Q: What is Touchguitar? | A: Touch Guitar is an instrument that produces sound by touching or tapping the string to a guitar fret board with an electric pickup. The standard guitar creates sounds pressing the strings down with one hand and strumming/picking/plucking the strings with the other hand. Touch Guitar allows both hands to produce sound independent of each other. The result is a harp-like/acoustic sound with a piano-like approach to harmony, chords and melody. The advantage over the piano is that both hands can play high or low on the fretboard without physically interfering with each other. |
Q: Who makes a Touchguitar? | A: I have a Chapman Grand Stick with 12 strings, An ADG 10 string, A Warr Guitar 12 string with piezo and midi pickups. I also have a 7 string Ibanez and Steinberger modified for Touch Guitar and a NS Stick 8 string bass tuned in ascending fourths. |
Q: How much does a Touchguitar cost? | A: The ADG costs 1375-1575 depending on the options. It is currently available in 8 and 10 strings. The Warr Guitar costs from 2700-4000 depending on the options. It is available in 8, 10, 12 and 14 strings. The Stick costs from 1600-2700 available in 8 string, 10 and 12 strings. |
Q: How Do I learn how to play the Touchguitar? | A: If you want to learn the Stick 4ths and inverted 5ths tuning there are a few books available at www.stick.com by Greg Howard, Emmett Chapman and Bob Culbertson. For the tuning I use there is currently no method book I know of. I’m working on that. I learned to play it with my knowledge of the guitar and music theory. After a while the fourths tuning is pleasingly repetitive and you can easily see the musical patterns. I’ll announce my method book on my website: www.touchguitarist.com. Watch for it. |
Q: Is a Touchguitar tuned like a normal Guitar? | A: My touchguitars are tuned in ascending fourths with the low strings on the top side and high strings ascending as you move down the fretboard. I also tune in Ascending 5th on the Rhy and Ascending 4ths on the Lead side. The Stick tuning has the ascending fourths and inverted fifths, there are several others that you can research on: www.tunings.com, warrguitars.com, Stick.com. ] |
