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Gary A
Lokahi
USA
169 Posts |
 Posted - 10/09/2004 : 1:57:29 PM
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Here's something I think is pretty cool, but it's only of interest to that tiny, tiny minority of people who play slack key and dabble in steel guitar .
There's almost no solo repertoire for acoustic Hawaiian steel guitar. The steel guitar doesn't lend itself to playing a melody and harmonic accompaniment simultaneously (I know there are some exceptions such as Kelly Joe Phelps). The Hawaiian steel guitar instructional material from Bob Brozman and Stacy Phillips emphasize playing solo lines and requires accompaniment.
That's unfortunate because sometimes you want to play by yourself unaccompanied, or someone who has never seen a steel guitar asks you to play something.
To my delight, I discovered that some of the pieces from Ozzie Kotani's beginning slack key book are suitable for solo steel guitar in Taropatch tuning. "Kani Ki Ho'alu" and "Manuela Boy" can be played on steel guitar as written. "Maunaloa" is playable with a few minor changes - you have to be creative when the song goes to the C chord and the ending isn't very playable. Led Kaapana's "Slack Key Lullabye" also kind of works on steel guitar if you just play the melody on the first string with the alternating bass accompaniment.
I find that it is not only fun playing these Hawaiian tunes, but it is an excellent exercise to practice playing in tune.
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Gary |
Edited by - Gary A on 10/09/2004 4:08:02 PM |
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cpatch
Ahonui
USA
2187 Posts |
Posted - 10/09/2004 : 2:18:30 PM
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| Gary, have you heard some of the stuff Konabob has done? He has two tracks on SoundClick and some more on his Web site. I love it. |
Craig
My goal is to be able to play as well as people think I can. |
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Konabob
`Olu`olu
USA
928 Posts |
Posted - 10/09/2004 : 4:20:27 PM
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Hi Craig and Gary - thanks for bringing up my favorite subject again!
I actually play a lot of solo songs on the steel guitar. I sit around working up new songs all the time. Almost all of it in Taropatch (open G) tuning. I would be happy to hear from anyone who wants to give it a try. It really is not that hard. Anyone who can play by ear should give it a try. It requires that you know the melody in your head, because your eyes are always busy watching the neck, and you don't have much time to be reading tabs while you play.
As Gary points out, it is an excellent exercise... Playing the steel will add to your understanding of slack key, and it also trains your ear, because there are no frets. You have to depend on your ear/eye/hand coordination to stay in tune.
Aloha,
-Konabob |
Konabob's Walkingbass - http://www.konawalkingbass.com
Taropatch Steel - http://www.konaweb.com/konabob/
YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=Konabob2+Walkingbass |
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Gary A
Lokahi
USA
169 Posts |
Posted - 10/09/2004 : 4:23:47 PM
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Those are nice tunes by Konabob. "Poi Dog Waltz" is overdubbed, but "Ironwood Moon" sounds like it's solo. Solo steel guitar can sound nice. I wish it wasn't so hard for me to play solo-style  . |
Gary |
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Gary A
Lokahi
USA
169 Posts |
Posted - 10/09/2004 : 4:32:51 PM
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Konabob, it's one of my favorite subjects too. Do you have any recommendations for Hawaiian tunes that work well as solo steel guitar pieces? I've noticed that the stuff that works best are tunes that mostly stay on the G and D chords and whose melody doesn't have too many notes outside of the chord. The stuff from Ozzie's book is fun because if you can play it as a slack key guitar piece then you can play it on steel guitar without much extra effort. However, the arrangements don't really take advantage of the steel guitar.
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Gary |
Edited by - Gary A on 10/09/2004 5:29:15 PM |
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jmk
Lokahi
USA
115 Posts |
Posted - 10/09/2004 : 8:38:51 PM
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Mahalo Gary for starting this thread. After being introduced to steel guitar at George's Camp this year, I have been dabbling with the steel and I love it. I have been wondering what to do about the bass. Thanks for the insight, I'll try those tunes you mentioned.
KonaBob: are you still playing at Keauhou on Friday's? I'd love to stop by and watch your playing.
Aloha,
Jeri |
Nahenahe |
Edited by - jmk on 10/10/2004 12:37:39 AM |
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Konabob
`Olu`olu
USA
928 Posts |
Posted - 10/10/2004 : 1:42:34 PM
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Gary, try doing "Pua Lilia", or "Sinoe". "Aloha Oe" is not very difficult - I usually do "Poi Dog" solo. I just added the second guitar and bass to see what it would sound like. Ironwood Moon is solo - sometimes my wife backs me up on the fiddle and it really sounds nice. A couple other un-Hawaiian songs that I enjoy playing on solo steel are "Surfer Girl", "Somewhere over the Rainbow", and "America the Beautiful". I do all of them in G. For me, one of the hardest things about learning steel has been getting just enough vibrato with the bar when I do slants and back slants. Too little, and the chords sound ugly, too much and they sound syrupy. But somewhere in the middle is that Hawaiian sound that we all love so much. Brozman gave me heck last summer for being afraid of slants and not using them enough, so I have been trying to work on more songs (like the ones above) that force me to use them. They are all slow songs, so it is easy to take your time and get used to slanting the bar.
Hi Jeri,
About the bass - try simplifying - I find that I don't get down on the low string very often. If you're doing a good job keeping the rhythm on the rest of the strings, the song will still sound just fine. There are some great 'effects' that you can get from a steel that have to do with where and how you pick.
Lenard and I have been playing down at the King Kamehameha Hotel on Fridays from 10:00 to 12:00 on Friday mornings. Especially if there are ships in the bay! Next week is the Ironman, so there won't be any ships, and it will be to crazy downtown, so we will skip the week. John Keawe and Hope invited us to play at the Kohal Country Fair yesterday in Hawi. It was a wonderful day with a bright blue sky and nice cool tradewinds. We enjoyed a lot of fine music, including John, and also Chris Yeaton.
Lenard, Don Kauli'a and I will be at the Kona Brew Pub from 5 to 8 on Sunday October 17th. Come by and dance a hula or three for us! |
Konabob's Walkingbass - http://www.konawalkingbass.com
Taropatch Steel - http://www.konaweb.com/konabob/
YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=Konabob2+Walkingbass |
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Gary A
Lokahi
USA
169 Posts |
Posted - 10/10/2004 : 6:11:58 PM
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Konabob, thanks for the suggestions. Your mention of "America the Beautiful" reminds me that "The Star Spangled Banner" is another fun tune to play on solo steel guitar. Play it in C or D. Mostly harmonize the melody in thirds on the first two strings. Occasionally play some sixths on the first and third or second and fourth strings and be sure to add some trills and hula picks. I think it works because "Star Spangled Banner" is one of those old-fashioned tunes that structurally isn't that different than old Hawaiian tunes from the 19th century.
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hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
Posted - 10/20/2004 : 02:50:49 AM
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I've been dabbling on my cheap dobro in taropatch and found some tunes I like.
"Akaka Falls" (a fun challenge: try playing the third line ("kau mai...") all in harmonics so you don't have to go high up the neck)
"Meleana E"
"Lahainaluna"
"Isa Lei"
Hymns like "How Great Thou Art" and "Old Rugged Cross"
It's a lot like slack key, but you have to make choices about whether to let the bass strings go for a few beats, or sacrifice exact melody to keep the bass lines going.
I would be interested to know what steels are being used by Konabob and others. I just ordered an Ernie Ball medium and it's a real chunk, almost too big for my hands.
me ke pumehana,
Jesse Tinsley
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Reid
Ha`aha`a
Andorra
1526 Posts |
Posted - 10/20/2004 : 09:24:01 AM
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Ok, I don't play steel (don't play much of anything until I really heal :-(, but I have done a lot of careful listening and watching (like one of my faves: Greg Sardinha). It is pretty clear that the steel is, most often, a "voice", kinda like a leo ki`e ki`e singer. Now, that, too me is really nice and it really is a solo. It is ok to stretch what you play, but I wouldn't get too hung up with trying to do everything with one instrument; nobody who sings a tenor or soprano solo would think that they had to do a bass accompaniement, too. Except maybe a Tuvan Throat Singer :-). The steel guitar is wonderful, especially as played in the real Hawaiian way (I am not too pleased with the Nashville-kine versions.)
So, I would work on the arrangement of the melody and make that really interesting.
just my 4 cents (fuel inflation is bad right now).
...Reid |
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Konabob
`Olu`olu
USA
928 Posts |
Posted - 10/21/2004 : 12:27:43 AM
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Jessie, I have had good luck with 2 different string sets. Both available at "Just Strings".
I use D'Addario EJ42 if I am only playing in Open G, or I use John Pierce Am steel sets (which are nice because your upper G string is not wound. (plain steel) which means less noise when you slide. The Pierce set also lets you tune up to G6th by raising the middle D string to an E.
(I like Akaka Falls and Isa Lei too.)
Aloha,
-Konabob |
Konabob's Walkingbass - http://www.konawalkingbass.com
Taropatch Steel - http://www.konaweb.com/konabob/
YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=Konabob2+Walkingbass |
Edited by - Konabob on 10/21/2004 02:38:51 AM |
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hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
Posted - 10/21/2004 : 12:33:16 PM
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Hi Konabob,
I've got a High G set of John Pearse strings ready to put on, but they're made for GBDGBD instead of taropatch, so I might try one of those sets you mentioned. All the other tunings people have mentioned are over my head!
I was interested in what kind of bar (steel) people were using because the Ernie Ball I bought doesn't stay locked in my hand very well because it's so big.
Jesse Tinsley |
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Konabob
`Olu`olu
USA
928 Posts |
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Gary A
Lokahi
USA
169 Posts |
Posted - 10/21/2004 : 7:56:31 PM
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For playing Hawaiian-style I use a Brozophonic:
http://www.elderly.com/accessories/items/BOPGS.htm
A rounded nose bar is essential for playing Hawaiian style. It lets you move around from string to string smoothly and quickly.
I also have a Red Rajah bar: http://www.aguitarcenter.com/
The 3/4"x2.98" model is similar in size, shape and weight to a Brozophonic. It's coated with a special material which makes the tip smoother and the sides tackier than a chrome bar. This makes it slide on the strings more smoothly and stay in your hand better. For me I found it only made a slight difference. It's hard to sy if it's worth the extra $10 compared to a Brozophonic.
For bluegrass style I use a Scheerhorn slide: http://www.elderly.com/accessories/items/S10.htm
It's very comfortable, fits nicely in my hand and the sharp edge works well for doing pull-offs (which you do in bluegrass but not in Hawaiian music). For a while I also used an Shubb SP-2 which is a nice compromise between manuverability (because of the slightly rounded nose) and having enough of an edge to do pull offs.
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Gary |
Edited by - Gary A on 10/21/2004 7:59:07 PM |
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Larry Miller
Akahai
USA
65 Posts |
Posted - 01/10/2005 : 6:35:36 PM
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Speaking of tunings, I came up with a high G by using a .10 on the first string and tuning it up ot G, then moving all the other strings over one notch. I found that I rarely hit the low D in open G. I'm also thinking about a G6th tuning as well. Works pretty good!
Whee ha-
Larry M |
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Larry Miller
Akahai
USA
65 Posts |
Posted - 01/11/2005 : 04:04:41 AM
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After reading the thread, I came up with an arrangement of Moani Ke Ala that works as a solo piece, with melody in the treble and the thumb playing slack key style bass licks.
In Taro patch, start on the 5th fret in C- mostly play here and on the 10th and 12th frets.
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Whee ha!
Larry M |
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