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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
 Posted - 09/06/2007 : 10:07:46 AM
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Do slackers use capos or just always re-tuning? Would capos have been used in the olden days?
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Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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hwnmusiclives
`Olu`olu
USA
580 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2007 : 10:15:15 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by wcerto
Do slackers use capos or just always re-tuning? Would capos have been used in the olden days?
I don't know one who doesn't use a capo. Especially if the guitarist is accompanying a vocalist. They would be retuning for every song.
And since when are we referred to as "slackers?" I thought that was the term used to described the generation that takes seven years to graduate from a four-year undergraduate degree program and then continues to live with mom and dad because it's easier than taking on the challenges of...well...life. ;-)
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Join me for the history of Hawaiian music and its musicians at Ho`olohe Hou at www.hoolohehou.org. |
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Russell Letson
`Olu`olu
USA
504 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2007 : 10:28:21 AM
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It's pretty common for players to tune down a step or two to accomodate their vocal range (Uncle Ray, for example), and George Kahumoku tunes his 12-string down three or four half-steps, and I think I recall seeing him use a capo to go up to, say, G (but that could be my aging nervous system betraying me once again). As for old-timers, I don't see why not--the capo is an old device, and plenty of rural mainlanders have improvised one with a pencil and rubber band so they wouldn't have to use, say, C# fingerings. Can't recall seeing a photo of a Hawaiian doing this, but it's hard to imagine them not reinventing the same trick when needed.
The thing about fingerstyle guitar is that much of it depends on particular fingerings--even though I'm used to playing swing in F or B-flat in standard, there are fingerstyle arrangements where I'll use a capo so I can keep my key of G or C open strings and grips. If I had a favorite set of slack key licks and had to play along with a singer with a higher vocal range, I'd just reach for the capo (especially rather than tune up a whole step and risk broken strings).
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Momi
Lokahi
402 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2007 : 11:42:16 AM
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| Uncle Dennis borrowed a capo from me when he was jamming at Kona Kitchen a couple of years ago. I think that's a pretty good indication that slack key players use 'em. Granted, he was playing a lot of country music that night, so he may have been in standard tuning at the time. |
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Fingerpickin
Lokahi
117 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2007 : 09:20:11 AM
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At a workshop I took from George about a year ago he spent a lot of time espousing the virtues of Open F tuning. This is simply Taropatch tuned down 2 half steps, of course.
His rationale was that it was easier to sing to for some, and that you could always Capo open F up but can't lower Open G. I personally liked it but found that the lower strings were very loose. Not sure how much lower you could go, I've never tried.
-Lance |
"Hey Lance, try watch." -Ozzie |
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mike2jb
Lokahi
USA
213 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2007 : 10:12:47 AM
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Yeah, Lance, I also heard George give the same rationale at a workshop. He saw me struggling to tune my little mass-produced Yamaha down two frets, grabbed the thing and zip-zip there it was in perfect F Taropatch.
I did like the sound and none of the strings seemed too loose. Way easier for me to sing with. Apparently the ability to play in F can also be helpful if you find yourself surrounded by ukes. |
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Lawrence
Ha`aha`a
USA
1597 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2007 : 11:23:58 AM
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Well, I am not a good example because I have only been working at playing slack key since 1995, and I was not raised in Hawaii nor by a musical family.
However, in order to progress in my musical skills, I found I needed to simplify things somewhat and stay away from too many different tunings. I used to tune to Taro "F" to play along with George and some "ukesters", but, yes, ordinary strings a bit too slack when lowered that much.
These days I stay mostly in open G, and then used dropped C as well, since is such a simple change from G. Open G with the capo at 5 gives me a "high C", and dropped C with the capo at 5 gives me F. Most of the fingerings are the ones I learned for G, with a few chords added to cover C. With this simplification I am now beginning to practice the most important part of playing for me, which is hearing what is going on and playing along, even on songs I do not know.
I have seen some the the old masters using capos on more than one occasion, but they can re-tune pretty darn quickly as well, so they were probably just using the capo to achieve a different tonality (I did not ask).
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Mahope Kākou...
...El Lorenzo de Ondas Sonoras |
Edited by - Lawrence on 09/07/2007 11:27:21 AM |
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RWD
`Olu`olu
USA
850 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2007 : 12:36:02 PM
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I don't sing or backup singers--or play out yet either-- but I do have another good reason to use a capo.
With a capo you can give your audience a fresh key to listen to. It would break the monotony of making them listening to a buch of songs all played in G. |
Bob |
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thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2165 Posts |
Posted - 09/08/2007 : 10:33:59 AM
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Sometimes, you can find a "sweet spot" on the guitar using a capo. Mine sounds good in "E", so i capo to the 4th fret and play in "C" position.
In ancient Egyptian tombs wer found ancient string instruments, next to these were ancient plectra (picks) and next to there were ancient capos.
Capos were invented so you wouldn't have to continually bother a friend/neighbor/family memeber to hold down all the strings for a key change. |
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marzullo
`Olu`olu
USA
923 Posts |
Posted - 09/11/2007 : 10:46:57 AM
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I use one too... still have to retune a bit every time I put it on or take it off.
John Keawe has cool tuners that allow him to slam his guitar into another tuning quickly. I've never figured out how they work.
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Russell Letson
`Olu`olu
USA
504 Posts |
Posted - 09/11/2007 : 11:14:06 AM
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I'd wager they're Scruggs (banjo) tuners--there's a cam that permits a string to be reset a reasonably precise amount. Adrian Legg used to tour with an Ovation equipped with six of them, first so he could retune quickly on stage--then he composed pieces that used them in mid-flight. Quite the vaudeville act.
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marzullo
`Olu`olu
USA
923 Posts |
Posted - 09/11/2007 : 12:14:18 PM
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| Yes, that sounds right. John said something about banjo tuners. He does, on one song (I forget which), at the end plucks a note and tunes it up while ringing to the tonic to end the song. it's sweet, and the grin on his face when he does it is sweet too. |
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bbenzel
Lokahi
USA
130 Posts |
Posted - 09/11/2007 : 1:04:54 PM
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Prof. Marzullo,
In a strange turn of synchronicity bordering on irony please note that Adrian Legg uses a brand called "Keith" tuners!
http://www.beaconbanjo.com/index.cfm
Aloha and ciao,
Bill |
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slipry1
Ha`aha`a
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - 09/11/2007 : 1:16:42 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by bbenzel
Prof. Marzullo,
In a strange turn of synchronicity bordering on irony please note that Adrian Legg uses a brand called "Keith" tuners!
http://www.beaconbanjo.com/index.cfm
Aloha and ciao,
Bill
Invented by Bill Kieth, banjo and pedal steel player magnifique. He developed them as an alternative for Scruggs tuners, which provided cams that stretch the strings sideways to raise them. They had to be installed separately on the peghead. It looks like there are 6 tuning pegs on the peghead as a result. Bill's design is integral with the peg, so there's less real estate consumed, and they can be used on guitars as well as banjos. |
keaka |
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noeau
Ha`aha`a
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 09/11/2007 : 2:10:58 PM
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quote:
John Keawe has cool tuners that allow him to slam his guitar into another tuning quickly. I've never figured out how they work.
Don't know if it the same but I saw a capo that can be set to press only some strings and is adjustable. Available at Musician's Friend ea. |
No'eau, eia au he mea pa'ani wale nō. |
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nick_borho
Aloha
USA
13 Posts |
Posted - 09/11/2007 : 9:57:29 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Russell Letson
I'd wager they're Scruggs (banjo) tuners--there's a cam that permits a string to be reset a reasonably precise amount. Adrian Legg used to tour with an Ovation equipped with six of them, first so he could retune quickly on stage--then he composed pieces that used them in mid-flight. Quite the vaudeville act.
Adrian's technique produces a cool sound, especially when he hits the harmonics... something I had the fortune to see live. Of course you can bend behind the nut for a similar effect but the banjer tuners are something to check out.
Adrian Legg also talked about the capo changing the tone. Usually about the 4th or 5th fret you do get some "uke" sounds.
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Nick Borho
Kona
http://www.nickborho.com |
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