| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
Konabob
`Olu`olu
USA
928 Posts |
 Posted - 07/02/2005 : 07:50:46 AM
|
Aloha Ki Ho 'Alu players. I was going to post this on the Steel Guitar part of the Board, but it would have been 'preaching to the choir'. I apologize for posting here, but I have a new mission in life:
While on Maui last week, I went into Bounty Music where I saw hundreds of ukulele and hundreds of guitars. I asked; "do you have any Hawaiian steel guitars?" and received the answer; "Nobody plays Hawaiian steel guitar any more".
As a steel guitar player on the Big Island, I can say that there is a certain truth to this. Here in the State of Hawaii, there are so few Hawaiian steel guitarists, I can name all of the ones I have ever heard about and not run out of fingers! Of these steel guitarists, I have only found 3 who play in the original steel guitar tuning... Taro Patch G.
How can this be? Well, there is no doubt that the instrument went through a boom in the 20's and 30's. Maybe one generation got tired of it, and then next generation did not feel inclined to keep the tradition going. When all the fancy tunings came along C6th, B11th, B13th, etc... and the jazzy Waikiki sound started developing, it left a lot of the simplicity of Taro Patch steel behind.
With so few players, there are even fewer teachers. No wonder it is a dying art!
So, in an attempt to get more Taro Patch players interested in playing Hawaiian steel, let me present:
--------------> Konabob's Quick Conversion to Taro Patch Steel <---------
If you would like to try your hand at Hawaiian steel without a lot of huhu.
Here is a simple way to try steel guitar without 'commitment'.
1) Go to your nearest hardware store and purchase a 2 3/4 inch cotter pin. Look for one that is nice and smooth, stainless steel is nice if you can find it. They cost less than 75 cents. Slide this under your guitars strings, and work it down the neck until it rests behind the second fret. It will slightly raise the strings so you can play steel guitar. Your guitar is now in Taro Patch A. No fuss, and you can easily switch between regular Taro Patch ki ho 'alu and steel guitar.
2) Look around the house for something that you can press into service. A heavy socket wrench, a shot glass, a CO2 cartridge, a lighter... anything with straight sides which you can comfortably hold in your left hand and slide up and down the strings. If you want to get serious, go to a music store and buy a steel bar. Not the hollow kind. If you want to get into "which kind is best", go check the Steel Guitar part of Taropatch.net. We talk about such things.
3) Lay your guitar on your lap, and try picking a ki ho'alu rhythm with the bar completely off the guitar. Next put the bar down on the 5th fret up from the cotter pin. Then put the bar down on the 7th fret and do it again. On a steel guitar, you place the bar right over the fret, not behind it. If you give the bar a little wiggle as you play, it should produce a sweet vibrato.
You are now ready to play the original Hawaiian steel guitar as played by Joseph Kekuku in 1898.
Please do give it a try. It is a sweet instrument, and it is NOT hard to learn.
Mark, Gary A, myself, and others would be happy to answer questions if you
decide that you want to learn more about it. Just ask on the steel guitar part of Taropatch. We are waiting to hear from you!
-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 |
|
|
jmk
Lokahi
USA
115 Posts |
Posted - 07/02/2005 : 2:52:33 PM
|
KonaBob was kind enough to share cotter pins plus his excellent knowledge of playing Hawaiian music at Camp and also here in Keauhou. It works very well and it's a lot of fun. I highly recommend it. A good side benefit: this technique gives the fretting hand a rest.
Mahalo Bob--all of us in your class appreciate your kokua!
Jeri |
Nahenahe |
 |
|
|
MahinaM
Lokahi
USA
389 Posts |
Posted - 07/03/2005 : 03:02:16 AM
|
Mahalo KonaBob for teaching us your great method of converting an acoustic guitar to a Hawaiian steel! It was a lot of fun to learn how to play and has added yet another dimension to playing Hawaiian music. Between that and the Walking Stick Bass, I will be busy plinking around!
-Maggie |
|
|
|
Konabob
`Olu`olu
USA
928 Posts |
|
|
Gary A
Lokahi
USA
169 Posts |
Posted - 07/03/2005 : 5:49:47 PM
|
That ad is hilarious!
I have two other tips for people trying out steel guitar:
- When you're holding the bar against the strings and playing, lightly lay the ring finger and little finger of your left hand against the strings to mute then. You don't want the sectiton of the string between the nut and the slide to vibrate. You only only the section of the string between the slide and the bridge to vibrate.
- If you learned slack key from Ozzie's book, then try playing "Kani Ki Ho'alu". The song as tabbed out in his book is playable on lap steel tuned to Taropatch. It's fun and it's definitely a good practice tune.
|
Gary |
Edited by - Gary A on 07/03/2005 5:50:33 PM |
|
|
|
mikala
Aloha
USA
5 Posts |
Posted - 07/09/2005 : 6:06:26 PM
|
Mahalo Konabob,
You have given new life to a Regal Tricone I have had sitting around gathering dust.Being as it doesn't lend itself to Slack Key and I am definetly not the next Robert Johnson I have stayed away from this guitar.Well no more!
I am a beginer at Slack Key (half way thru Ozzie's book)so any recommendations for tab for the Hawaiian Steel?I need something simple,not Bob Brozman stuff.I asked you a few months ago if you had tabs for the two tunes you have on "heard in the taropatch" any thoughts on that?
Once again Mahalo and I recommend this to anyone maybe just for a little fun or as a great introduction to the family of acoustic steel
Pickin' an Grinnin' in Kea'au,
Michael |
|
|
|
Konabob
`Olu`olu
USA
928 Posts |
Posted - 07/09/2005 : 8:33:11 PM
|
Hi Michael,
Excellent use for a Regal Tricone! I never learned tabs - I am from the 'play it by ear' school, but if you can play something on your slack key guitar, you might be able to duplicate most of it on the steel. If you find places in the tab where you can't play 2 notes using the straight bar, just ignore one of the notes and play a single one - then move on and no one will notice!
Sorry that I don't have tabs for any of my stuff. Gary A might be a good resource for tabs now that I think about it.
If you ever get over to Kona side for a Costco run, let me know. Maybe we can get together for a quick lesson and a sandwich or something.
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 |
|
|
|
mikala
Aloha
USA
5 Posts |
Posted - 07/10/2005 : 06:19:28 AM
|
Count on it.I paddle outrigger so maybe next regatta I'll bring my steel.The guy I bought it from put National cones in it so I am pretty happy with the sound.Now I just need to get use to having these picks on my fingers...........
Mahalo Nui,
Michael |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
Topic Locked
