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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
 Posted - 06/19/2007 : 06:40:49 AM
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I found the following list of recommended sources of info on Hawaiian music at the Hawaiian Public Library Web site. I bought the Elbert "Na Mele o Hawai`i Nei" at the Bishop Museum Book Store. It is most interesting in educating on song structure and language conventions.
Music
H784.4B Beamer, Helen D. - edited by Marmionett M. Kaaihue - SONGS OF HELEN DESHA BEAMER (Honolulu: Abigail K. Kawananakoa Foundation, 1991. 115p.) Photos accompany words (with English translations) and music to many of the songs written by one of Hawaii's most prolific songwriters.
H784.4E Elbert, Samuel H. - NA MELE O HAWAI'I NEI (Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1970. 110p.) Traditional Hawaiian songs with English translations.
H783.9 H571 NA HIMENI HAIPULE HAWAII - Hawaii Conference Of the United Church of Christ (Honolulu: United Church of Christ, 1972. 255 Hymns.) Hymns in Hawaiian, some with English translations.
H784.4 M NA MELE HULA: A COLLECTION OF HAWAIIAN HULA CHANTS - Compiled and annotated by Nona Beamer (La'ie, Hawaii: Institute for Polynesian Studies, Brigham Young University, 1987. 86p.) The chants include English Translations as well as background information.
H780.9960 H HAWAIIAN MUSIC AND MUSICIANS: AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY - edited by George Kanahele (Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1979. 543p.) Or-ganized in an encyclopedic format, the 200 entries include history, people, instruments and songs of Hawaii.
H 784.4 P Pukui, Mary Kawena - THE ECHO OF OUR SONG: CHANTS & POEMS OF THE HAWAIIANS (Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1973. 233p.) Noted Hawaiian authority gives brief descriptions of Chants and poems
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Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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Retro
Ahonui
USA
2368 Posts |
Posted - 06/19/2007 : 08:59:08 AM
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For a detailed reference book on recordings of Hawaiian music, I wish someone would update Brett C. Ortone's "The Island Music Source Book." It lists just about every example of recorded Hawaiian songs, by both song title and artist, up through 1999. It's a hefty tome (nearly 750 pages), but a great resource for those who need this kind of detail.
http://www.booklineshawaii.com/book/bmu/494810.html
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hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
Posted - 06/19/2007 : 09:17:01 AM
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I purchased a large format biography about Lena Machado called "Lena Machado, Songbird of Hawai‘i" by Pi‘olani Motta with Kihei de Silva
and I was amazed at how many songs she wrote. Songs appear with original lyrics and the stories behind the songs. Her songs are prototypically Hawaiian and I'm glad I bought it.
I purchased it a Kamehameha School reunion event and Kihei deSilva was there, so I got it autographed, too.
Jesse Tinsley |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 06/19/2007 : 10:30:48 AM
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Jesse--we got the Lena Machado book when Kihei and Mapuana were here in Cleveland in February for the hula workshop. Got it autographed, also. She was quite the prolific song writer. I really enjoyed the stories behind the songs, as well.
I once asked Dennis Kamakahi about making a music book, which he said he had every intention of doing, hopefully starting on it this year. I hope he does, soon. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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LovinLK
Lokahi
USA
112 Posts |
Posted - 07/04/2007 : 7:43:16 PM
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There are those two books by Charles E. King. I've used them before. And the slack key book that Keola Beamer did a long time ago.
Dennis sent me autographed copies of all his sheet music a long time ago and my biggest complaint on anyone's sheet music or music books is they dont' use the same arrangement or write it in the same key in which they sing it.
They should use the same arrangements as is on the recording as well as put them in the same key in which they are sung.
I've gotten messed up with being used to singing along with the record and then doing the music and it never matched. I hope Dennis takes this into consideration. If you're doing someone else's music, a good accompaniest can transpose the key to the correct one but if the music is wrong and doesn't agree with the arrangement that has been recorded by the artist, it's not good. This goes for the introduction. It should be exactly like it is on the CD. |
Lovin' Lee is my favorite pasttime!!
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thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2177 Posts |
Posted - 07/05/2007 : 04:40:42 AM
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| Both Ledward Ka'apana and George Kahumoku, Jr, told me that they never play a song the same way twice. As far as "writing" a song down, it might "fall off" the guitar in one form and wind up on the recording a bit different. If you want to play along with the CD, check which tuning is being used, and if you need to capo up the neck. I've also found that artists will play a song in different tunings just for variety and challenge. |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 07/05/2007 : 06:39:02 AM
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| On the Dancing Cat web site, they about always tell you what tunings the artists have used on the recordings. Additionally, many of the musicians put that information in their liner notes. And, I have found that most any of the musicians who have a web site or a "My Space" page respond to e-mails and are very generous in sharing their mana`o and in answering questions. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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LovinLK
Lokahi
USA
112 Posts |
Posted - 07/05/2007 : 08:27:15 AM
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| I'm not a picker and have someone else use the piano for accompaniement. Usually they don't know the songs. The only one I found to be on the money was the sheet music in the Charles E. King songbook for "Kamehameha Waltz" and the Emma Veary recording. The arrangement was the same. I also find that with slack key, the tunings are generally close but not always the same and it's hard to find the exact key. |
Lovin' Lee is my favorite pasttime!!
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thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2177 Posts |
Posted - 07/05/2007 : 4:19:26 PM
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| It's because of the nature of the the guitar, only 6 strings as opposed to the piano's 10 fingered possibilities. Plus the slack key, if played note for note on a piano, would sound incomplete. Ask Slipry1 about this, he's a piano picker as well as a "steeler". |
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slipry1
Ha`aha`a
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - 07/06/2007 : 08:11:43 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by thumbstruck
It's because of the nature of the the guitar, only 6 strings as opposed to the piano's 10 fingered possibilities. Plus the slack key, if played note for note on a piano, would sound incomplete. Ask Slipry1 about this, he's a piano picker as well as a "steeler".
OK. Here goes (I'm at home and have some time). The ONLY music in the world where there is a "right" or a "wrong" way to play music is European Classical music, where the stars can "exactly" reproduce the music of someone who has been dead for 200 years, but with some flair. Those of us brought up in mainland schools have had this idea of "wrongness" and "rightness" drummend into us unitl we accept it, especially those of us who have been through band, orchestra, chorus, etc. My muscial heros are people who NEVER play a song the same way twice: the late Bill Evans, Horace Silver, Wade Ward, Led Ka'apana, Jerry Byrd, Gabby Pahinui, Ravi Shankar, to name a few. Get it out of your head that you MUST reproduce someone else's version because it it the "right" version. It is ok to learn by copying a hero's version of a song, or to use tab or sheet music to get things figured out, but, IMHO, as soon as you get the basic tune down, start fooling with it and make it your own. Fear not; it's good for you, and it will cause you to stretch your talent. Too often, when I'm in a jam session with a book-learned slack, key player, they can't change keys or deviate from what they learned in "da book". BTW, I'm not talking about crummy playing - my motto is "There are two kinds of music, good and bad, and I play them both". My favorite comment from the Hawaiians I know is "you play from da heart". That's where it's at, folks. As for the piano, when Marian McPartland asked Dizzy Gillespe why he composed on the piano, he said "why, it's all laid out there for you", and it's true. When I'm trying to learn the changes for a new song, I'll sit down at the piano along with a recording and mess with chords until I've got it. Then I go to the uke of steel and work it out there. I believe that the guitar is a tough instrument to figure things out on because you get the same note on a lot of different places. With the piano, on the other hand, there is only one place for a given note. I hope this helps. -Keaka |
keaka |
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noeau
Ha`aha`a
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 07/06/2007 : 2:12:10 PM
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| You know it is really cool that no matter what opinion one has it is all correct. But, I was taught that in Hawaiian tradition to do the composer honor you do not change anything. That's to honor the composer and also to impart the composer's message if there was one. But after being a player myself I do know that personality,experience and choice influence how a person plays a particular piece. It is OK to take someone's work and put a little of ourselves into it when we play that piece. Just as long as we don't totally change it so it is not comparable to the original piece. In this way we add our own personal touch and pay tribute to the composer as well. So we can say E, that's Gabby or that's Sonny or that's Elvis. You know what I mean? Even if they play a song different every time you still know it is them. I view written music as a reference. Just lately I have discovered that some songs that I have played for years have chords that don't match the written song. The way I played them were recognizable as such but when I played the written chords. Well the songs just sound that much better. So now you can see that I have written something that supports both arguments. Play as written or not, it might not make a whole lot of difference. |
No'eau, eia au he mea pa'ani wale nō. |
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rendesvous1840
Ha`aha`a
USA
1055 Posts |
Posted - 07/06/2007 : 2:24:56 PM
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Small off topic note : Slipry mentioned one of his hero's being Wade Ward. Wade turned 100years old this spring, was invited to appear on one of the big network talk shows. Ithink it was Leno's, if I remember correctly. He turned it down, may be limiting his travel, at his age. But I did get to see him and his charming wife, Julia, perform at Midwest Banjo Camp in June.A real treat, from a couple of legendary Old Time Country musicians.
Paul |
"A master banjo player isn't the person who can pick the most notes.It's the person who can touch the most hearts." Patrick Costello |
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slipry1
Ha`aha`a
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2007 : 2:31:37 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by rendesvous1840
Small off topic note : Slipry mentioned one of his hero's being Wade Ward. Wade turned 100years old this spring, was invited to appear on one of the big network talk shows. Ithink it was Leno's, if I remember correctly. He turned it down, may be limiting his travel, at his age. But I did get to see him and his charming wife, Julia, perform at Midwest Banjo Camp in June.A real treat, from a couple of legendary Old Time Country musicians.
Paul
WOW! Yes, in a past incarnation I was (and really under the surface, still am) an old timey banjo guy. I went down to Galax to see Wade in the 70's. His version of "Chilly Winds" for the Labrary of Congress turned me from Bluegrass to Old Time, and I've never regretted it. But - I've never been one to rest for long in one genre. Curiosity about different music forms leads me on. I've been a banjo tutor at The Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, and I still am a banjo judge at the Topanga Canyon Banjo & Fiddle Contest in LA every year. It's amazing that he and Julia are still around, since he recoreded first in the 1930's! |
keaka |
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slipry1
Ha`aha`a
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2007 : 2:35:43 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by noeau
You know it is really cool that no matter what opinion one has it is all correct. But, I was taught that in Hawaiian tradition to do the composer honor you do not change anything. That's to honor the composer and also to impart the composer's message if there was one. But after being a player myself I do know that personality,experience and choice influence how a person plays a particular piece. It is OK to take someone's work and put a little of ourselves into it when we play that piece. Just as long as we don't totally change it so it is not comparable to the original piece. In this way we add our own personal touch and pay tribute to the composer as well. So we can say E, that's Gabby or that's Sonny or that's Elvis. You know what I mean? Even if they play a song different every time you still know it is them. I view written music as a reference. Just lately I have discovered that some songs that I have played for years have chords that don't match the written song. The way I played them were recognizable as such but when I played the written chords. Well the songs just sound that much better. So now you can see that I have written something that supports both arguments. Play as written or not, it might not make a whole lot of difference.
No'eau - you are right on, as usual. I just believe that it is best to play from the heart with ears wide open to what's happening with music. Any reference is valuable, and getting what your elders/heros down is valuable. |
keaka |
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Auntie Maria
Ha`aha`a
USA
1918 Posts |
Posted - 07/13/2007 : 10:09:30 AM
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On the subject of "recommended sources of info on Hawaiian music", also check the two small-ish song books from Kimo Alama Keaulana. He not only provides lyrics and transalations of the mele, but also clarifies many oft-quoted misconceptions about the kaona of some of them.
I've only seen his books at Na Mea Hawai`i/Native Books (Ward Warehouse). They do take phone orders, in addition to their website:
http://www.nativebookshawaii.com |
Auntie Maria
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 07/13/2007 : 1:57:38 PM
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| Native Books Hawai`i is an excellent source of all kinds of books...I get plenty fiction/literture from there, but beware....shipping costs are very high. Sometimes, though, you just can't find stuff anywhere else. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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