Reports of E-Tap 2006

The tap-guitar Night , Jazz-Station, Brussels,  July, 2006.

A report of the European Tap Guitar Seminar

Students and teachers at E-tap 2006


Daniel Schell & Jim Wright preparing the seminar

Katarzyna Lipinska, Delphine Domine

Jim Wright - Jerome Bodart plays Frank Zappa

Ray Ashley and his new tuning in third-third

OliVer - Emmanuel Suys - Angélique Charbonnel, Trio for Tap-gt, cello & clarinet from D.Schell

Kuno Wagner - Stéphane Lemaire

Jim gives a masterclass

Adam Fulara

Mathias Sorof Explain de compositions of his master


The instruments

The E-Tap team 2006

The tapping girls

The pedagogy at E-Tap 06

A report by Ray Ashley:

Hey All, back from Belgium, best seminar ever! I should point out, that I was a full participant in e-tap 2006, and I did not once play a guitar. I attended with a chromatic "bayan" accordion, which for those of you (Americans) who have never seen one, has two equal grids on each side with an array of chromatic notes. this is not unlike a tap guitar at all. Maybe it is even closer to some of these devices that have an array of buttons on a fretboard (Z-tar??). It is a testament to the openness of the e-tap seminar that I was permitted, even encouraged, to attend in this fashion, and honestly I don't think I heard a single accoridon joke all week. This is especially significant in an age when seminars of this nature still occur, which require you to have a certain brand of instrument. The success that I enjoyed this week also shows how the focus in Daniel Schell's seminar is on the music, musicianship, and music exercises written on regular treble and bass clefs, without any secret codes or trademarked cheat- sheet systems. I played through exercises and music pieces from Daniel's "My Space My Time" books and it was a great workout for music reading, left hand-right hand coordination, and ensemble play. I should also add that the sounds of tap guitar and accordion compliment each other perfectly, due to the almost opposite mechanisms of tone production. At the same time, the hand coordination and fingering techniques are very similar. until next year.. Ray

A report by Carlos Davila:

There are many things to say about the e-tap seminar (my first seminar by the way) but I would like to point out something that draw my attention since day one: How inclusive and open it is. It doesn't matter if it is a Warr guitar, Stick, Megatar, two-neck guitar or regular six string electric guitar there is space for all (ask Ray). A variety only comparable with the nationalities of the atendees and the beers of course =) You go all the way from working with your technique, hand independence, visualization and first sight reading to something I consider to be very important as a newbie and that some times is overlooked. Try understand better your instrument and get a closer look to it. Really ask basic things as: Why am I playing this instrument in the first place? Why this amount of strings? Why this tuning? Even better you get to know other intruments, tunigs and string dispositions. Besides, being immerse in all this eclectic enviroment at Neufchateau full of different artistic expressions is really an experience to remember. Lots of fun too!!! You get to see very interesting ensembles every day. Defnitively extended my horizons and got enough material to practice and get ready for next year. See you there on 2007! Carlos

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.

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