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slackkeymike
Lokahi
440 Posts |
 Posted - 01/24/2006 : 4:46:52 PM
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Ever seen one of these?
http://www.harpguitar.com/
I'm sure some of you have heard of him (Stephen Bennet, and no, its not slack key)...but wow, what a sound!..Go to the samples page and play the harp mp3.
Mike
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Aloha, Mike |
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hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
Posted - 01/24/2006 : 5:02:32 PM
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We've talked about harp instruments before but no one here admits to playing one. I have a friend here in Idaho who plays open tunings on one. The harp guitar craze goes back 100 years or so, and various luthiers are still making them, but they are a hybrid and an anomaly in the guitar world.
Jesse Tinsley |
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slackkeymike
Lokahi
440 Posts |
Posted - 01/24/2006 : 6:10:47 PM
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Did you listen to that harp mp3? I admit, there is something almost sureal about those things...I wish I could put my finger on it (no pun intended, really)
Mike |
Aloha, Mike |
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Reid
Ha`aha`a
Andorra
1526 Posts |
Posted - 01/25/2006 : 03:58:31 AM
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Sarah and I have heard (and seen) Stephen Bennet twice in performance with Tommy Emmanuel. He is a fantastic guitarist, not least of all with his harp guitar. Muriel Anderson also plays one in concert and recording. Watching him, it is obvious that you have to be very skilled, and understand your music very deeply, in order to play one well with good results. Bennet used the harp strings as sort of occasional "accents" or expansions of the music he was playing on the standard neck. Of course, the tuning of the harp strings counts for a lot, since they are not fretted. In addition, not every piece is suitable for the extra open (low) notes - nobody plays even the majority of their pieces with one.
Having a harp guitar built (or buying one) is a very dicey proposition; I know two people who had one built for them and they were both defective in design and execution. They can also be very expensive, even if successfully done.
...Reid |
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Sellars
Aloha
Netherlands
30 Posts |
Posted - 01/25/2006 : 10:38:16 PM
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| how funny, I was just planning on starting a thread on Harp guitars. It must be really cool to play slack key and having all these bass strings to choose from! |
I've always been crazy but that's kept me from going insane (W.J.)
Playing: Ukulele, Slack key guitar, Mandolin |
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hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
Posted - 01/26/2006 : 05:50:05 AM
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I agree, Sellars, that the bass strings offer more options for bass notes. But the bass strings are far enough away that you have to pull your picking hand out of positions to pluck them, so it's a real challenge to play smoothly. George Winston plays a 7-string which is a standard six-string with a 7th bass string at the top, but off the fretboard. That allows him to play in Taropatch with a low C for the IV chord.
Jesse Tinsley |
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daynwarren
Aloha
USA
6 Posts |
Posted - 01/26/2006 : 09:50:36 AM
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| Hapakid, I have seen pics of George Winston's 7 String and have always wondered what brand of guitar it was and if it was custom built or did he modify it for the 7th string. I know that Ibanez and Dean have both made 7 string acoustics that could accomplish the same thing. |
I love Hawaiian music and Treehouses! |
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hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
Posted - 01/26/2006 : 11:13:55 AM
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I have played a 7-string acoustic guitar (7th string on the fretboard) and a 5-string bass. Adding strings just screws me up!
Jesse Tinsley |
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Karl Monetti
`Olu`olu
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - 01/26/2006 : 12:48:12 PM
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| I have an old video of a performance by Michael Hedges at Wolftrap where he begins his set with a harp guitar. I will watch it again and see how he worked the bass strings. |
Karl
Frozen North |
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OHIO-HAOLE
Akahai
USA
86 Posts |
Posted - 02/10/2006 : 12:40:52 AM
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 Hi all...posted a note a little while back myself wonderin if anybody tried slack key on a harp guitar...picked up a nice CD called
"Beyond six strings"....great stuff...check it out at harpguitars.net
also check out tenstringguitar.com ALOHA...Ken. |
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