Steve's Spinal Column #18

This month I've included some excerpts from my forthcoming Stick Method book. It should be available spring/summer of 2007. It will be called "Stickology......." and published by Mel Bay

The Full Sticktet

Having limber fingers and total control is crucial for self expression. Technique is not an end, but can bring a liberating attitude toward the music. We make music physically as well as spiritually. The body allows this to happen.

Although this applies to both hands, we'll use the melody side as the example..

Right hand first finger should be placed on the sixth string at a comfortable fret (i.e. 9th).

Tap in succession, 1, 2, 3, 4 using one finger per fret, index on 9th, middle finger on 10th, ring finger on 11th and pinky on 12th. Proceed to the fifth string and play the same ascending chromatic pattern. Continue through each string.

Of course the goal will be accuracy, articulation and speed. Try to have an even volume level throughout.

For a harder experience, reverse the fingering and play 4, 3, 2, 1 on the first string and continue through each string descending in sound. This will sound more staccato for obvious physical reasons, but with practice can sound fairly legato.

There are many variations to this chromatic exercise. Still playing four notes per string, change the order of the fingerings. There are 24 possible combinations.

Starting with:

First finger:         Second Finger:         Third Finger:         Fourth Finger:

1 2 3 4                   2 1 3 4                      3 1 2 4                   4 1 2 3

1 2 4 3                   2 1 4 3                      3 1 4 2                   4 1 3 2

1 3 2 4                   2 3 1 4                      3 2 1 4                   4 2 1 3

1 3 4 2                   2 3 4 1                      3 2 4 1                   4 2 3 1

1 4 2 3                   2 4 1 3                      3 4 1 2                   4 3 1 2

1 4 3 2                   2 4 3 1                      3 4 2 1                   4 3 2 1

When descending, simply play the same patterns in reverse

i.e. 2 3 1 4 ascending becomes 4 1 3 2 descending.

Another variation would be the two note exercise. Here are some examples

 
1 2 3                     1 3 2                      2 3 4                2 1 4                 4 1 2

1 2 4                     1 4 2                      2 4 3                3 1 2                 4 2 3

1 3 4                     1 4 3                      2 1 3                3 4 1                 4 3 1

Of course we can attempt the two digit tango:

1 2              2 3             3 4  

1 3              2 4              

1 4

All permutations should be practiced ascending and descending.

Be creative. Variations will help you control finger placement and could lead to interesting melodic ideas as a byproduct. Try these exercises on different frets. The fret spacing and height of the strings will be the variables. Also experiment using these same gymnastics with the right hand on the bass strings. And of course duplicate everything with the left hand.

For more advanced playing, tap with both hands simultaneously, using identical fingerings.

Play all variations in "parallelism" on the two sets of strings. Don't worry about the notes or harmony lining up. Play with both hands on the same fret or separate them. Play with crossed hands or reverse the hand assignments. Try two hands on the melody side or both hands on the bass side. Find as many varieties as possible.

It would be beneficial to also feel comfortable with larger interval skips. When improvising melodies, this is often overlooked. If our fingers are not afraid to jump more, there will be more variety in our melodic playing.

String skipping exercise:

Play as before, but avoid adjacent strings:

6th string      3rd string          5th string        2nd string         4th string         1st string

1 2 3 4          1 2 3 4              1 2 3 4          1 2 3 4             1 2 3 4             1 2 3 4

Try this concept with all the permutations as previously discussed.

Now try skipping more strings:

6th string      3rd string          5th string        2nd string         4th string         1st string

1 2 3 4          1 2 3 4              1 2 3 4          1 2 3 4             1 2 3 4             1 2 3 4