Chapman Stick

The Chapman Stick is an electric fretted stringed instrument that consists only of a large fretboard with 8 to 12 strings and one to two induction pickups. The basic version was developed in the late 1960s by jazz guitarist and session musician Emmett Chapman from Los Angeles.

Emmett Chapman is the president of (because of patent law and demand ) single manufacturer, Stick Enterprises. Since 1974, the Chapman Stick is commercially produced and sold. So far, over 5,000 units have been sold. According to estimates, there are about 2000 to 3000 Stick players who mainly rock, jazz or experimental music scenes move in the world.

Function and play

To play the instrument with a belt clip and a neck strap is attached to the body, so that it hangs almost vertically in front of the player. The technique used is known from (mainly electric ) guitars and basses Tapping. Here, the strings are pressed by stop with the fingertips on the frets and thus vibrated. For guitars or basses, the sound vibrations thus generated against a plucked string are rather weak, the amplitudes of the string vibrations are so small. To compensate for this, Chapman developed the so-called low-tension principle; Here the strings are less strained than at guitar or bass. The stick is therefore far more suited for the tapping technique than conventional electric guitars and basses.

The Standard Model has 10 strings, which are divided into a bass and a Diskantgruppe, the respectively lowest string in the middle and which is always the highest at the edge of the fingerboard. The strings of the bass section rise in fifths, which at the Diskantgruppe in fourths. The game is played with both hands, with both the opportunity to use both strings groups simultaneously, is used as well as the opportunity to play with both hands in a group.

As for the tuning of the strings, there are many possibilities. In the classical method, the deepest bass string to C and the deepest Diskantsaite on Fis is tuned.

Models

Currently, there are seven different models of the Chapman Stick.

  • Standard stick or " The Stick " ( 10 strings, 5 treble and 5 bass strings )
  • Grand Stick ( 12 strings, 6 treble and 6 bass strings, rare 7 treble and 5 bass strings )
  • Stick Bass ( SB8 ) ( 8 strings, 4 treble and bass 4 strings bass strings alternatively 8 )
  • NS / Stick ( 8 strings for all playing techniques, plucking, tapping, slapping, was developed jointly with Ned Steinberger, 34 " scale length he )
  • Ten String Grand ( 10 strings, 5 treble and 5 bass strings with significantly larger string spacing )
  • Alto Stick ( 10 strings, 5 treble and 5 bass strings, with a shorter scale length for higher pitches )
  • SG12 ( 12 strings, 6 treble and 6 bass strings, with a shorter scale length for higher pitches )

The stick, the stick and the stick Grand bass have a 36 " scale length he, older models have a 34 " scale length he.

Emmett Chapman also experimented with Midi interface, it is also a fully MIDI-fied standard stick available, of " The Grid " is called.

Stick player

The most famous player (next to Emmett Chapman himself ) are well Greg Howard, Vance Gloster, the American session musician Tony Levin, who has played, among others, Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, Pink Floyd and Dire Straits, and John Myung from the American Progressive Metal band Dream Theater. To see this is very good on the "Live At Budokan " DVD in the song New Millennium. In addition, this musical instrument is often used by Sean Malone ( Cynic ) for his compositions. Also, Nick Beggs ( Kajagoogoo, Ellis, Beggs & Howard) performs live with this instrument. In Europe, Hans Hartmann is one of the best Chapman Stick player. The instrument also Frank Jolliffe did forth.

Pieces in which the stick was used

  • Elephant Talk by King Crimson, played by Tony Levin
  • Last words of Xavier Rudd, played by Brother Frank
  • New Millennium by Dream Theater, played by John Myung
  • Your Attention by Blue Man Group
  • San Jacinto by Peter Gabriel, played by Tony Levin
  • Sleep and Who Can Stand in the Way by Midnight Oil, played by Peter Gifford
  • The Lion's Mouth by Kajagoogoo, played by Nick Beggs
  • Big Bubbles, No Troubles by Ellis, Beggs & Howard, played by Nick Beggs
  • The Holy Drinker by Steven Wilson, played by Nick Beggs
Saltatio Mortis Rock music Scale length (string instruments) Cynic (band)
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