This is the basic sticking rhythm.
I use the exercises below to teach people how to play the stick. Do each exercise until you feel very relaxed. You'll need a stick 4-6 feet long (a broom stick works) and a piece of wood on the floor if you don't want to leave dents in the floor. Half the sound is made by stamping your heels so sit in a low chair and wear shoes. Exercises:
2. Sit in a chair and stamp heels to the down beat. Your heels will always keep up a nice steady beat. You'll do the fancy stuff with the stick. Keep singing.
3. Stop singing the basic rhythm. We're going to do the same rhythm as in the last exercise, but now we're going to hit the heels and the stick together. Just say: 'Both' each time you strike the heels and stick.
4. Now alternate the stick and heel. Heel gets down beat, stick gets up beat. Say 'Heel' when the heels hit and 'Stick' when the stick hits, so you will be saying: 'Heel Stick Heel Stick, Heel Stick Heel Stick."
5. Now we are going to combine exercises three and four. Sometimes we hit heels and stick together, sometimes we alternate heels and stick. As you do the exercise repeat: 'Heel Stick Both, Heel Stick Both.' We're almost done!
6. Now we are going to add a quick stick beat just in front of the 'Heel' When we strike that quick beat we'll just say 'Sti,' because there isn't time to say 'Stick.' Now, as you play repeat: 'Sti-Heel Stick Both, Sti-Heel Stick Both.'
7. Speed the above up and accent (make loud) the 'Both', and you're done!
|
What is Ringshout? >