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Absolute
Lokahi
275 Posts |
 Posted - 01/07/2007 : 09:36:28 AM
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Does anyone have one or two four or five bar ABSOLUTE beginner slack key arrangements? (I've heard some of the Dancing Cat records pieces, and am intrigued by the rhythms and shifting tonal emphasis.) I'm trying to learn the ukulele, have about ten chords under my belt, and would like to try slack key for ukulele (I've already lowered the A string to G. ;-) ) Does anyone know of a link to a couple of very simple, mini-songs in the slack key style that I can learn individually, and maybe later join together and intersperse with variations for longer songs? (It will take me weeks to learn even a few bars if finger-picking is required at my present level, so please don't think I'm asking for a Hawai'ian Concerto for Ukulele (though I'm sure such a thing would sound great from the right parties).
When I say three or four bars, I'm not understating my needs or abilities.) Probably silly of me to ask, and certainly more than I have any right to request, but I thought that someone might know of a few bars worth of music for the ukulele in the slack key style. Again, short and sweet, just enough that to try it out (and maybe expand through repetition and variation later). (An excerpt from "Jingle Bells" or "Home on the Range" in the slack key style would even be nice, even if they aren't traditional Hawai'ian pieces.)
I can then determine if my lack of manual dexterity will cause my fingers to become permanently tangled in the strings of my home-made, "cigar box" ukulele (14 frets - concert length strings - so I think its "slack key capable" to some extent). I've seen the books at various sources, but have some doubt with regard to my ability to play in this complex style, which I know takes many years to master. I don't want to buy yet another music book to sit on the shelves because this type of music turns out to be way above my level of ability (which I know from experience with other instruments is very limited). I seem to be most attracted to chord tablature from typical ukulele players, whose chord capabilities are closer to my own, or who accomodate people like me relative to our capabilities when they produce a tab. I can read music (to some extent). Thank you!
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hikabe
Lokahi
USA
358 Posts |
Posted - 01/08/2007 : 12:12:11 AM
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| You seem confused. Let me help. Try to learn about 100 more chords in standard tuning. Then you can slack off. Why? Because the chord construction is totally different. Learn standard tuning as a foundation to any experiments you might fancy in the future. If you want to play slack key, play a guitar. Good luck... |
Stay Tuned... |
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Absolute
Lokahi
275 Posts |
Posted - 01/08/2007 : 08:56:34 AM
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GOOD ADVICE!
I am working on developing those chords (trying to get Bb right at present), but will probably never make it given my late start in life. Until then, I decided to not waste the retuned "A" string on my ukulele! For the small price paid, I can at least try to realize something a little different from what I've been doing with chords alone to create a simple piece that employs a finger picking style. Hope I don't offend anyone with generations of legitimacy in the creation of this unique style on guitar. That was never my goal.
I put my simple, beginner effort at "slack key ukulele" at:
http://ukulelenow.freeprohost.com/page11.html
There's an MP3 of my effort at playing it as well.
How do you say:
"Rain drops falling from the Taro Plant's Leaves"
in Hawaiian, anyhow?
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hikabe
Lokahi
USA
358 Posts |
Posted - 01/08/2007 : 11:31:35 AM
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It appears that you are an ukulele fanatic. Try this. Stand facing the wall with your nose touching the wall. All you can see is the wall. Now, step back. You will begin to see a bigger picture of the room. Step further back and you will be outside the room. Right now it seems your nose is touching the uke and you cannot see the total picture. Your passion is admirable but your approach is narrow. Move the uke a little so you can see the rest of the universe.
At this point I must reiterate what I have said before in the lohi. You cannot play slack key on the uke because you need the bass strings to complete the style. Only an extremely accomplished ukulele player with slack key guitar knowledge can do justice when imitating that style. None of the examples posted support the contention that slack key is possible on the uke, including the baritone. In fact, all of the examples posted prove my point. I cringe when you say you have tuned to taropatch G on the uke. It is merely an open G tuning that requires advanced technique, asumming you already have a grasp for standard tuning. I give lessons in the SF bay area. Look me up. I can help. ...Akamai Okole |
Stay Tuned... |
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Mark
Ha`aha`a
USA
1628 Posts |
Posted - 01/08/2007 : 2:44:21 PM
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Hi -
I'm not going to get into the debate about slack key `ukulele. But I did listen to your mp3, and I second (and third, and fourth) Hiram's suggestion that you book some one-on-one time with a good teacher. And he's the best.
If you are interested in learn melodic playing on the uke, there's lots of material out there. You might look at one of Mel Bay's books -- they publish a couple of "Slack Key Uke" books, as well as my fingerstyle uke book, which is about learning to play, so some stuff is easy, and the later stuff ain't so.
You can downlaod free samples from the Mel Bay site www.melbay.com; or go to mine for a free lesson www.mark-o.com & follow the links to the Fingerstyle `Ukulele Book page.
The key to learning any new style is to take it slowly. It's daunting to look at a big page of 8th notes and TAB, but piecing it together one measure at a time is within anyone's reach.
All it takes is the desire to learn and the dedication to keep trying.
Good luck with your new passion!
Mark |
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Retro
Ahonui
USA
2368 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2007 : 11:14:54 AM
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On the one hand, I agree that you should get more experience under your belt before you challenge yourself with alternative tunings and experimentation with the `ukulele - learning far more "standard" chords and techniques will give you a solid musical foundation necessary to build upon. Finding good teachers or self-study with instruction manuals can take you a long way towards your goals.
On the other hand, I see some people discourage new players with statements of the "you can't..." variety. Maybe no one else ever has, or others have tried and failed, but who can say musical growth or technique or style STOPS cold at a certain point? For all we know, Absolute may be the one who breaks through to invent a whole new sound, becoming the Harry Partch of `ukulele.
In the earliest evolution of ki ho`alu, I suspect there may have been a guitarist or two who heard what the Hawaiians were doing with open tunings and told them "well, that sounds nice, but you're not really 'playing guitar' when you do that." The pleasure of music is about encouragement rather than discouragement; let's keep our ears open to where others may want to take us. |
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Absolute
Lokahi
275 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2007 : 4:17:13 PM
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Thanks for the honest opinions!
I'm grateful no one flamed me for my effort to approach one of the crown jewels of Hawaiian music at my present level of expertise (at least "flamed" in the context I've seen used elsewhere). Thanks for exercising restraint.
Hikabe, I would love to reach the point at which it would make sense to approach a teacher and mentor of your skill level. We are geographically distant, so it is unlikely. In the context of my posts here, I ask only that you keep in mind that I'm less a ukulele fanatic than I am someone who takes this instrument seriously, as one that evolved separately from the guitar, from a Portuguese, rather than Spanish origin, and was embraced and transformed by Hawaiian culture. I don't see the ukulele as the "little brother" of the guitar, and am eager to find out what one can do with it. (I think if you build any instrument, however crude the design, you develop a special affection for it.) This is my first effort with an "alternate tuning", and you're right. I've got a long way to go before my broad, flat, clumsy and, musically, unresponsive fingers can create the wonderful sounds of even a competent player. (I put all those "G" notes in that work I came up with, in part, to see if I could induce any resonance on a ukulele with non-steel strings with the lowered tuning of the "A" string.) I decided to try to take up the ukulele in part because I've never been able to develop any musical ability with more complex instruments, am too intimidated by the guitar, and am too old to be able to give any musical instrument the kind of focus that one can when one is young during the primary and secondary school years. I'd heard some slack key guitar music this past weekend (Prairie Home Companion from Hawaii), and was moved to attempt something on the ukulele to see how much was possible. I do see the point that was made elsewhere regarding the resonances that will develop with many steel strings (some with identical tuning) and with just the right instrument and set-up.
Thanks, Retro, for your words of encouragement. I don't have what it takes to "break through" and create something truly new in terms of a musical style (my brain simply isn't wired that way), but it was nice to hear your words.
Mark, I DO need to practice. I tend to find that if I write a piece on my own, it is easier for me to play it, so I'll probably keep working on that one I posted with the alternate tuning. (It's a useful way to keep oneself trying to play at a level that one can handle.) My fingers do move s-l-o-w-l-y when it comes to fretting, which is why I haven't picked up more chords. If I can't get into the right position to avoid pauses in my playing, I try to find an easier chord position to substitute. (I'd read an article by George Winston on the subject of slack key guitar when he first came up with Dancing Cat records, and recognized then that I would be a listener and not a performer, long before I decided to take my last shot at learning to play a music instrument with a ukulele.)
I decided today to try something in the German classical style associated with "lieder". I wrote it today (http://ukulelenow.freeprohost.com/page12.html), and have yet to reach a point at which I can play the whole thing, so I'll make that my next goal along with improving on the previous one. Thanks for the suggestions regarding learning material. I'll take a look at it.
I appreciate all the useful insight that's out there!
Have a good week!
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Absolute
Lokahi
275 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2007 : 5:10:12 PM
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Just visited your site, Mark. I took a look at "Ahi Wela". I haven't attempted to play it yet, but the format is a very nice way to convey the music. I'd encourage anyone looking for a nice piece of music to try out on their ukulele (it certainly looks nice) to visit your site and follow the link to the "free lesson" at which you can download the PDF file.
After I've mastered my two, new pieces, and worked through your "Ahi Wela" (which I presume is offered free from that curse you mention) I plan to use one of the coupons with which Barnes & Noble has been recently sending me and get a copy of your book. I see you've included an O'Carolan piece, "Planxty Irwin" or, "In Honor of Irwin". I love a lot of his stuff, and have been trying to learn piano as well with Mel Bay's book of O'Carolan tunes. Musical training is slow going for some of us, but the ukulele is a fairly friendly instrument. (I reserve my piano playing for my dog, who alone appreciates it.) |
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Absolute
Lokahi
275 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2007 : 5:49:09 PM
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| I just listened to the "Ahi Wela" MP3. It's absolutely beautiful. |
Thank you. |
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Pauline Leland
`Olu`olu
USA
783 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2007 : 6:59:08 PM
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| Absolute, I get a 'not found' on your link. |
Pauline |
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Absolute
Lokahi
275 Posts |
Posted - 01/10/2007 : 07:22:20 AM
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| I was working on the site late last night. If you're in Hawaii, five hours (?) behind east coast time, then you probably tried to access web pages while I was working on them. The links are working now. |
Thank you. |
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Pauline Leland
`Olu`olu
USA
783 Posts |
Posted - 01/10/2007 : 09:00:03 AM
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| West coast, 3 hours behind, and I accessed it this morning. Thanks. |
Pauline |
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Mark
Ha`aha`a
USA
1628 Posts |
Posted - 01/10/2007 : 09:20:09 AM
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quote:
becoming the Harry Partch of `ukulele.
Yow, like building one from automotive glass, tuning to microtonal intervals and hitting it with a rubber mallet? Can't wait.
Ab, ol' chum -
Thanks for the kind words. I think you'll find that yer "old tired fingers" will get it far quicker than you think if you try pushing yourself a little each day. But be aware that the "Ahi Wela" tab I posted is not by any means easy -- it's about halfway through the book. And there's a lot of introductory material to get you off on the right foot, er, hand. Tackling stuff that's too hard too soon isn't always great; but neither is not tackling hard stuff and staying in your comfort zone.
In my teaching, I stress four types of practice.
- Practice what you don't know. Take a piece, and go through it until you can play it up to speed. Then it becomes Step two.
- Practice what you know. Play the music you've already learned. Make it smooth and musical.
- Then scratch you head and see what you can apply that's new, like playing it with new chords, more harmony, transposing, etc. which brings you back to step one.
- Here's the part most people never get to, and it's the most important: Develop your ear-to-hand coordination. You know thousands of songs by heart (Quick, hum a few bars of "Silent Night" See what I mean?) OK, Starting at any note on your instrument, try to play it. Stick with very simple tunes at first: Brother John (Are You Sleeping); Hot Cross Buns, Three Blind Mice... then work up to harder stuff. Guess what? After a while, you'll be able to hear a complicated Hawaiian melody or an 18th Century Irish harp piece and play it. Then go back to step one...
Happy twangin'!
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Edited by - Mark on 01/10/2007 09:22:46 AM |
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Absolute
Lokahi
275 Posts |
Posted - 01/10/2007 : 11:32:43 AM
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Glad you could access the site this morning. I finalized and added PDF's of the sheet music today. Not a lot of changes. The "lied" needed a few changes to make it more consistent with the poem that inspired it, and Mark's outstanding MP3 left me inclined to add just a few chords to "Raindrops..." to enhance without driving it out of my range of ability or that of other beginners. (Beginner's can still play just the top notes to keep it simple.)
Mark, thanks for the pointers. That's why I plan to stick with the three, mentioned pieces for now. By the time I'm finished applying your process to those three, perhaps I won't hesitate so much when I play. That can only make the next tune easier. I'll reward myself when I'm done with a copy of your fingerstyle book! I hope it comes with a CD of that wonderful playing of yours! What an inspiration it is! |
Thank you. |
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Absolute
Lokahi
275 Posts |
Posted - 01/11/2007 : 05:36:31 AM
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I added a PDF (and MIDI MP3) of the third beginner piece on my site here:
http://ukulelenow.freeprohost.com/page10.html
This is designed for G-C-E-A tuned ukulele. It permits a beginner to employ two, basic chords (G and C) and a finger-picked segment that requires no fretting with the indicated tuning, to play a simple song about traditional life on the grasslands of Mongolia. (Probably best for 10 and under, or around the campfire.) |
Thank you. |
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Fran Guidry
Ha`aha`a
USA
1579 Posts |
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