I've had a lot of other musicians recommend that I learn to play the Stick, inspired I guess by my advanced technique on mountain dulcimer. But while I've sat down with those instruments on a couple of occasions and given it the old college try, it's not something that came easily to me.
The other thing that discouraged me at the time (late 1970's, early 80's) was the price. They're not cheap, and back then I didn't have the kind of money it would take to buy one.
Another aspect that kept me from being completely enthused was that they basically sound like a combination of electric and bass guitars, not like something completely different that would set them apart as the unique instrument that they are.
Those of you subscribed to GuitarPlayer Magazine and other guitar publications during the 70's and 80's probably remember the incessant drumbeat of "guitar synthesizers are the next big thing" and "soon, we'll ALL be playing guitar synthesizers" party lines that were being endlessly repeated in those magazines.
Yet, when I finally got my hands on a guitar synthesizer, it just sounded like kind of a crappy keyboard synthesizer. Yes, I could trigger all sorts of sounds on it, but it still mostly sounded like an inexpensive Casio keyboard. So there was no advantage gained in me buying one, since - if I wanted those synthesizer sounds - it was far more cost-effective to get a good quality Roland keyboard or something, and not have to deal with all the tracking problems that came with guitar synths.
I don't want to imply that the excitement around the Stick back in the 70's and 80's compares with the incessant hype and failed promises of guitar synthesizers. In direct contrast, the Stick is a valid instrument with immense musical potential. But it requires a certain amount of skill, discipline and musical knowledge that I seem to lack.
On a side note, even though I really enjoyed the playing on that video, I wanted to tell the guy: "Dude! Get in there and clean the grunge off that fingerboard!! That's RASTY-looking!!!"
I just wonder how many years of accumulated grunge and gunk that represents...
Wade Hampton Miller
PS: I have encountered some Stick players "in the wild," you might say. I played at the Frostbite Festival in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory a number of years ago, and there were a couple of Stick players there. They were very impressive musicians.
|