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slackkeymom
Aloha
6 Posts |
 Posted - 04/16/2009 : 04:56:23 AM
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Aloha, I am an aspiring slack key player and have become comfortable in the taro patch and f wahine tuning. I learned to play a Grandmother's Wish from the Keola Beamer instructional dvd. It is the only song I know in the Bb wahine tuning. I was hoping to learn another song in that tuning, any suggestions??
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Kendyl |
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slackkey808
Akahai
USA
50 Posts |
Posted - 04/16/2009 : 1:10:11 PM
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I don't even know Bb Wahine tuning or F wahine, which I've only heard once by my friend. I know Bb Maunaloa which is similar to C6 Maunaloa. If you're looking for a different sound then taropatch, I'd suggest C6 because it's VERY VERY mellow sounding but can still give off similar taropatch sounds when you go up higher on the neck. Good luck with your music.
Zack |
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rendesvous1840
Ha`aha`a
USA
1055 Posts |
Posted - 04/16/2009 : 3:46:07 PM
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I don't have any knowledge of Bb tunings, but welcome to the 'Patch.
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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Fran Guidry
Ha`aha`a
USA
1579 Posts |
Posted - 04/17/2009 : 05:47:10 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by slackkey808
I don't even know Bb Wahine tuning or F wahine, which I've only heard once by my friend. I know Bb Maunaloa which is similar to C6 Maunaloa. If you're looking for a different sound then taropatch, I'd suggest C6 because it's VERY VERY mellow sounding but can still give off similar taropatch sounds when you go up higher on the neck. Good luck with your music.
Zack
Eh, Zack, take the C6 Maunaloa (or the Bflat Maunaloa). Tighten the 2nd string 1 whole step, that's a wahine tuning. Tighten 1 more half step, now it's a major tuning.
Fran |
E ho`okani pila kakou ma Kaleponi
Slack Key Guitar in California - www.kaleponi.com
Slack Key on YouTube
Homebrewed Music Blog |
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Mark
Ha`aha`a
USA
1628 Posts |
Posted - 04/17/2009 : 07:58:57 AM
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quote:
I learned to play a Grandmother's Wish from the Keola Beamer instructional dvd. It is the only song I know in the Bb wahine tuning. I was hoping to learn another song in that tuning, any suggestions??
That particular tuning is just a variation of Keola's C, tuned down a step.. the basses are reversed so the tonic (Bb) is on the 5th string: F-Bb-C-F-A-D (lo to hi).
Keola's got a version of "Grandmother's Wish" in the book we did together-- he calls this on "Aunty Alice Namekalua Slack Key." I don't know if Aunty Alice played in this tuning; she's usually associated with Double Slack (G wahine).
At any rate, you can play just about anything in this tuning-- the top strings work just like Keola's C, so tackling a couple of his arrangements in that tuning would be a good place to start. Just remember where your bass notes fall!
Incidentally, There's another great Bb tuning that I learned from Sonny Lim: F-Bb-D-F-Bb-D. It's a very cool tuning and worth exploring. Steel players will feel right at home, too.
Good luck! |
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Kapila Kane
Ha`aha`a
USA
1051 Posts |
Posted - 04/17/2009 : 08:33:53 AM
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A "Mr. Safety" (my wife calls it paranoia)... word of caution
...in case you have a "weak" bridge on your guitar...
It happened to me!!
The first time I put my old 300 dollar Washburn into Bb Wahine,--or one of Keola's Bb's--
the bridge pulled up.
The bridge had been cheaply put on, or repaired.
And while the subsequent repair made it better than new...
well, I now spend most my time in my classic '93 Goodall Cutaway Roadster....well, it has light bracing, and I choose to error on the side of caution when traveling outside my native taropatch where the roads are rougher.
In Bb tunings, the raised heavy strings in these tunings would seem to be safely balanced by lower tension in the high strings...but as the song says, "I am chicken, hear me cackle..."
(My Washburn is now super-glue and spackle)
When in Doubt (or Hilo), I re-calculate it to a little lower tension, comparable tuning, and capo!
Or I guess I could call my Stanford engineers and re-string to the Newtonian gauge advised by slide rules!
By the way...we're looking for a couple feet of snow today, so I'm staying in the coop and slackin' my time away and checkin' those West Hawaii land deals.
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Edited by - Kapila Kane on 04/17/2009 08:36:01 AM |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 04/17/2009 : 10:51:53 AM
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| I think Colorado should keep all the snow right there in Colorado. A sure sign of spring over here is that the grass cutting guys came today and cut my grass! And that is before the dandelions have bloomed. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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T-Dan
Lokahi
USA
132 Posts |
Posted - 04/23/2009 : 11:56:18 AM
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John Keawe plays in a B-flat tuning...He taught it at the Aloha Music Camp:
Bb-F-D-F-Bb-D
Yes, the low E goes all the way down to Bb. "Hawaii's Hope" from his "Beautiful Hula Dancer" 2006 release is one, as is "Hana Pipi" from the same disc. He taught those two at the Camp on Moloka'i. He plays quite a few songs in that tuning. It has a nice range of highs and lows.
( 0 )====::; |
Edited by - T-Dan on 04/23/2009 11:57:23 AM |
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Kapila Kane
Ha`aha`a
USA
1051 Posts |
Posted - 04/23/2009 : 2:59:37 PM
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well down to Bb is EXTREME slack...maybe I'll get the slide rule going for gauging the gauge.
the Bb Wahine from Keola's book is:
F, Bb, C, F, A, D
which is tighter on the bass side...but looser on the top.
Last call for snow from Colorado, it's 75 today and fabulous.
"Buy It Now"...No minimum, but winner pays postage and recommend "extreme refrigerated express".
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Edited by - Kapila Kane on 04/23/2009 3:01:57 PM |
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T-Dan
Lokahi
USA
132 Posts |
Posted - 04/23/2009 : 3:25:18 PM
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| One guitar in John Keawe's Bb tuning and another one in Taro capo'd at III blends really nicely in a duet. John did that with me at the Camp at the end of class one day. One of my favorite ki ho'alu memories... |
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PearlCityBoy
Lokahi
USA
432 Posts |
Posted - 04/24/2009 : 08:03:25 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by T-Dan
John Keawe plays in a B-flat tuning...He taught it at the Aloha Music Camp:
Bb-F-D-F-Bb-D
Yes, the low E goes all the way down to Bb. "Hawaii's Hope" from his "Beautiful Hula Dancer" 2006 release is one, as is "Hana Pipi" from the same disc. He taught those two at the Camp on Moloka'i. He plays quite a few songs in that tuning. It has a nice range of highs and lows.
( 0 )====::;
T-Dan, is this tuning basically Atta's/Cyril's C major tuning (C-G-E-G-C-E) tuned down to Bb?
Mahalo,
Doug |
Edited by - PearlCityBoy on 04/24/2009 08:05:30 AM |
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mike2jb
Lokahi
USA
213 Posts |
Posted - 04/24/2009 : 08:16:28 AM
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Yeah, T-Dan, this is a beautiful tuning. I had always liked Cyril Pahinui's "Kawaihae" on his CD "Po Mahina--Night Moon," which I think is close to Bb (I liked to sing along to that one 'cause I can't sing very high  ). I played in TP capo'd to 3rd fret like you did, till I discovered Cyril was playing everything in his open C ("Atta's C"-- CGEGCE) and had just tuned down a whole step for this song. Same as what John Keawe taught you, I guess.
It is indeed "extreme" slack; my guitar buzzes a bit if I try it, but it can be really beautiful in the right hands. I can't think of any recordings I've heard in this tuning other than the one I mentioned and I possibly "Koali" and "Maunaloa" on that same CD by Cyril. Not sure about the exact pitch of those two--some of them seem to be tuned to an "in between" pitch.
Edit: Oops, I see while I was typing, Doug had the same thoughts. |
Edited by - mike2jb on 04/24/2009 08:18:43 AM |
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Ben
Lokahi
USA
122 Posts |
Posted - 04/26/2009 : 12:23:52 PM
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| Another Bb beauty by John Keawa is 'Aina Hanau, also on the "Beautiful Hula Dancer" CD. He taught that one along with Hawaii's Hope at AMC this year. |
MÄlama pono
Ben |
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Mika ele
Ha`aha`a
USA
1493 Posts |
Posted - 04/27/2009 : 2:36:21 PM
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Kendyl,
We missed you last week at SCSKS Open Mike. I play in this tuning, like Mark said, its just a lower C Wahine. you can play all of keola's songs in C Whine that you have the mnusic for in this tuning.
Mike |
E nana, e ho'olohe. E pa'a ka waha, e hana ka lima. |
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T-Dan
Lokahi
USA
132 Posts |
Posted - 05/05/2009 : 07:28:06 AM
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PearlCityBoy & mike2jb: Yeah, I never realized until you pointed it out, but the intervals are the same. That's good to know. More variety to play with. Mahalo for that. I learned from Kimo West that in the tunings that have extreme lows to tune it slightly flat so that when you finger those strings on the frets they sound in tune. Sounds contradictory but it seems to work.
Mark: Thanks for the info on Keola's variation. Straight from da source, that's cool.
I noticed in George Winston's list of slack key tunings that this Bb variation is not listed.
http://www.dancingcat.com/skbook4a-tuningchart.php
I guess it's outside da box...
George Winston is an awesome talent, and he has done a huge amount for the preservation and furtherance of ki ho'alu. I love his music. I saw him in concert a few years back at Pepperdine. It was mostly piano but he broke out his guitar for 2-3 numbers. |
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PearlCityBoy
Lokahi
USA
432 Posts |
Posted - 05/05/2009 : 11:38:31 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by T-Dan
Mark: Thanks for the info on Keola's variation. Straight from da source, that's cool.
I noticed in George Winston's list of slack key tunings that this Bb variation is not listed.
http://www.dancingcat.com/skbook4a-tuningchart.php
I guess it's outside da box...
George Winston is an awesome talent, and he has done a huge amount for the preservation and furtherance of ki ho'alu. I love his music. I saw him in concert a few years back at Pepperdine. It was mostly piano but he broke out his guitar for 2-3 numbers.
T-Dan, correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Keola's Bb is in the Dancing Cat chart you referenced as #Bb8 and similar to #C8. I have to hand it to George Winston/Dancing Cat in documenting all of these tunings in a structured manner.
So many tunings, so little time . . . . 
Aloha,
Doug |
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