33:
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1627:
59:. This style of guitar playing involves altering the standard tuning on a guitar from E-A-D-G-B-E, which has been used for centuries, so that strumming across the open strings will then sound a harmonious chord, typically an open major. This requires altering (usually loosening) or "slacking" certain strings, which is the origin of the term "slack key". The style typically features an
98:—"Spaniards") provided guitars, taught the Hawaiians the rudiments of playing, allowing the Hawaiians to develop the style on their own. Musicologists and historians suggest that the story is more complicated, but this is the version that is most often offered by Hawaiian musicians. Slack-key guitar adapted to accompany the rhythms of Hawaiian dancing and the harmonic structures of
328:
Nearly all slack key requires retuning the guitar strings from the standard EADGBE, and this usually means lowering or "slacking" three or more strings. The result is most often a major chord, although it can also be a major seventh chord, a sixth, or (rarely) a minor. There are examples of slack key
270:
has identified fifty slack-key tunings. Some are only commonly used for a single song, or by particular players. Mike McClellan and George
Winston have developed similar schemes that organize the tunings by key and type. The chart below follows their categories and naming conventions. The tunings
333:
patch," makes a G major chord. Starting from the standard EADGBE, the high and low E strings are lowered or "slacked" to D and the fifth string from A down to G, so the notes become DGDGBD. As the chart below shows, there are also major-chord tunings based on C, F, and D.
67:
is played by the fingers on the three or four highest strings. There are as many as fifty tunings that have been used in this style of playing, and tunings were once guarded fiercely and passed down as family secrets. In the early 20th century, the
353:
BD. Wahine tunings have their own characteristic vamps (as in, for example, Raymond Kāne's "Punahele" or Gabby
Pahinui's 1946 "Hula Medley") and require fretting one or two strings to form a major chord. A third significant group is
143:
The music did not develop a mainland audience during the
Hawaiian music craze of the early 20th century, during which Hawaiian music came to be identified outside the Islands with the
159:
of the 1970s, slack key experienced a surge in popularity and came to be seen as one of the most genuine expressions of
Hawaiian spirit, principally thanks to Gabby Pahinui,
76:
gained wide popularity in
America, but the slack-key style remained a folk tradition of family entertainment for Hawaiians until about the 1960s and 1970s during the second
112:
in the late 19th century combined rhythms from traditional dance meters with imported
European forms (for example, military marches), and drew its melodies from chant (
108:
described the music as "liquid, rippling, and hypnotic". The style of
Hawaiian music that was promoted as a matter of national pride under the reign of King David
226:
313:(a repeated figure, usually at the end of a verse) is descended from the hula tradition, and other harmonic and structural features are descended from
247:(who included slack key pieces on two of his albums), Yuki Yamauchi (a student of Raymond Kāne's and an advocate of Hawaiian music in Japan), pianist
243:
and "Treasures of
Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar – Live in Concert from Maui." Players from outside Hawaiʻi have also taken up the tradition, for example,
910:
1671:
1661:
329:
played in standard tuning, but the overwhelming majority of recorded examples use altered tunings. The most common slack-key tuning, called "
128:), and the popular music brought in by the various peoples who came to the Islands: English-speaking North Americans, Mexicans, Portuguese,
235:
820:"Dancing Cat Records Hawaiian Slack Key Information Booklet: Section IVa: Chart of Recorded Tunings (and ones closely related to them)"
1666:
723:
271:
were often passed down in families from generation to generation, and tunings were often guarded as fiercely as any trade secret.
951:
903:
796:
1598:
191:
in
Honolulu specialized in the development and manufacture of guitars custom made to order for slack-key performance.
358:
tunings, in which the highest pair of strings are a fifth apart: Gabby
Pahinui often played in C Mauna Loa, CGEGAE.
194:
Many currently prominent Hawaiʻi-based players got their starts during the Cultural Renaissance years: Cindy Combs,
256:
155:
cut a series of records that brought the tradition into public view. During the 1960s and particularly during the
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305:. Slack key compositions exhibit characteristics from indigenous Hawaiian and imported musical traditions. The
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225:
One indication of slack key's increasing visibility beyond the Islands is that the first four winners of the
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252:
88:
In the oral-history account, the style originated from Mexican cowboys in the early 19th century. These
603:
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151:. Slack key remained private and family entertainment, and it was not even recorded until 1946–47, when
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156:
77:
32:
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538:
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214:. These artists, and slack key in general, have become well known outside Hawaiʻi largely through
1579:
1430:
310:
104:
52:
281:
pattern, usually played by the thumb on the lower two or three strings of the guitar, while the
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pattern, played by the thumb on the lower two or three strings of the guitar, while the
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341:. G wahine, for example, starts with taro patch and lowers the third string from G to F
322:
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99:
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37:
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846:
Tatar, "The Technique" and "The Chant Tradition" sections of "Slack Key Guitar" in
628:
583:
578:
528:
306:
207:
176:
164:
144:
69:
734:
See Jay Junker, Harry B. Soria, and George Winston, Historical Liner Notes for CD
285:
is played on the three or four highest strings, using any number of fingers. Many
1574:
1487:
1424:
1414:
244:
160:
133:
129:
109:
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337:
Another important group of tunings, based on major-seventh chords, is called
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1588:
593:
543:
355:
294:
290:
210:, three Pahinui brothers (Bla, Cyril, and Martin), the Emerson Brothers and
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record label, which has most often showcased the music in solo settings.
17:
1444:
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90:
73:
1404:
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873:
TaroPatch.net: Online Resources & Community for Slack Key players
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137:
64:
56:
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Mika'ele McClellan's page on slack key tunings (via archive.org)
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121:
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1382:
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930:
892:
718:, ed. George S. Kanahele, University Press of Hawaii, 350–360.
872:
748:
See updated and corrected liner notes to the compilation CD
863:
A Brief History of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar (KI HO`ALU)
175:, and the more modern styles of younger players such as
753:, by Harry Soria, Jr., Jay Junker, and George Winston.
714:
For example, Elizabeth Tatar, "Slack Key Guitar", in
289:players incorporate various embellishments such as
241:
Legends of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar—Live from Maui
678:"Ray Kane, Master of Slack-Key Guitar, Dies at 82"
880:Television New Zealand story on a Le Igi teacher.
236:Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar, Volume 1
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8:
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187:. During this period, luthiers such as the
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227:Grammy Award for Best Hawaiian Music Album
55:genre of guitar music that originated in
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255:(perhaps better known as guitarist with
31:
797:"Slack Key Snags Third Hawaiian Grammy"
701:Russell Letson, "Keeping Aloha Alive,"
663:
763:"Slack key wins first Hawaiian Grammy"
51:, which means "loosen the key") is a
7:
27:Hawaiian style of tuning and playing
25:
795:Derek Pavia (February 12, 2007).
1636:
1635:
1625:
736:The History of Slack Key Guitar
676:Fox, Margalit (March 5, 2008).
202:, his brother Moses Kahumoku,
1:
1672:Guitar performance techniques
179:, his brother Kapono Beamer,
157:Hawaiian Cultural Renaissance
36:Hawaiian slack-key guitarist
1662:Hawaiian musical instruments
848:Hawaiian Music and Musicians
716:Hawaiian Music and Musicians
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229:were slack key collections:
884:Igi - Samoan Guitar Picking
781:, by John Burger, Honolulu
750:History of Slack Key Guitar
738:, Cord International, 1995,
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231:Slack Key Guitar, Volume 2
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779:"'Masters' of the Grammy"
1667:Slack-key guitar tunings
765:, by Tim Ryan, Honolulu
189:Guitar and Lute Workshop
878:Tagata Pasifika: Le Igi
263:Techniques and tunings
94:(a Hawaiianization of
41:
769:, February 14, 2005,
35:
1011:(often most popular)
559:George Kahumoku, Jr.
200:George Kahumoku, Jr.
78:Hawaiian renaissance
801:Honolulu Advertiser
539:Sonny Chillingworth
321:encouraged by King
257:"Weird Al" Yankovic
220:Dancing Cat Records
169:Sonny Chillingworth
124:, Christian hymns (
807:on August 7, 2009.
785:, February 9, 2006
682:The New York Times
105:The New York Times
42:
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1599:Other instruments
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279:alternating-bass
185:Haunani Apoliona
61:alternating-bass
45:Slack-key guitar
40:in Waikiki, 2012
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639:Patrick Simmons
634:Jim "Kimo" West
609:Alice Namakelua
589:Patrick Landeza
564:Dennis Kamakahi
554:Ledward Kaapana
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522:Notable players
512:Double Slack F
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253:Jim "Kimo" West
251:, and Canadian
204:Dennis Kamakahi
196:Ledward Kaapana
140:, and Samoans.
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47:(from Hawaiian
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323:David Kalakaua
301:, slides, and
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277:often uses an
268:George Winston
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249:George Winston
216:George Winston
100:Hawaiian music
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317:and from the
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38:Cyril Pahinui
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1585:Steel guitar
1542:Minor thirds
1520:Major thirds
1451:New standard
1421:Major thirds
1411:Minor thirds
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830:. Retrieved
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800:
790:
782:
774:
766:
758:
749:
743:
735:
730:
715:
710:
702:
697:
685:. Retrieved
681:
629:Fred Punahoa
584:Leonard Kwan
579:Ozzie Kotani
569:Raymond Kāne
529:Keola Beamer
515:C F C E A C
507:C F C F A C
499:C F C G C E
491:C G C E G C
481:C G C G A D
473:C G C G A E
465:C G D G B D
460:
459:C Wahine or
454:C G E G A E
446:C G E G C E
439:
383:D G D G B D
378:
338:
336:
327:
318:
314:
286:
274:
273:
266:
240:
234:
230:
224:
208:Ozzie Kotani
193:
177:Keola Beamer
173:Raymond Kāne
165:Leonard Kwan
145:steel guitar
142:
125:
117:
113:
103:
95:
89:
87:
70:steel guitar
48:
44:
43:
29:
1580:Bass guitar
1431:All fourths
1325:-A-D-F♯-A-D
461:Leonard's C
437:C Major or
377:G Major or
372:Notes used
245:Chet Atkins
161:Atta Isaacs
53:fingerstyle
1656:Categories
1481:Repetitive
1457:All fifths
1317:-G-C-G-C-E
1269:-G-D-G-B-D
1262:-F-C-F-A-C
1231:-C-G-C-E-G
1182:-B-D-G-B-D
1175:-A-C-F-A-C
1132:-E-G-C-E-G
1000:Repetitive
658:References
604:Peter Moon
574:John Keawe
451:Mauna Loa
379:Taro Patch
311:turnaround
181:Peter Moon
1389:semitones
1284:-C♯-E-A-E
1005:Overtones
952:Nashville
594:Sonny Lim
544:Daniel Ho
496:F Wahine
402:D Wahine
388:G Wahine
356:Mauna Loa
319:hula kuʻi
295:hammer-on
291:harmonics
287:kī hōʻalu
275:Kī hōʻalu
239:in 2006,
233:in 2005,
138:Tahitians
130:Filipinos
96:españoles
49:kī hōʻalu
18:Slack key
1641:Category
1357:-D-G-B-D
1348:-C-F-A-F
1336:♯
1307:♯
1301:♯
1295:♯
1253:♯
1250:-E-B-E-G
1241:♯
1238:-D-A-D-F
1222:♯
1216:♯
1210:♯
1198:♯
1195:-A-E-A-C
1166:♯
1160:♯
1148:♯
1142:♯
1123:♯
1117:♯
1111:♯
1105:♯
1093:♯
1087:♯
942:Standard
646:See also
429:♯
414:♯
408:♯
394:♯
350:♯
344:♯
339:"wahine"
299:pull-off
147:and the
110:Kalākaua
72:and the
1677:Guitars
1500:Trivial
1488:pitches
1385:Regular
932:General
832:May 13,
687:May 14,
504:Open F
426:D A D F
405:D A D F
391:D G D F
369:Tuning
303:damping
149:ukulele
91:paniolo
84:History
74:ukulele
1453:(7, 3)
1401:Unison
1333:-B-E-G
1163:-B-E-G
1145:-A-D-F
1090:-E-A-C
996:Tuning
947:DADGAD
722:
599:Makana
487:Open C
440:Atta's
422:Open D
315:hīmeni
297:, the
283:melody
183:, and
126:hīmeni
65:melody
57:Hawaii
1068:Open
1060:Open
1052:Open
1044:Open
1036:Open
1028:Open
1020:Open
1009:Other
975:Slide
823:(PDF)
1631:List
1575:Terz
1485:open
1339:-B-E
1304:-B-D
1298:-B-F
1213:-B-D
1207:-B-F
1114:-B-D
977:and
971:Open
834:2020
720:ISBN
689:2020
470:C 6
432:A D
397:B D
331:taro
307:vamp
122:hula
116:and
114:mele
1538:(3)
1532:(3)
411:A C
309:or
259:).
218:'s
120:),
118:oli
80:.
1658::
1593:E9
1591:,
1589:C6
1353:D-
1344:C-
1292:-F
1280:E-
1256:-B
1244:-A
1219:-F
1201:-E
1169:-B
1157:-G
1151:-A
1139:-F
1120:-F
1108:-F
1102:-D
1096:-E
1084:-C
825:.
799:.
680:.
666:^
443:C
325:.
206:,
198:,
171:,
167:,
163:,
136:,
132:,
102:.
1595:)
1587:(
1548:)
1546:4
1544:(
1526:)
1524:3
1522:(
1516:)
1514:2
1512:(
1506:)
1504:1
1502:(
1490:)
1483:(
1463:)
1461:7
1459:(
1447:)
1445:6
1443:(
1437:)
1435:5
1433:(
1427:)
1425:4
1423:(
1417:)
1415:3
1413:(
1407:)
1405:0
1403:(
1391:)
1387:(
1355:G
1346:F
1331:E
1323:D
1315:C
1290:B
1282:A
1267:G
1260:F
1248:E
1236:D
1229:C
1205:B
1193:A
1180:G
1173:F
1155:E
1137:D
1130:C
1100:B
1082:A
1070:G
1062:F
1054:E
1046:D
1038:C
1030:B
1022:A
981:)
973:(
912:e
905:t
898:v
836:.
691:.
20:)
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