R L Commonsense String Numbering Order for tapping fretboard string instruments         The goal of the Cipher System  is to communicate musical information in clear, direct, and efficient terms. That means, eliminating as many sources of music speak (cross-calculation and double-talk) as possible. To that end, the following departure from standard procedure will be adopted on this web site: The standard numbering order of the Stick’s strings will be changed somewhat. Overall this amounts to reversing the string numbering order of all 8 strings on an 8 string stick, and the melody strings (only) on a 10 or 12 string Stick. Using a 10 string Stick as example; the lowest pitched melody string (F#/Gb) becomes string 1, and the highest pitched melody string (D) becomes string 5 (see Figure 1). The bass string numbering order remains unchanged. The bass strings already are in “correct” numbering order for that logical tuning half (lowest pitched string gets the lowest number = 6) and the hand that usually covers them. This is simply the way I choose to do things and it retains consistency within my method across all instruments. In any event, All references to string number in this book are expressed accordingly.   Figure 1     Most of you will welcome this change on Stick, just as much as on any other instrument we’ve applied the change to. I for one, have always found standard conventional string numbering order confusing, as all other terminology in music had been. Furthermore, there is little good reason or logic to standard string numbering orders (on any instrument), and it’s not even consistent with other examples of standard procedure. The most important example of that conceptual inconsistency is this: when numbering the tones of intervals, scales, or chords, the lowest pitched tone is always numbered “one”. Tradition alone is not good reason enough to justify and perpetuate standard string numbering orders (on any instrument). It is broken (generally), so lets fix it. We’ll use common sense string numbering order here, rather than conventional string numbering order. Given the way I feel about using numbers that communicate well, I simply couldn’t bring myself to write this book using confusing string-numbering notation (on this or any instrument). You will, of course, still have to cross-calculate the instructions you find in any other book or web site — like you always have done.   By the way, this goes for all string instruments: guitar, bass, ukulele, and  instruments tuned to fifths as well, e.g. violin and mandolin.       Index of The Cipher for Stick: 3 Minute Introduction for Stick Commonsense String Numbers for Stick Number formula translation tables: intervals, scales, and chords 5° and 7° Degree Calculation Line for Stick Cipher Demonstrations for Stick Pattern of Unisons and Octaves for Stick Notes of tapping fretboards spelled (and PDF) Blank tapping fretboard grid paper in PDF: 8, 10, 12     Up to Top of page