mp3
silverbells.mp3
5
Serie de Coordinacin de la mano

Chopsticks

Audio: chopsticks.mp3

As que, Usted quiere aprender una nueva cancin? Vamos a aprender algo clsico que
usted seguramente podr digerir por partes

Chopsticks. Con sta meloda, usted desarrollar la sncopa de sus manos derecha e
izquierda.

En la primera seccin, la mano izquierda sostendr notas para un comps a la vez, mientras
que la mano derecha toca la meloda. Mire su digitacin en los primeros tres compases y
especialmente en el cuarto. La digitacin en el cuarto comps establecer el comps que sigue.
La meloda tocada en la primera seccin es repetida en todas las partes de las siguientes dos
secciones. Una vez usted pueda tocar bien la primera parte, ser tiempo de movernos hacia la
segunda seccin.

En la segunda seccin, la mano izquierda pulsar la misma nota dos veces en cada comps.
Aqu, los dedos de su mano izquierda se alternarn mantngalos estables. Su mano derecha
tocar la meloda como antes. Cuando usted tenga clara esta seccin, estar lista para la
tercera.

La mano derecha contina tocando la misma meloda en la tercera seccin, como antes. Sin
embargo, esta vez su mano izquierda se mantendr al ritmo con su mano derecha. Mantenga la
alternacin de los dedos los dedos de su mano izquierda son un motor.

Usted est listo para la ltima seccin, donde no ser necesario mirar la hoja. Est
listo?

Al final de la tercera seccin, usted podr descansar u momento, antes de empezar con la
ltima seccin. Note el cambio de comps. Esto va a establecer un sentido diferente. Los
arpegios de la mano izquierda sern a travs de tres cuerdas. Mire los tres grupos de notas de
la mano izquierda y mire como se ubican en la tabla de toque. Aprenda a reconocer estas
formas y patrones en su instrumento.

Despus que usted tenga lista la ltima parte, estar listo para combinar todas las piezas en
una sola. Trabaje la cancin hasta que la sienta como suya. Algo que me gusta hacer es tomar
la ltima seccin e improvisar cambios con la mano izquierda.
























































































Tema Mission Impossible

Audio: mi_theme.mp3

En la primera leccin, usted aprendi Chopsticks. La idea era que mantuviera su mano
derecha ocupada, mientras usted aprenda a usar su izquierda. El ejercicio le ayud? En la
segunda leccin, yo voy a ensearle a usted el tema de Mission Impossible.

Su misin, si usted decide aceptarla, es aprender una nueva meloda en 7/8 de tiempo. Su
objetivo es tocar breves frases con su mano derecha, mientras su mano izquierda se mantiene
fija. Buena suerte. Este mensaje se. Blah, blah, blah.

Bueno, el comps se inicia con un trino de la mano derecha. La idea es tocar y sostener la
primera nota con su dedo ndice, mientras pone y quita el segundo dedo en repetidas
ocasiones.

En el comps 2 y 3, usted est acercndose a la lnea de bajos. Sintase cmodo con la
digitacin, Como si usted ya tocara esto un poco. Usted debe ser capaz de tocar esta lnea con
sus ojos cerrados, porque usted necesitar sus ojos para mirar su mano derecha trabajando.

La magia comienza en el comps 8. El truco es tocar tres notas con la mano derecha, antes que
usted toque la segunda nota con su mano izquierda. Estas son demasiadas cosas a las que
prestarle atencin. Primero, no cambie el ritmo de su mano izquierda para acomodar los
esfuerzos de su mano derecha solo reduzca el tempo hasta que lo consiga. Segundo, mire
las notas de la mano derecha y vea dnde estas van sobre la tabla de toque. Usted debe ser
capaz de reconocer una forma - patrn. Tambin, mire hacia adelante al comps 7 y 8 y
comprelo con el patrn de la mano derecha que est en el comps 6. Finalmente, observe su
digitacin o usted estar muy enredado.

Usted necesita cambiar la posicin de su mano para los compases 12-15. Las notas (patrones)
son diferentes, pero aqu aplicar las mismas idas que aplic para los compases 6-9. En el
comps 15, deslice sus dedos de una nota a la siguiente, como se indica con la flecha.

Tenemos una lnea de bajo revisada en los compases 18-21. Gaste algn tiempo navegando
esta nueva rea y vaya aprendindolo de memoria. De nuevo, mire su digitacin y una vez lo
tenga bajo control, usted podr agregar su mano derecha. La mano derecha necesita cambiar
de posicin nuevamente. Esta vez regrese a dnde estaba antes, pero sobre cuerdas
diferentes. Las notas son diferentes, pero los patrones son exactamente los mismos que en
los compases 6-9.

El comps 22 vuelve a la lnea de bajo anteriores y los compases 24-27 son idnticos a los
compases 12-15. Del comps 27, repita la meloda empezando con el comps 4. Cundo
usted llegue al comps 26, salte hacia adelante al comps 28.

Aqu, la lnea de bajos cambia de nuevo y la meloda termina con algunos acordes parciales.







9




















































































Maleguena

Audio: maleguena.mp3

Ahora usted est listo para tocar como Bob Culbertson, entonces abordaremos Malaguena. S,
lo se usted an no se siente preparado... No hay problema, yo simplificar la cancin para
usted y cundo usted se sienta preparado solo tiene que aadir ms notas.

Comps 1 empieza con tres notas. Mire estas notas en su instrumento y observe como se
ubican. Si usted no reconoce esta forma, esta es una posicin de raz triada mayor. Esta pasa a
ser un E Mayor. Ahora Arpegie las notas, bajo a alto, en dos tiempos. Usted ahora tiene los dos
primeros compases.

Intente los dos siguientes compases (2 y 4) por usted mismo. Los compases 5-8 son una
repeticin del 1-4, solo repita lo que sabe hasta ahora y ya tiene el 20% de esta cancin.

En los compases 9-16, su mano izquierda va a tocar lo que su mano derecha estaba tocando,
pero en una octava menor. Sin embargo, como usted sabe, la parte baja de su Stick no sonar
al igual como la meloda. Por lo tanto, los patrones que usted estaba tocando con su mano
derecha no funcionarn para la mano izquierda. Plane dnde usted tocar y observe cuan
diferentes son los patrones que antes. Le aviso que tendr que estirar sus dedos.

En el compas 19, la lnea de bajos bajar una octava ms. Esta vez, la mano izquierda tocar
un patrn bsico y se mover mucho! Si usted comienza a sentir cansancio tome un
descanso. Su mano derecha intentar tocar una meloda simple sobre los bajos. Usted
intentar esto varias veces antes de tener xito, pero finalmente lo lograr. Si esto ayuda, haga
que su mano derecha repose en la misma posicin para tocar la lnea entera de la meloda y
usted solo dejar que sus dedos den los golpes.

Nosotros estaremos muy cerca en el comps 39. Su mano derecha no tiene nada que hacer por
ahora y su mano izquierda va a tocar, otra octava ms baja. En los compases 39-43 tocaremos
los mismos patrones usados en los compases 5-9, solo que en diferentes cuerdas.

Usted ya ha visto el siguiente comps antes, el comps 18. Los ltimos dos compases son
bastante fciles. Mire las formas que ha hecho su mano derecha, como esta ha progresado a
travs de los cambios.





















12





































15
Ode To Joy

Audio: odetojoy.mp3

You may have realized that I chose and/or arranged each song in the previous lessons to focus
on an aspect of hand coordination. In the last lesson, I showed you Malaguena, which aimed
primarily on alternating lines with each hand. In this lesson, I show you Beethovens Ode To Joy
and you will work both hands at the same time.

Find your hand positions as dictated in the first measure. This is where your hands will stay,
throughout the piece. Next, play the first LH measure and watch the pattern/shape develop. If
you dont recognize this, it is a C major triad. Now check out the second measure G major
triad. If you look ahead to measures 3 & 4, you will notice that the LH repeats the first two
measures.

Now play the RH part only (measures 1-4). Then play those measures with both hands. Notice
each note, with each hand, lands on a beat. Keep at it until it sounds smooth. Measures 5-8 are
just a repeat of the first four measures, except for a little change in measure 8, but youll get it.

The first two LH notes in measure 9 finish the arpeggio started in the previous measure. You
may want to run the RH part alone, to get the feel for measures 9-13. The LH will make four
passes of an ascending three-note arpeggio, starting in the middle of measure 9 and ending in
the middle of measure 12. Also, notice the slight change in measure 12, for the LH. Finally, try
both hands together.

You get a chance to reset your bearings in measure 13. Measures 14-17 are the same as
measures 5-8.










































































17




Ebb Tide

Audio: ebbtide.mp3
Chords, Substitutions, and Inversions

In this lesson, Im going to share my arrangement of the song Ebb Tide. Dont worry if you are
not familiar with this tune, because we are focusing only on the left-hand chord changes.

I have taken a song with a lot of chord changes (one per measure) and added even more in the
theme (two per measure). The left hand arpeggiates each chord from low to high to low (1-2-3-
2), each note being an eighth. Excluding the sustained notes at the end of each phrase (G7)
and the final C, the left-hand will play a constant flow of notes.

What I want to draw your attention to are the chords marked with an asterisk ( * ). These are
chord substitutions for the other chords in the same measure (usually the first). They are
probably already in your vocabulary and add variety and extend the harmony.

In the bridge, starting at measure 11, I make extensive use of chord inversions. You could play
these chords in root position, but using the inversions adds to the tension implied by the melody
keeping G, G#, & A in the bass, before resolving on the C.

The tag starts at measure 26 (CMaj7). Look at the diagrams and notice that a low C is
maintained in the bass figures. Also, watch the leading tone on string 10 (11 for Grand) move in
half-step increments, from fret 7 to fret 3. This is accomplished using the inversions Dm7/C,
D

7/C, and an alternate chord form for the C.

Learn these inversions and try them in your own music.









































































19

Nawty Nuff

Audio: nawtynuff.mp3

In the last lesson, I showed you some LH chord inversions. This time Im going to show you
some RH chord inversions and how I applied them in my song Nawty Nuff. The audio is an
excerpt from the end of the song and lines up with the sheet music after 24 seconds.

The first RH chord, in the first measure, is F major. More specifically F major / 2
nd
inversion
written as F/C. So why does it say Dm7 above the chord? Good question. Lets look at the
bigger picture. The RH plays an F/C triad (F-A-C), which combines with a single D note played
by the LH. The result is D-F-A-C Dm7.

Looking at the music, you will find eight unique chords. Each RH chord is an inversion on its
own, but when the LH bass note is added the chord names change. Lets look at the rest of
them.

Em7 G/D + E bass G B D + E = E G B D

Sometimes chords like these would just be named C/F or G/C, because the 11
th
is specifically
stated.

C(11)/F C/E + F bass C E G + F = C E G F
G(11)/C G/B + C bass G B D + C = G B D C

Another name for the half-diminished (

7) is minor 7b5.

D

7

Fm/Ab + D bass

F Ab C + D = D F Ab C
C#

7 Em/G + C# bass E G B + C# = C# E G B

This chord has the same spelling as Am7/C, but since the chords are shifting stepwise and the
song ends on a C chord we name this C6.

C6 A7/G + C bass A E G + C = C E G A

Even though the RH plays an inversion, the bass redefines the chord name.

C C/E + C bass C E G + C = C E G

Using the RH inversions the way I did provided the character I was looking for. Determining a
chord name isnt always easy, but experimenting is. You can try playing any bass note and then
find RH chords that dont clash with it. Or you could play a RH chord and find bass notes that
work. When you find some you like write them down. Here are few to get you started. The RH
plays the chord named before the slash and the LH plays the solitary bass note named after the
slash:

Gm/G, Gm/Ab, Gm/Bb, Gm/C, Gm/D, and Gm/Eb

See which combinations you can discover using major, diminished, and augmented RH chords.
















































































21

Other Right-Hand Chords

Audio: rh7chords.mp3

This time around, I will show you some often overlooked RH chord shapes. We will examine the
Suspended 4
th
, 7
th
, Major 7
th
, Minor 7
th
, and 9
th
. The audio contains five examples with these
chords in action and the chord chart shows how to construct these shapes.

In the first example, we have a Dsus4. Sus4 chords are like 1-3-5 major triads, except the 3
rd
interval is raised a half-step to a 4
th
. On the chord chart, you can see how this intervals position
differs from the major chord next to it. Listen to the character of this chord in the intro to Pinball
Wizard.

The second example focuses on the add 9 chord. This chord is easily played in the LH, but
often forgotten about for RH use. This particular alteration of the chord does not contain the 3
rd
interval, the tone necessary for determining the major or minor quality of the chord. With that
said, this variant can be used in either context major or minor. You can see that this chord is
similar to a 1-b3-5 minor triad, except the 3
rd
interval is lowered a half-step to a 2
nd
or better
said a 9
th
. In the audio, you will hear chord splashes using the add 9 chords exclusively.

Example three is all about 7
th
chords. The chord form in this example does not contain a 5
th
, but
another way to play it would be to exclude the 3
rd
which Ill show you in the fourth example.
The audio is a little jazz comp over a walking bass line in F.

Example four is another jazz comp using two chords Dm7 and G7. The G7 chord is an
alteration of the 7
th
chord type used in the previous example, except this time the 3
rd
is absent.
The Dm7 chord shape looks like an inverted version of the G7.

In the last example, you want to examine the Maj7 chords. Notice their similarity to the G7
chord in the previous example. Only here, the 7
th
interval is raised a half-step to a major 7
th
. The
other chords in this example are just major chord inversions used to accentuate the Maj7
chords. This short motif could be used as a tag to a tune.

All right, Ive shown you some new chords to add to your RH vocabulary. Remember, these
chords can be played at any fret and/or moved across the strings. So, dont limit yourself to the
specific chords Ive shown try them in all twelve keys.






23
Giddy Yup

Audio: giddyyup.mp3

I thought it would be fun to write a short rhythmic tune; that incorporates some of the right-hand
chords I showed you in the last lesson. I call it Giddy Yup.

The first two measures set up the LH rhythm, which is a root-5-5 motor. This pattern remains
consistent throughout the tune, but modulates through four different chords/positions. Practice
the left-hand part, moving through all the changes for the entire song, until it becomes second
nature.

There are basically four different chords that the right hand is in charge of each introduced in
measures 3-6: F7, Dm/G, Ab(9), & Bb(9) respectively. The RH chord shown in measure 4 is an
inversion of Dm with F in the bass, which would be written Dm/F if it stood alone. However, the
LH bass note dictates the name of the complete chord. The Bb(9) in measure 6 is a partial
chord made complete by the addition of the LH bass note.

The frequency of the RH rhythm increases as the song progresses through each phrase. The
trick is going to be playing on the off beats. If you have trouble with some of these parts, play
the LH exaggeratedly slow while you work the RH part. Slowly increase speed as you gain
confidence.

The bridge-like section starts at measure 21. The RH plays pairs of notes that alternate back
and forth as quarter-note triplets. Of course that means more off-beat playing. You may want to
play along with the audio to get the feel for this phrase. Its very rewarding, once you can get it.

Measure 23 introduces you to an F(9). Again, the LH bass note helps determine the chord
name, but the RH chord alone is an inversion with C in the bass.



























































































































































The First Noel

Audio: firstnoel.mp3
Parallel Line Study

This arrangement is intended for intermediate and advanced players. For beginners, this
arrangement may present an intense challenge, in that both hands must play independent
melodies. In any case, I hope you enjoy the tune.























































26












































































29




Slow & Steady

Audio: slownsteady.mp3
Walking Bass

Were going to work on walking-bass lines, with each lesson getting progressively harder.
However, this lesson will be Slow & Steady.

On the Stick, bass parts typically take the form of accents, rhythmic pulses, arpeggios, or
motors moving through chord changes, as required by the music. By themselves, these kinds
of bass parts are not necessarily difficult to play. The trouble arises when you start adding RH
parts. For most, this hurdle is overcome with patience, persistence, and practice.

Walking bass lines differ from the above, in that, their movement is constant and often counter
to the direction your RH needs to go. To make matters worse, your LH frequently needs to climb
up and down the Touchboard, while your eyes are focused elsewhere. So, lets focus on that
aspect.

For this exercise, I wrote a RH arpeggio that does not change hand position. Hopefully, this will
make it easier to concentrate on the LH. The first measure begins with two pick-up notes that
start the arpeggio and this flurry of notes continues until the last measure. At measure 6, the
arpeggio changes a bit and with measures 10-17 the two arpeggios are combined to make a
longer phrase. The last four measures tag out the exercise and this arpeggio differs from the
rest.

For the LH, the bass are root-five combinations as they progress through the chord changes.
Your LH will repeatedly traverse up the Touchboard (down in pitch). Every four measures
complete the pattern.

Practice this exercise three ways. First, let your eyes give exclusive attention to your LH and
allow your RH to make mistakes. Second, once you feel comfortable landing the LH changes,
give exclusive attention to your RH allowing LH mistakes. Finally, and at some point, you
should be able to practice this blindfolded.

Ultimately, you want the ability to substitute the arpeggios for a melody or improvise over the
bass line. This is what I did with my version of Moondance, using a similar bass line and chord
progression. Once your LH knows the pattern, your RH will be free.









































































31
Walkin the Line

Audio: walkinline.mp3

To continuing with my walking bass lessons, this time were going to be Walkin the Line. I wrote
the exercise with two distinct sections and a common bass line throughout. In the first section,
the RH plays a rhythmic role and in the second, the RH plays a phrase.

Practice only the first section (measures 2-11) as you work on developing your walking bass.
When you are comfortable with the first section, practice the second.

Measure 1 starts off with some pick-up notes (also in mm. 11 & 21). Pay attention to your LH
fingering as you come into the 2
nd
measure. Measures 2 & 3 represent the bass line thats used
throughout. Open your LH out and get use to the fingering/pattern.

The RHs rootless Cm7 should pose no problem, since its played on the downbeat of its
respective measures. However, the rhythmic challenge will be playing the RH Fm7. These
chords anticipate the downbeat of the succeeding bass note. Remember, the bass line is steady
and needs to stay that way.

In measures 10 & 11, we break up the phrase and play full chords with both hands. Nothing
special here, except that everything is played off the beat (excluding the first Cm7).

Measure 12 starts off the second section. The bass line is the same as before, as well as the
last two measures of this section (mm. 20-21). What you will work on here is playing a simple
melody over the bass line. I apologize in advance if this turns your brain to goo. Although your
RH plays in one position for the melody, it must shift out of place to play the chords in the break.

Measure 22 returns to the rhythm part used earlier and finishes the tune. Once youve
conquered this tune, change the melody or extend that section and improvise over it. Make it
your own and have fun.




















































































Were Movin Now

Audio: weremovin.mp3

This lesson finishes my trilogy on walking bass.

I wrote Were Movin Now to combine aspects from the first two lessons. This tune incorporates
a repeating scalar chord progression (like Slow & Steady) and alternating rhythm & melody
parts (like Walkin the Line). The biggest difference, from the other lessons, is the bass line
tempo it is fast.

The bass line is defined in the first two measures and repeats throughout. Practice the bass line
by itself, before adding the RH rhythm. The melody phrase is defined in measures 7-8. In each
relevant measure, the melodic phrase starts on an upbeat, but is otherwise syncopated with the
bass line.

As Ive done before, the RH stays in the same position for the melodic phrase, so you can
remain focused on your LH work.

My objective thus far has been more of a practical application of playing walking bass lines. Ill
save an analytical approach to developing or arranging bass lines for the future. However, I
hope working with these exercises; you acquire the facility to try musical directions to which you
were previously hindered.




































34























































































String Group Relationships
Touchboard Basics

In this lesson, Im going to discuss relationships. No, not with your loved ones, but between
string groups of your favorite instrument. Before I start, let me say this lesson is aimed toward
beginners using Classic or Baritone tunings and Classic tuned Grand. Inherently, all of the
Matched Reciprocal tunings have an obvious bass to melody string-group relationship thus not
addressed here. Likewise, you probably already know your way around the Touchboard if you
are using an unconventional tuning.

The following pages contain three charts for you to pick from Classic, Baritone, and Grand.
Use the chart that applies to you and well get started.

Finding notes on the Stick is easy, but finding the right one is sometimes frustrating. One of the
first things you will do as a beginner is to learn the open tuned note names of each string. This
is perfect and if you have previous experience on another stringed instrument you know that
the 12
th
and 24
th
frets hold the octaves to those string names. For a while, these positions will be
your only reference points, until you learn to recognize other positions on the fret board. I will
assume, for most players, that the left-hand feels most at home around the 5-7
th
fret and the
right-hand gravitates near the 12-14
th
fret. Wherever your hands feel at home, make it a point to
know the surrounding notes.

Using the charts, lets explore our surroundings. Ignoring the fact that the notes are unison or an
octave(s) apart, the lines connecting dots relate to the same named note. Figure #1 relates
notes on the same fret to different strings. Your understanding of this relationship will help you
find some notes more quickly. For example, lets say you want to find a RH melody-side note
thats in unfamiliar territory, but near the LH. You can identify a LH bass-side note, relate it to a
melody-side string, land it where its at, or make a few steps sharp or flat to the desired note.
Just the same, you could locate a LH bass-side note with respect to known RH melody-side
notes.

Figure #2 shows the remaining melody strings from Figure #1 and their relationship to the bass-
side strings. Figure #3 shows a composite of Figures #1 & #2 with reference to the melody
strings and Figure #4 references the bass strings.

If youve come from a guitar or bass background, you are probably familiar with playing octaves.
For example, find any note on string 3 your root. The octave is found two fret spaces up from
your root and two strings across (Figure #6). Octaves can be found like this all over the Stick
bass-side and melody-side. Figure #6 also relates one string group to the other and Figure #5
isolates this relationship. Once again, you can use this concept to find notes in unfamiliar
territory with respect to familiar territory.

Figure #7 is similar to Figure #2 with the addition of octaves on the same string group. Using
this concept as a map, you can find any note with a hop, skip, jump, and maybe a little slide
sharp or flat. On the Grand chart, you can see how all twelve strings are covered. For Grand
and Baritone only, Figure #8 shows a unique relationship between the two inside strings
(bass/melody). And for Grand, this reaches to the outside strings as well.

37




































































































































































41


Music On My Mind

Audio: georgia.mp3

Being able to entertain ourselves is one of the great pleasures of being a musician. When the
mood strikes us, we can make our own music work on a new tune, practice, experiment, or
run through our repertoire. Some of us can play for hours and for others, well only a short
time.

For those of you with a limited repertoire, consider learning songs from songbooks or the Real
Book. There is no shame in learning covers. You dont have to play them well, nor do you have
to play them for anyone else. The point is to just play, instead of watching television because
youre tired of practicing the one song you do know. Some benefits you may gain are:
discovering new chords and progressions and improving your sight-reading. After time, you will
be able to open most any songbook and entertain yourself without ever really committing a song
to memory.

Other than my web-site, finding music that is written for The Stick is problematic. Your best bet
is to find a songbook (or sheet-music) that is arranged for piano/guitar/voice and contains music
that interests you. I suggest this type of book, because most songbooks are arranged this way.
What youre looking for is a book that has the melody (the voice) notated on a different staff than
the piano and the chords spelled out above the melody. The Real Book is just that melody
lines and chord progressions, but for jazz standards.

The rest is just academic. You find a song, play the chords with the left-hand, and tap out the
melody with the right. Refer to The Sticktionary or Free Hands if your chord vocabulary is small.
And if you have absolutely no clue how to read music, choose songs with melodies that are
familiar to you. By singing the melody, you should be able to find the right notes on your
instrument.

Ive recorded a few bars of Ray Charles Georgia On My Mind. To get you started, I have
supplied chord diagrams and a note reference diagram.


































































43


Right-Hand Note Reading

Without explaining the nuances of music notation or answering the question Why does the
musical alphabet start with C? I will try to build a foundation for you to explore.

At the top of the page is a C major scale, covering one octave and extending to a high E. The
first symbol shown on the staff is called a treble clef or G-clef. The first C shown is referred to
as middle-C. This note is easily identified, because of the little ledger line extending through it
and its location underneath the staff. If the notes were not on a staff with a treble clef, they
would have entirely different names.

Notes in a treble clef are usually written for high register instruments and voice. Music written for
full-range instruments normally use the treble clef to isolate the higher registers like the right-
hand side of a piano. Likewise, a general assumption is that music written for piano, in the treble
clef, is played with the right hand. And of course we can apply this assumption to The Stick.

So, what we have here are RH notes that apply to the melody side of The Stick. In a major
scale, note names ascend as the pitch ascends. As you know, the musical alphabet starts with
A and ends with G, before starting over. We start on C for this scale.

Underneath the staff are diagrams for common Stick tunings. I have isolated a four-fret segment
containing the notes from the staff above. Pointing to each finger marking are the notation
symbols. See if you can correlate the written notes to their names in the above staff.

Next, try playing the notes, in the order shown, on the four isolated staffs surrounding the
diagram while reciting the note names aloud. Then try playing them backwards. Practice this
until you know which note youre playing as it relates to the written note. When youve got it, try
out the two exercises.

Of course, there is much more to reading music than what Ive shared and a lot more notes to
learn.


































































45


See Spot Run

One choice you get to make, when ordering a Stick, is the kind of fretboard inlays you want. It
seems that you spend more time thinking about your choices than learning how to use them.

The foremost defining marker is at the 12
th
fret. This marks the octave of the open-tuned (or
zero-fret) string. From there, the markers are spaced five frets apart from each other on either
side of the 12
th
fret. There are four markers total (older models have an additional marker at fret
22). Therefore, there are markers at fret positions 2, 7, 12, and 17.

The interval from marker-to-marker, on any one string, is a perfect fourth. It might help you
remember this by realizing there are four spaces between markers. Combining this little bit of
knowledge with the note positions you already know; you will gain an upper hand in fretboard
navigation.

At this point, finding notes between markers becomes a simple matter. Any unknown note
between markers is, at most, two frets away from a marker.

There are charts for all the popular tunings and included on each is a table showing perfect
fourth intervals for any root.















































































































































































































































56






Boogie Woogie

Audio: boogie.mp3
Playing the Blues

All right! Youve got your Stick and you've been wood-shedding for a month. Probably not ready
for a world tour or even a local open-mic. But you are definitely ready to accept an invitation to a
casual jam with friends. One problem though. you don't know how to jam. Let's see if we can fix
that.

One of the most fundamental song forms is the I-IV-V7 progression. When thoughtfully
arranged, we have the simplest form of the 12 bar blues (conceived by some rocket scientist,
I'm sure). The 12 bars (or measures) are arranged like this: 4 bars of the tonic (I), 2 bars of the
subdominant (IV), 2 bars of the tonic (I) again, 1 bar of the dominant (V), 1 bar of the
subdominant (IV), and 2 bars of the tonic (I) again. For our lesson, the tonic will be 'C'.

Now, there are thousands of songs written in this form and all of them have a definite beginning
and ending. However, what you need to know is that during your first jam session - this
progression has one certain beginning and three possible endings.

When jammin', the beginning usually starts with someone initiating the key and the groove.
Then everyone else hops on and the evolution takes off. The 12 bars are repeated endlessly
until one of three things happen.

1. Someone gets tired of playing and stops, and then everything falls apart.
2. One or two players get lost in the tune and everything stops abruptly.
3. The players communicate to each other that they will end on the 12th bar of the current
cycle.

With the Stick, you will probably be responsible for anchoring the groove with a competent bass
line. Study the Boogie Woogie notation to get familiar with the pattern. This bass line is one of
many typical lines used in boogie-woogie styled tunes. Once you are comfortable working the
line and progression, transpose to different keys. You will eventually need to be able to play in
any key. Two reasons - you don't want similar songs and jams to sound the same and you
shouldn't always expect other players to concede to your deficiencies.

The sheet-music shows a simple RH comping rhythm that correlates with the first 12 bars of the
audio. In the audio, I play other RH rhythms for the remainder of the tune. After a short while,
you should be able to mix up your RH rhythms to suit the jam.










































































58






Transitions
Technique

In this lesson, I would like to discuss playing chord shapes differently than what you might
consider a conventional manner.

Assuming you have a few chord shapes instilled into your vocabulary, youve come to depend
on specific fingers playing a certain role. Thats good, because knowing that, you can quickly
change chord shapes to suit a songs chord progression. However, sometimes using a different
fingering methodology can facilitate the transition from one chord to the next.

Looking at the first row of chords, for example, you will see the typical LH fingering for this chord
shape and an alternate fingering. The alternate fingering is better suited when making the
transition to (or from) the last chord in the row. This might occur more frequently when
arpeggiating between the two shapes.

The chart has three examples of these types of transitions. The chord names are irrelevant for
the sake of this lesson. What I want you to consider, in your own music, is to think about how a
chord relates physically to the next or preceding chord not just musically. By understanding
the physical relationship between two chords, you can often find a more efficient way of playing
them.











































60


Silver Bells

Audio: silverbells.mp3

I would like to return to the topic of transitional finger positioning. In the previous lesson, the
focus was aimed toward left-hand work, whereas, this time we will work on the right hand. Plus,
there is a bonus you get to learn a new song!

Like I said, we will be focusing on the right-hand, but you might want to familiarize yourself with
the LH chord progression first.

As you can see in my arrangement of Silver Bells, I rely heavily on a RH technique of playing
double notes (partial chords) for the melody. The trick is to play the melody as smoothly as
possible, without feeling like your hand is jumping around all over the place. The fact is,
sometimes it must, but the idea is to limit that kind of hand movement. The tablature should give
you a pretty clear picture of what is going on. But I will point out anyway, that instead of playing
a pair of notes with fingers 1 & 2 or 1 & 3, you will find that fingers 2 & 4 or 3 & 4 are employed.
Again, the only purpose to this is to keep your hand in a relative position for playing successive
notes which inevitably include the first finger. Without using this technique, your hand would
need to shift three to four frets.

Oh yeah, if you are curious the solo is improvised over the following chord changes:

|: CM7 Em7 Dm7 G7 :| (3x) and then FM7 Em7 Eb7 Dm7 G7 then repeat entire phrase.