Kelstone, a musical matrix.

1.Presenting the Kelstone-expression:

The Kelstone is a new revolutionary 9-stringed instrument.
The essence of this innovation is that the hands lie on top of the strings and not around a neck like on all other stringed instruments.
This gives enormous new potential for harmony, expression and new techniques.
One can use his right and left hand like a guitarplayer does and use any guitar-technique.
Because the hands lie on top of the strings and one does not have to stabilize the instrument one can do this in the most new, extreme and subtle ways:

hammer-on

pull-off

strum and tap

slide and bend

fingerpick and botlleneck

slap and scratch

play percussion

One can also use both hands independently like a pianoplayer.
One has an optimal visibility of the hands, the notes, the audience, the band and the microphone if one is a singer.
Because the fingerboard lies in front of you at the perfect angle, the area on the finger and on the Kelstone is optimal, making it easy to have a clean and expressive sound.
If one hammers on a string it is in harmony with gravity and the muscles can relax.
One has a constant control over the length of the note by rubbing the string over the fret like a violinist does with the bow. A natural feedback.
The Kelstone has a dynamic muting-system that allows one to use both hands on the neck and mute them at the same time.

2.Presenting the Kelstone-harmony

The Kelstone has a range of 5 octaves and three whole notes, lower than a normal bassguitar and higher than most guitars (from Bb to E).
Tuned all the way up in fourths. Notes on the top: B-E-A-D-G-C-F-Bb-Eb, very recognisable and useful for guitar- and bassplayers.
One hand can overlap 4 octaves.
Because of the nine strings and the tuning in fourths the study of chords and scale is very easy and logical.
Chords can be transposed alongside and transversal on the neck.
If one knows one octave of a scale, this form is the same everywhere, regardless of the note or place on the neck.
If one knows the fingering of a for instance a major chords, this form is the same everywhere, regardless of the note or place on the neck.
One can play the basspart in a band but one doesnâ€™t have to.
The Kelstone can be played by:
Because of the great range one can arrange all the parts in a song on the Kelstone, one laptop and one Kelstone is all you need.

3.Presenting the Kelstone-other:
The Kelstone can be fixed on any kind of keyboardstand and because the instrument is fixed, the player is very free in all his bodymovements and can be very expressive. The player does not need to stabilize the instrument while playing.
The combination of two Kelstones (a double Kelstone) allows one to explore the two-hand hammering technique at the fullest with under each hand more than 5 octaves.