E-Tap report 2001

Reports and archives of the E-Tap

Contains:

A brief report and the list of activities at E-Tap 2001.

The Tap-guitar Night, Club Marcus Mingus, Brussels, June 29, 2001.
Performances by
- The Tip-tap club (young crowd aged 15-16): Sarah Cuvelier(voc), Leonor Palazzo(cello), Vincent Wobbe (on Belgrado 12 str t-g in fourths-fourths), Laura Wester (piano) play 'I would say' (hit of Krezip a popular group based Belgium, Netherlands), 'Blue Bossa' (Dorham), 'The World of Asavari"' (Schell), Vincent's new Tiptar (Schell).
- Karo Trio with Ariane De Bièvre (flute), Daniel Schell (tiptar, 12str in fourths-fourths), Pierre Narcisse (tabla). play Rosa, Rose au Lie 3, Assis, Costumi Bianchi by Schell.
- Wolfgang Daiss plays jazz standards Rockabily Train (Daiss), All of me ( Simon-Marks), Mister PC (Coltrane), Black Orpheus ( Luis Bonfa), on his tiptar (14-str in fourths-fourths) with Pierre Narcisse (drums).
- Olivier Verschueren on Belgrado tiptar (12 str, fourths-fourths)) with Sylvie Sansalone (violin) and Pierre Narcisse (tabla), play compositions by Schell and Verschueren.
- Sylvain Dollet plays Tristesse (Dollet) on his 10 str Stick tm in fifths-fourths.
-André Pélat (on 10 str Stick tm in Chapman fifths-fourths) plays Jazz standards Summertime (Gerschwyn), Fascinating Rythm (Gerschwyn), Libertango (Piazzola) and own compositions Florilege (Pelat) with Pierre Narcisse (drums)
- Ray Ashley (ADG tm 8 strings in fourths) and Kyle Wholmut (Harp) play Apache (Hank Marvin), Three From Two, Taireva et City of Pillars .
- Rob Rieter (from Holland) (on 10 str Stick tm in Chapman fifths-fourths) plays own compositions.
- Ola Rinta Koski plays C-Jam Blues (Ellington) on his Stick tm (12 str in Chapman fifths-fourths)

The E-Tap Seminar, Neufchâteau

Laying front: Ola Rinta-Koski. Sitting first row (l to r) Ray Ashley, Steve Withman, Yannick Lepetit, Grobi Okun, Kuno Wagner, André Pélat, Sylvain Dollet, Geza Sasvari. Standing 2d row: Wolfgang Daiss, Daniel Schell, Traktor Topaz, Dave Bowmer, Uwe Hass, Olivier Verschueren, Paolo Vallebona, Lionel Cretegny, Mehool Patel.

First class: Uwe Haas (10 str Stick tm Chapman fifths-fourths), Lionel Cretegny (10 str Stick tm Chapman fifths-fourths) , Mehool Patel (10 str Stick tm Chapman fifths-fourths) , Geza Andras Sasvari (tiptar 12 str in Chapman fifths-fourths) , Yannick Lepetit (12 str Stick tm in parallel fourths-fourths)
Second Class: Frank Salama (10str Stick Chapman fifths-fourths), Dave Bowman (12 str Stick tm in BOB W fifths-fourths) , Grobi Okun (Stick tm 12 str in Chapman fifths-fourths), Steve Withman ( tiptar in 8str crafty), Traktor Topaz (Megatar 12 str in parallel fourths), Kyle Wholmut ( Warr Guitar TM) .
Third class: Ray Ashley (ADG tm 8str in fourths), Paolo Vallebona (10 str Stick tm in Chapman fifths-fourths), Olivier Verschueren (Belgrado tiptar 12 str in parallel fourths), Ola Rinta-Koski (Stick tm 12 str in Chapman fifths-fourths), Sylvain Dollet (10 str Stick tm in Chapman fifths-fourths).Myron Edwards (Megatar tm 12 str in Chapman fifths-fourths)

Everyday Morning:

The instructors: From l to r: André Pélat, Kuno Wagner, Wolfgang Daiss, Daniel Schell, Ray Ashley, Traktor Topaz

Teaching by Wolfgang Daiss : Wolfgang did study Jazz standards with all three classes. Melody, bass lines, chords were covered according to the individual levels. Special emphasis on Watermelon man (Hancock) and Mr PC (Coltrane).
Teaching by Daniel Schell. First class: scales (positions 1, 2 and 4, stretch): Frère Jacques, Rosamunde, (Schubert); sight reading the Path to My Space, vol 1; Be quiet (Schell) . Second Class: scales (positions, stretch, change of positions, rythmics) a tour of tap-composers: Lampi, Jolliffe, Wagner. Sight reading Path vol 1 Third class: Scales (Rotation modes, one position twelve tonalities, the mystery of position 3, rythmics, ornaments, glissandi, cut), Analysis of 'Gira Girasole', the rythmic of added sixteenths, Sight reading 'The Path' Vol 1 &2, tour of tap-composers.
Teaching by Kuno Wagner: warming up, scales, developping exercises, rythmics, circulation.
Kuno presents various Jazz standards and the way to play them with groove. First class: Note Location in C major. Nostalgia in Time Square + 0,5 h with Can. Passion dance. Second class: Note Loc. in C, Black Orpheus. Sugar als Bossa/Latin + 0,5 h mit Can.Sugar (Melodie), Latin two hand comping. Bartok fingering for the melody in fifths. Third class: NoLoc. in Ab, All Blues. Passion dance.
Teaching by André Pélat:
André presented to all three classes the techniques and ornaments of his playing style. First class: Pelat's basic exercises, Traditional (France) 'Le loup, le Renard et la belette'. Second class: Pelat's technique, song: 'Stir it up' 'Bob Marley. Third Class: Pelat's Technique. Song 'Bras de fer' (Higelin).

Afternoon Master Classes

Teaching by Ray Ashley
'Giant steps' (Coltrane). How to perform this difficult piece on the tiptar. Ray presents the basic division of this song into three tonalities, with a pattern of scales and improvisation techniques.
M'Bira technique transposed for the tiptar: Ray presents the Shona piece 'Tairevathe' on the 'thumb piano' or 'kalimba' from Zimbabwe, which he studied with various masters. Master class on Carl Nielsen: Nielsen Piano Piece Op. 53 #18 - with additional discussion about the other pieces from op. 53, including a demonstration of #13 and #24.
Teaching by Traktor Topaz
'Easy Bassics' Traktor presents a pedagogical method allowing beginning tappers (essentially bass players) to approach music. The method is based on a module including a scale of nine notes of C maj, going from F to upper G. (For the sake of nomenclature, this module corresponds to 'My Space' F (Lydian) in Position S1).
The method consists of representing then, in the same module:
- Some related scales (C, G, F...). The first chord represented is G MAJ 7. the student discovers the note F#.
- The arpeggios of F M7, F 7, Fm7 .
- Arpeggios of chords close to F (C, G, Bb...) . These arpeggios will be played as inversions of the chords which fit the best the module. For instance the C MAJ 7 inversion fitting the best the F module will be G B C E G (The inversion of C M7 included into an F module).
Traktor also presents a marking method (dots and rear marks) which basically divides the board into three vertical fourths (One mark every five frets). This method is allegedly inherited from old mandoline marks.
Traktor also presents a fingering method using only fingers 1, 2, 3.
Daniel Schell Master class on contemporary music :
metrics and rythmics: Daniel explains the difference between metre and rythm. Metre is used to represent music. Rythm is the occurence of events in time. Many musicians just do not make the difference. In many types of pop music, meter is the rythm. In the last century and particularly in the works of Olivier Messiaen there has been an attempt to differentiate meter and rythm, and also to use this difference in order to produce new music. Daniel shows how he plays with these elements in two compositions choosen out from the Gira Girasole CD and score books. 'Costumi Bianchi' uses essentialy a metric of 7/8 and then phasing of motives in/on this basic metre. 'Gira Girasole' instead has no evident metre. In this composition there are three layers of metrics: one 'micrometric' in /8 for the tiptar/tabla. One in /4 for the cello/keyboard, and one in /2 for the free flowing clarinet and voice.
Indian music: a group of student sits on the ground. Each one holds the tiptar based on the ground and on his shoulder. The raaga Rageshree - C E F A Bb C' / C' Bb A F E D C- is presented in the form of a song taught to Daniel by Dhruba Ghosh. Various techniques are outlined such as the scales in glissandi.Each student learns to play the rhythmic cycle tintal on the tabla, the percussion instrument. After that students practice improvisation with given phrases - taana-s - accompanied by tabla.
Master class by André Pélat: André shows his technique in the art of adapting classical pieces for the tiptar. He plays Symphony in G min (Mozart), The Winter (Vivaldi). For these pieces he usually adapts a piano reduction from the orchestral original. André shows also his personal fingerings and ornaments in Clairière (Pélat). André shows his arpeggios, a basic requirement of his playing, going all over the high positions of the melody side and making extensive usage of all four fingers.
Master class by Kyle Wohlmut. Kyle explains the techniques he uses in his playing on the Chapman fifth-fourths tuning. An interesting aspect is his thumb technique on the left hand side tuned in fifths, a technique he has learned with Bob Culbertson (California, USA). In this technique, the thumb is used as one of the other fingers, in order to play scales with the spread hand.
Master class by Kuno Wagner: Kuno presents the drummer Can. All the students play standards accompanied by drums.
CD Listening session:
Analysis New CD's : Uwe Hass presents his CD. Grobi Okun presents his CD 'Watreing Edge'. Mehool Patel presents his CD. Daniel Schell presents Virna Splendore 'Guilt' (Stick TM from Italy), Serge Pesce (prepared guitar from France), Markus Reuter new cD's, Colin Atkinson, Katsu (Jazz from Japan performed on the Stick TM tuned in fourths-fourths), Indian Music: his new solo with Sandip Banerjee (tabla); Chamber music 'Gira Girasole' etc...His new piece 'The Travelling Musician' for Brass in the Five (Budapest, Hungary).

Evening Concerts

Sunday evening. Teachers Concert in the large hall of the Academy.
- Ray Ashley plays M'Bira originals from Zimbabwe. 'Nyamaropa', 'Nyonga nyonga' and 'Taireva'
- André Pélat plays with Steve Houben (flute) and Antoine Cirri (Drums)
- Daniel Schell plays with Antonio Segura (flamenco guitar) and Carlo Strazzante (daf, Iranian percussion)
- Wolfgang Daiss plays with Guy Raife (guitar) and Antoine Cirri (drums)
- Olivier Verschueren plays with Naima Joris (soprano sax), Chris Joris (percussion).
Tuesday evening (Tap-guitar class)
Fabian Beghin (Bansuri), Daniel Schell (tiptar), Carlo Strazzante (tabla). Indian music
Thursday Evening (Tap-guitar class) Students concert.
Sylvain Dollet, Olivier Verschueren, Ola Rinta-Koski, Paolo Vallebona (plays Splendore), and a musical theatre performance by Grobi imitating Reuter and Schell.
Friday Evening. Students concert in the Large hall of the Academy.
- African Percussions students accompanied by Kuno Wagner (8-str tiptar)
- MBira music aranged by Ray Ashley played by Ola Rinta-Koski, Mehool Patel, Myron Edwards.
- Variations on the originals of Bartok an Baies-Sources 3. ( These are two originals Hungarian folk-tunes which Bartok used for his own works, and which Daniel used for his own variations Baies-sources) by Yannick Lepetit, Geza Sasvari, Lionel Cretegny, Dave Bowman, Steve Withman, Uwe Haass, Olivier Verschueren, Paolo Vallebona and Sylvain Dollet (tiptars). Christine X (vocals). Aurelie X (violin). Mixing by Grobi Okun.
This closes the list of events of E-Tap 2001. Report written by Daniel Schell

Participant Ray Ashley's report of E-Tap 2001
Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2001 07:08:00 -0400
From: Ray Ashley <rayash@superlink.net>
Subject: Europe Seminar 2001
Hi all tappers,
I am back from E-tap 2001, and it was great! Congratulations to Daniel Schell for organizing another winning pan-euro event where all tappers of every race, creed, and instrument can play and learn in peace and
harmony! here is my summary:
This year I arrived in brussels Friday night, via Utrecht, Den Haag (both in Holland), and Ostend (in Flanders).
The tap night this year was a little different from past years. It was at a real Jazz club in the center of town, called Marcus Mingus. It was in the basement of a very nice hotel, and we had an audience of locals, tourists, as well as tappers from all over Europe who came to see the new talent for 2001. In past years this event was at a club on the outskirts of town, so this palce was more of a hassle parking and getting all the gear loaded in, but it was worth it, as the crowd that turned up was good.
At the concert, we were treated to a number of acts. Wolfgang Daiss played his unique brand of outstanding jazz. Andre pelat, who may well be the greatest Stick(r)* player in the world, wowed us with his note
perfect classical transcriptions, as well as his originals. Rob Rieter from Tilburg sang and played, and there were several small bands, including my own duets with folk harp player Kyle Wohlmut, best known for his band the Lazarus Harps.
After the show, we all trekked back to Daniel's house in Lennik, and then the next day to Neufchateau, in the remote Provence de Luxembourg, Belgium (not to be confused with the country of the same name).
The week long seminar "e-tap" (or in French: Stage de Tape Guitare) is part of a larger event, the International Wallonia Summer Academy. This was the traditional music week, and there were many classes being held
that week in percussion, European folk music, dance, etc. I have never seen so many hurdy gurdys being played at one time.
In class, Daniel Schell taught reading exercises, and some lessons that got to the heart of Indian music. We got a deep understanding of its melodic and rhythmic structure. Kuno Wagner got us involved in ensemble play, using mostly jazz standards but breaking them up into parts so that the class could play them as a group. We had a drummer for two days who worked with us in Kuno's class. Wolfgang Daiss was more analytical. In his classes, one student would play a piece from his repertory, then the class would analize it a bit and look for ways to improve technique.
In the special master classes, Andre Pelat showed us some fo the secrets to his phenomenal technique. Traktor Topaz showed off the new Megatar, and gave insight into the secrets of micro-accurate intonation. He also
talked about the principles behind his new book "Easy Touchstyle Basics vol. 1", which is a good book for raw beginners who want to take their first steps in the world of tapping. I was delighted to give my masterclasses, which included a Shona music ensemble piece. A small group that I led presented this piece in the final concert Friday night in the theater.
Sunday night we had our own concert in the theater, which was the best tap night thing I have ever heard. Wolfgang and Andre did what they do best, but there was also new ensemble action like Olivier and the
African percussionists, with a sax player, and Daniel really rocked out with his band! Andre brought down the house with his flute/drum/tapping trio playing the Piazzola composition "Libertango". He also played a
nice solo rendition of the first movement of Mozart's Symphony no. 40.
From the 18 students, the variety of instruments was wide this year. I had my ADG 8, there were about 10 Stick brand instruments, and there were a number of home made, miscellaneous, and Krempel (Warr style) guitars. Steve from Vermont had a gorgeous home made guitar. There were three Megatars there, I think the best sounding was Traktor's True Tapper gold, with the gold humbucker pickups. They all sounded different from each other and had their own personality.
The night life in Neufchateau was very nice. There is a student pub at the Academy, and every night there is singing, and dancing until about 3 am, inspired by the bottomless supply of Belgian beer.
There were also cafes and other attractions in and out of town. Because the weather was sunny and pleasant the whole week, there were daily trips to Daniel's summer cottage for swimming and relaxation. Sylvain, Kuno and I had a little running club, getting up early 3 times during the week to go on 8-10 kilometer runs. The scenic and hilly Ardennes are a great place to go for a relaxing jog, if you want to really see the heart of Europe up close!
All in all it was a great time, I learned a lot, I have a lot of exercses to keep me busy until next year, and I can't wait until then.
Ray
*"Stick" is a registered trademark of STICK ENTERPRISES INCORPORATED, with whom I have absolutely no affiliation.

Trade marks
ADG is a trade mark of Austin Douglas Guitars USA. Belgrado is a tm of Belgrado Belgium. Megatar is a Trade Mark of Megatar USA. Stick is a trade mark of Stick Enterprises USA.

Last Modified : July 16, 2001