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RWD
`Olu`olu
USA
850 Posts |
 Posted - 04/15/2007 : 05:05:04 AM
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I just started messing with Hula Blues from Mark Hanson's book. I usually can work most things out but measures 9 & 10 are unplayable for me. It involves using the thumb for the low note, fingers on the 1st,3rd and 4th while bending a string on the 2nd with the pinkie. I am a small guy so maybe my hands & fingers just are not large enough to do it. Does anyone out there consider this section playable (besides Hanson)?
Bob
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Mark
Ha`aha`a
USA
1628 Posts |
Posted - 04/15/2007 : 07:36:48 AM
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quote:
Does anyone out there consider this section playable (besides Hanson)?
Well, there's the guy he transcribed it from.. Sonny Chillingworth.
It is a hard lick -- and there are a couple other ways to finger it, including eliminating the bend altogether. But it's cool, and worth the effort. I'd suggest breaking it up -- just work on grabbing the chord and doing the bend all by itelf rather than stumbing over it as you play through the song.
One more thing: it's just a little microtonal bend. I don't recall how Mark notated it -- but it's not like you're doing a full Albert King minor third here. Just bend enough to make the note stand out, and release it right away.
Mark -- the other one. |
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RWD
`Olu`olu
USA
850 Posts |
Posted - 04/15/2007 : 08:29:08 AM
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Thanks other Mark.
Yeah, Chillingworth too  .
I listened to a clip of chillingworths' arr just today on mele. He played it unbelievably fast. I have also heard Sol Hoopii's versions too...man, that dude could really play steel.
Thanks for the suggestions on how to deal with the difficult passage.
Bob
I like your latest book/cd btw.
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Bob |
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Peter Medeiros
`Olu`olu
546 Posts |
Posted - 04/15/2007 : 08:37:19 AM
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Bob,
One of the many things that I enjoyed in my life was playing and recording with Sonny. I would sit across him at his kitchen table or in his living room preparing for a gig, project or concert. Like all good players, he played cleanly without any wasted effort, he epitomized a principal that is called economy of motion.
This is not a hard lick. All you are doing is playing a C7; it's a simple bar chord at the fifth fret with movement between Bb and A -- use the pinky at Bb (8th fret); and ring finger at A (7th fret) and to push (bend) with. Although it is a workable alternative, Hanson's left hand placement in the tab is not the best choice and is not a left hand movement that Sonny would use at quick tempo -- at least when I was played with him.
Peter Medeiros |
Edited by - Peter Medeiros on 04/15/2007 09:01:33 AM |
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Mika ele
Ha`aha`a
USA
1493 Posts |
Posted - 04/15/2007 : 09:46:28 AM
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Peter,
Sure hope we will be able to support you (soon) by purchasing your book and benefitting even more from your insights and experience.
Bob,
As much as I like Mark Hanson's book (it takes years to appreciate each song arrangement). His arrangements are not always the way the featured artist performed them.
There is another notorious section in Mark Hanson's book for Radio Hula (M20&21, M30&31)) where there is the string of six rapid triplets mainly on the first string. I have struggled with playing this section as written for years and don't play this song in performance becasue of those two sections -- if they don't sound perfect -- the rest of the song suffers. However, Dusty (for one) brilliantly plays that same section with a whole different fingering and is a much more efficient technique with little wasted effort; the song suffers nothing with the alternate fingering. I forget where he said he learned the alternate phrasing. |
E nana, e ho'olohe. E pa'a ka waha, e hana ka lima. |
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wdf
Ha`aha`a
USA
1153 Posts |
Posted - 04/15/2007 : 10:41:26 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Mika ele
I forget where he said he learned the alternate phrasing.
From John Keawe  |
Dusty |
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RJS
Ha`aha`a
1635 Posts |
Posted - 04/15/2007 : 10:46:29 AM
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Only slightly off target --
I've been working through most of my old arrangements, and, in truth, my playing style, to eliminate wasted movement. As I do this, I "discovered" two things - slight simplifications at very fast tempi are hardly missed by most people. Heck, too many notes going too fast to catch them all. It's the overall contour of the line that people tune into, as well as the color, shading, etc. Secondly, especially when I'm playing slower pieces, playing with more economy of motion actually frees me to focus more on expression, color, tonal quality, etc. People at the restaurant at which I play have noticed the difference, too, based on their feedback and tips.
--- Couple of days ago I was at the US premier of Paco Peña's new Flamenco Requiem Mass for the World -- profound and beautiful piece, catch it if he ever brings it to your area -- anyway - I was fairly close to Sr. Peña and I could see his hands very clearly. Much of the time you could barely see his fingers move. That flamenco stuff is incredible complex and fast, and the Master played it almost as if his hands weren't moving. Interestingly, he had two advanced disciples with him and they looked like they were working really hard. That evening sure furnished an image of what to shoot for, at least for me. |
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RWD
`Olu`olu
USA
850 Posts |
Posted - 04/15/2007 : 2:33:11 PM
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Peter
I tried a 5th fret fingering earlier while trying to find a way to get through the passage but thought I was cheating. Now that you have brought up an eye whitness account with Sonny, I am going for it. It works very well and is the only way I can even consider playing the tune.
Since some of you will probably know, I have another question about the song.
I don't know anything about this songs history but it sounds like something written as a Rag-Time piano piece. Am I right? Also, who were some of the first to arrange and record it for guitar. Any notables besides Sonny?
Thanks for the great input.
Very gratefull
Bob |
Bob |
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Peter Medeiros
`Olu`olu
546 Posts |
Posted - 04/15/2007 : 4:09:02 PM
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Mika ele & Bob,
Pertaining to Radio Hula measures 20 & 21 and restatement 30 & 31, starting on the third beat of 20 (ditto 30): except for the last part of the phrase this is a short chromatic arpeggio where the notes are only a half-step (1 fret) apart. Led will use this lick down at the nut but for contrast it is up the neck at frets 12 and 14. Instead of doing a single string run as indicated in the tab use two strings. The interval between strings one and two is close, so it is actually easier to use two strings.
With the index finger barre strings 1 and 2 at fret twelve, string 1 is now D, string 2 is B. Play string one with the barre at 12 the next three notes descend by half steps on the second string ring finger at 14, middle at 13, and barre at 12. Only the ring and middle fingers should be moving. To move up to the E at fret 14 on string 1 continue to hold the barre and just reach back with the ring finger. The index anchors the barre at 12 and stays there until the vamp.
Hula Blues was a collaboration between Sonny Cunha and Johnny Noble. There is no indication how much either one contributed to the piece but it was composed in the contemporary style of the time which would have been rag (from the early turn of the twentieth century) and early dance band jazz. Sonny Cunha was older than Noble at the time of publication and was a well known and established jazz man in Honolulu at that time, however, Noble was the band leader at the most popular hotel in the islands and a great PR guy.
Early steel players like Sol Ho‘opi‘i and Andy Iona recorded it in the '20s and 30's -- by the '30s it was a steel standard. Later recordings by Jules Ah See, Billy Hew Lynn, David Keli‘i and several others would get airplay during WWII and the post war years. Sonny learned it as a kid.
Peter Medeiros |
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Mark
Ha`aha`a
USA
1628 Posts |
Posted - 04/16/2007 : 07:52:20 AM
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Peter -
Thanks for the clarification on Sonny's fingering. I'd figured that was the way he did it (partial barre at fret five) because that's what it sounds like on the recording on the ancient cassette I have. And that's the way I've always played it, too. EZ is best!
That being said, Mark H's fingering is worth looking at -- it adds a slightly different feel to the lick. Nice for a variation.
I actually learned the tune years ago from a mainland steel guitar player who'd put in some time with the Wills outfit. He told me every western swing steeler he knew picked up half a dozen or so Hawaiian standards so they could do casuals during the tiki bar/luau craze in the 50's and early 60's.
Come to think of it, there's another tiki bar craze going on right now.
Mark |
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Mika ele
Ha`aha`a
USA
1493 Posts |
Posted - 04/16/2007 : 08:05:20 AM
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Peter,
(Radio Hula) Thank you. That is SO much easier. I'm going to look at a whole slew of other songs and try and find alternate ways to play the same sections.
(Book) Any idea when we will be able to purchase your book? |
E nana, e ho'olohe. E pa'a ka waha, e hana ka lima. |
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