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cpatch
Ahonui
USA
2187 Posts |
 Posted - 12/11/2002 : 8:08:51 PM
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In a workshop I attended recently here in San Diego, Keoki Kahumoku commented that he remembered taking lessons with Ray Kane and Ray emphasizing the need for the consistent alternating bass driving the music. Without that, said Ray, it's not slack key.
That raises an interesting question. Is music by artists such as Keola Beamer, whose compositions are beautiful but which often have a wandering or improvisational bass line still considered slack key? At what point does a departure from the old-style become a departure from the tradition that defines the genre?
(Too many big thoughts...too many fancy words...must rest.)
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Craig
My goal is to be able to play as well as people think I can. |
Edited by - cpatch on 12/11/2002 8:15:17 PM |
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RJS
Ha`aha`a
1635 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2002 : 8:52:09 PM
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Not to be contentious, but this topic, as you will see, is one that raises up a lot of feelings for me.
Why define a genre by just looking to the past? In that approach museums would become the prime locations of culture. In truth, museums are only meant to be sample repositories of what was once a living culture. Why not define a genre by what is going on now, not only to continue the past, but also to move things along. To take the genre and create from it. George K. is fond of telling me that Auntie Alice thought what Gabby and Ray Kane were playing was by no means slack key. I believe in respecting the traditions which become sources or wellsprings. However, on my death bed -- IF I at all think of the kind of music I played -- I suppose I'd be much more at peace thinking that I did something creative, i.e. brought someting into the world which could only come through me, than if I said, I could play Punehele almost like Ray Kane, or a piece by Keola, or anyone else.
So, what makes somehing slack key guitar? Ultimately, slack key is what most people who listen to that style of music call slack key. In other words, like most living cultural genre, slack key is a thing develops over time, sometimes in slow increments, sometimes in leaps and bounds. It's definition is the consensus of the listening public, which includes musicians, over time. I get very nervous when anyone tries to set up a rigid set of criterea or when any individual dogmatically makes a judgement when it comes to cultural matters. (I don't however, get nervous with someone who "knows" judging as piece tro be played well or poorly.) Again, if it were up to an expert (Auntie Alice) Gabby and Ray wouldn't be considered slack key players. Culture works in a communal atmosphere. A living culture is open to change and development. When theat no longer happens, the culture will die -- and if it is lucky become an artifact in a museum.
What are my own working definitiions of slack key? Right now my thinking is that it should be played on a guitar in an alternate tuning, in a style which includes both treble and bass parts played simultaneously, typically, though not always in an alternating fashion, usually, though not necessarily, playing a song related to Hawaiiana, and that often utilizes some form of stylization such as turnarounds, parallel sixths, etc., that incorportates fairly large leaps in the melody line, (got that from Geo. Kanahele) and which typically, though not necesarily is played nahenahe. I have another very subjective critereon which is that I would like it to contain a feel for the ocean. Sorry, but I have never been able to put that last statement into more concrete or abstract words. For me, it's a poetic image that captures a "feel".
Now, I really need to spend time playing rather than talking about slack key.
Raymond
San Jose
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oaklandslacker
Aloha
China
47 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2002 : 10:26:16 PM
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At the same time, to me, one of the attractions of slack key is that it's old school. I like that it reflects a tradition, and I think that working within a set form allows more expressiveness than, say, new age music, with no pre-established boundaries to work against. Saying "boundaries" comes off like it would hold back somebody truly creative, but I think there's so much that can be done within the form, it's endless.
Taking things to extremes, if slack key became defined as "finger picking with open tunings," that would make the genre as a whole far less interesting. |
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Admin
Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2002 : 11:40:32 PM
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This can be a controversial topic as each person (and each expert) has his or her opinion. I heard Ozzie Kotani speak about this topic briefly. His example hypothetically questioned whether someone who had never been to Hawai`i but learned via a book/tablature... could they start composing songs and call it slack key? I believe his opinion was no. I should stop quoting Ozzie because I'd hate to put words in his mouth, but he did bring up this idea that I had never thought of previously. I will say that Ozzie himself admitted that he considers some of his arrangements to be slack key while others should be categorized simply as open-tuning arrangements, not slack key.
The discussion was not a long one so I cannot really define what should be considered slack key and what not. While the tradition should be allowed to grow, develop and expand as it has in the past 200 years, it should have some root, foundation or connection to those who originally played it. As oaklandslacker points out, there must be a distinction between Hawaiian slack key guitar and "finger picking with open tunings". Defining that difference and outlining those boundaries can be a very gray area. |
Andy |
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Russell Letson
`Olu`olu
USA
504 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2002 : 11:45:46 PM
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Raymond's assessment seems pretty much on the money to me. A musical tradition is like a living language--it changes with time, and the grammatical conventions and meanings of words change as usage shifts.
To be fair to Auntie Alice, though, it wasn't so much that what Uncles Ray and Fred were playing wasn't slack key, it's that it wasn't *old style* slack key. I was working on this topic not long ago (for the "Aloha Guitar" book, still in progress), and with your indulgence, here a couple extracts from the draft of Chapter One:
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But while sweetness and nahenahe are crucial to slack key's soul, there another side to the tradition, a strain of virtuoso performance that seems to have been around at least since the late 1940s--and, as we will see, Auntie Alice Namakelua once complained about the innovations of Ray Kane and Leonard Kwan in much the same way that Uncle Ray now complains about his students who play too fast. The Hana Ola "History of Slack Key Guitar" compilation shows that Uncle Fred Punahoa was not alone in playing fast and fancy in the 1940s and 50s, and the showpieces of Sonny and Led are directly descended from that strain of high-energy, crowd-pleasing picking.
[longish gap]
Auntie Alice may not have actually disapproved of the playing of Fred Punahoa and Raymond Kane, but she emphatically wanted to keep the old style distinct from the modernizing she heard in their playing. In a talk-story interlude during a lesson recorded in the 1970s, she tells her students about performing at the first slack key concert [sponsored by the Hawaiian Music Foundation] in 1972 and arguing with Kane about the playing style of one of the other performers. "I told him, that's the modern, that's after the old style," she says, "because 1908, that's when I . . . kind of started to pick up something in the old style. That's how we started this style of playing, simple but sweet. [She plays the beginning of her wahine vamp.] First we play simple, really simple. [Plays again.] One string."
On the other hand, George Kuo testifies that she could play "pretty fast" when she wanted to [. . .]. Kuo's own homage to Auntie Alice, "Old Paniolo" (on Aloha No Na Kupuna, in G wahine) is a spritely tune with a loping bounce that evokes a cowboy riding. Similarly, Raymond Kane's tribute to Auntie, "Wa`ahila" (on the CD of that title, also in G wahine) moves right along (and still sounds much like Ray).
*****
Back to the present--this matter is one I've had to think about in deciding who to cover in the book--how far you can go from the historical/stylistic center of the tradition before you somehow cross a mystical boundary and find yourself somewhere else (New Age, alt-tuning, soft jazz, easy listening, etc.). I think it may be like pornography: just about impossible to define, but you know it when you see it. I think I know where the border checkpoints are, but your map may show them elsewhere.
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cmdrpiffle
`Olu`olu
USA
553 Posts |
Posted - 12/12/2002 : 12:48:04 AM
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Interesting subject.
Raymond, I too agree that you summed up my own feelings quite well, thank you.
The comparison with Keola Beamer is interesting. Having not been very well acquainted with his style until recently, I probably wouldnt have labeled it slack key. In my mind, I think of Keola as one of the quiet masters. Someone who certainly has the knowledge of 'traditional' slack key, but is determined to take it to a different level. Keolas own brand of playing simply is different to anything else I have ever heard. Period. When you hear his style, you know it is him, and no one else. That speaks volumes to me.
Does that make it 'slack key' because it doesnt follow the established patterns. Absolutely in my book.
Keoki's style is also distinct, as it is different from Keolas. I've heard Keoki play 'jingle bells' and it friggin sounded like Hawaiian slack key Jingle Bells !!!
My thoughts are that this is a developing form. Sure, it is old in years, but it was known to very few and wasnt allowed to expand. Not as it would have if it had been mainstream.
It certainly is becoming more mainstream now. In the future, I'm sure there will be 'lite slack key'. Someone visited Hawaii once, learned a few chords...
In the end, if it pleases you, and I guess you're tuned to anything lower than standard, its slack key. Do you play it with aloha?, is it from the heart? Then it is slack key. |
my Poodle is smarter than your honor student |
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ohanabrown
Lokahi
281 Posts |
Posted - 12/12/2002 : 05:34:57 AM
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A-l-o-o-o-ha!
Gabby's famous saying may summit all up!
If Your Playing From Your Heart.
And It Sound's Like Slack key.
Then It Must Be Slack key.
Really! Try thinking about it!
Hui Hou!
Kevin
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Kevin K. Brown |
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RJS
Ha`aha`a
1635 Posts |
Posted - 12/12/2002 : 1:15:59 PM
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I very much agree with the last two comments. That's sort of what I mean by the feeling of the ocean. And maybe that's where the discussion should stay.
If, on the other hand, the discussion goes towards more technical features, I really like Russell's way of making a distinction between old style and new style slack key. Maybe even end up with a few "styles" of slack key. That would be ok, as long as something else holds prominence -- just like any family has lots of different "styles" and "characters" yet everyone gets together at te same table, I think the slack key "family" has to make sure it is big enough to allow the "different characters" to join at the table.
Raymond
San Jose |
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oaklandslacker
Aloha
China
47 Posts |
Posted - 12/12/2002 : 3:59:24 PM
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I don't know...I think there's a harm in saying "well, everything is slack-key, as long as it's played with aloha." Of course other styles of music and playing are going to be an influence on slack key. But if it goes too far, where people are playing music that's 50% Hawaiian, 25% Blues, 25% Flamenco, slack key stops being a style of its own, and instead becomes a series of techniques one can use when playing guitar in open tunings.
If the only way one could here the real thing is listening to old records, slack key would die out, the same way old-style acoustic blues died out.
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edkalama
Akahai
USA
90 Posts |
Posted - 12/12/2002 : 6:22:08 PM
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Whatever it is, as for me, I will stick with the old traditional slack key style and agree with Keoki. The alternating bass is what makes it different, the rest are personal style of the players already. Keola Beamer's style might be an exception but don't forget he plays classical guitar as well. Someone said to me that he actually plays Hawaiian instrumentals on traditional guitar tuning, and without the alternating bass. I don't know how true that is. Being a classical guitar player myself, I do like his style as well
At the last Slack Key festival in Maui there were a number of performers that played modern style picking and it surprised me why they were even there. They were simply showing off their quick fingers to make some melodies, I think. The sounds were not even Hawaiian! They should have called it a Guitar Festival instead. I was sitting with a few oldtimers during the show and we did talk about the bass as being an important part of the slack key style. My .02 cents. |
ed
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RJS
Ha`aha`a
1635 Posts |
Posted - 12/12/2002 : 9:16:45 PM
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Three quick comments in respone to the last two posts.
1) I do not think the real issue is what techniques are used as much as what is the artistic vision. Someone with a vision or sensitivity centered in slack key can use resquiedo, tapping, or anything else -- and the piece still holds together as a slack key piece. That's called creativity. Someone who doesn't have that vision or sensitivity may be "inspired by slack key," or may be using slack key techniques, but is not playing slack key. Same for flamenco, or any other style.
2) I think traditions die out not because people stop clinging to the past. They die out because there aren't artists with the vision of how to adress current issues, styles and tastes from the old tradition. Either that or they evolve -- which is what I think happened to blues. Changes/evolution seems to be the natural way that things work in our world.
3) I'm actually old enough to remember that when Peter Moon and the Cazimeros started to redo old chants in "modern" tempos, rhythms, chords, etc, many people took them to task for trashing the tradition. Today, most Hawaiian musicians revere them as old masters. In fact, their recordings are frequently used as source material.
In sum, for me, it is more important to get to the heart of slack key, center youtself there, and then let it come back through your tastes, styles, talents, etc., adressing the styles and tastes of the situation you find yourself in. You know, if you look closely at Bethoveen you caqn see that he has a very "classical" underpinning to his work, but he sure took music into a new direction. And without that movement we would not have a lot of the great music written since Beethoven.
Raymond
San Jose |
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aplenty
Akahai
62 Posts |
Posted - 12/13/2002 : 01:42:03 AM
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Every artist makes their personal choices. I can't speak to others reasons for doing what they do.
I can share our experience. Having been given the gift of slack key (the traditional slack key style), we feel a deep sense of responsibility to continue that tradition. I'm not really sure where it comes from... the sense of responsibility... it just wells up from inside. The tradition of slack key is very much endangered.
We've never found the traditional style to be limiting... we've been given many new songs in different tunings... and all in the traditional style. The thumb is always working! 
E Ola Mau Ki Ho'alu Kahiko! Mahalo to all of you that are helping to continue the tradition.
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Aloha nui,
Sandy & Doug |
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