Steve's Spinal Column #12

Steve with Sticks

There's a logic to the Stick's unique tuning that is extremely natural. The relationships of the strings are akin to music itself. Chords sonically, tend to descend by fives. That is, a G chord will resolve down a fifth to C. If we take this to an extreme descending progression in the key of C Major:

| B dim | Emi | Ami | D mi | G | C |

These are the chords in the key of C, progressing downward by fifths eventually resolving to the tonic (C). This is also know as the "Cycle Of Fifths."

Well, let's look at the Stick:

On a standard Grand Stick, the 12th fret on the bass side actually descends from the 12th string to the 7th in this order: B E A D G C (or pronounced "beadgook"!)

If you look at the physical position of this amazing 12th fret when wearing the Stick, it falls out roughly at the navel (YMMV). Therefore, I call this the "Umbilical Chord." From this starting point we can play many progressions. Transferring back one inlay (five frets) and one string, over yields the same letter names. One fret up (sharp) and down (flat) from the "Umbilical Chord" is easy to visualize and that will give you 18 total memorized notes. Just let it grow from there. Map out the entire fingerboard and see the ever present "Beadgook" (or parts of it). It's one of the hidden secrets of the magical Chapman Stick Fretboard.

BTW- The idea of teaching the "Umbilical Chord" here in the "Spinal Column" has prompted me to enroll in medical school. I can be reached at Hellman's Mayo Clinic.

Steve A