So how does the Stick sound?

Surely you wonder how this much celebrated instrument sounds.

[39 sec. mp3]

[37 sec. mp3]

These samples are recordings of my first sessions with the Stick. Please don't laugh! These are only to document what a common man is capable of after using an instrument like this for a couple of days.

You also need to know that these snippets are not solo performances. They are recorded in two takes. And there are studio treatments as well; the sound is reinforced with a Line6 DL-4 Delay Modeler to give a little more swing and air to the sound.

For a better taste of the possibilities with this instrument, please see the clips at the official Stick web-site.

My personal favourite would be Youenn Landreau with his amazing performance.

The quest for a Stick

For three years I have been looking for a Chapman Stick -- and finally now I have one!



The Chapman Stick resembles an electric guitar, but it is played with both hands in parallel by tapping or fretting the strings, rather than plucking them. Due to the two-handed approach, playing the Stick is as much related to playing keyboards as it is related to other stringed instruments.

The tuning is peculiar. The strings are grouped in a melody segment (to the left seen from the user) and a bass segment (the centre string and to the right). The melody strings are tuned in 4ths while the bass strings are tuned in reversed 5ths. While this surely prevents me from never learning how to find the scales, it nevertheless helps to produce exciting combinations.

Mastering such an odd instrument is not an easy task. I would be happy with only skimming the surface. For me, fast melodies and well structured chords seems hard to achieve, whereas jazzy rhythms and brave (dis)harmonies come more naturally.