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 Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar / Hawaiian Music
 A tuning question
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Ambrosius
Lokahi

132 Posts

Posted - 01/23/2013 :  04:44:40 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I see the open D or D major tuning listed under the learn section. Is this tuning much used in traditional Hawaiian music? Any hint on who used it, if so?

Thanks

Ambrosius

Fran Guidry
Ha`aha`a

USA
1579 Posts

Posted - 01/23/2013 :  07:27:48 AM  Show Profile  Visit Fran Guidry's Homepage  Reply with Quote
Cyril has done some recordings in open D. Uncle Ray Kane, Leonard Kwan, and George Kahumoku have all recorded D Wahine, which is open D with the first string down a half step to C sharp.

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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Allen M Cary
Lokahi

USA
158 Posts

Posted - 01/23/2013 :  11:08:31 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Jeff Peterson's Hawaiian Skies (from soundtrack of The Descendants) is in open D also. It is a very pretty tuning--raise the F# back to G and you have the very popular (but not necessarily Hawaiian) DADGAD.
Aloha
Allen
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sirduke58
`Olu`olu

USA
993 Posts

Posted - 01/23/2013 :  11:36:51 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Olomana's "Ku'u Home O' Kahalu'u" & "Ku'u Lei Awapuhi" are in the same tuning but a full step higher. I always tune to Open D then capo at the 2nd fret for that E this way I don't take the chance of breaking the D string (full step up) or the G string (1/2 step up) Jerry Santos of the current Olomana uses Open D up a full step to E almost exclusively. He has a 2nd guitar onstage tuned to standard.

Here's an example of Open D capoed up to E.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPv4B_Tarjc
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sirduke58
`Olu`olu

USA
993 Posts

Posted - 01/23/2013 :  12:32:34 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Something else to note Ambrosius....The string relationships (or intervals) on strings two through six are the same as Taropatch tuning's strings one through 5. In theory you can play anything in your Taropatch repertoire by moving everything "up" one string. So if you take on this tuning you definitely won't be starting from scratch. This tuning also has the prettiest harmonics. Most common parallels are on the 1st & 3rd strings...open-2/1-4/3-5/5-7/7-9/8-11/10-12/12 & so forth. You can just strum these positions to find the melodies to songs & I guarantee you'll like what it sounds like. Of course there are also all the open/close positions of Taropatch but instead of it being on the 1st & 3rd strings they are now up a string on the 2nd & 4th strings. Noodle around & you'll find all kinds of good stuff.

Try strumming this, which is the start of "Hawaii Aloha"
Fretting 1st & 3rd strings and strumming all 6 strings
Open-2/1-4/3-4/3-5/5-4/3-4/3-4/3-open-open-(fret 3rd string 1st fret & 5th string 2nd fret for one strum) then open.

You could also alternate the bass strings between the positions mentioned above & sweeten the song a bit....Kawika Kahiapo of the group Kaukahi also uses this tuning a lot.
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Ambrosius
Lokahi

132 Posts

Posted - 01/24/2013 :  12:42:52 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Thanks to Fran, Allen and SirDuke.

As always this forum provides good answers, and I am very grateful. Something to work out from now. Yes, open D is a good sounding tuning in my opinion. I like the low sounding root among things. Jeff Peterson is one I listen often to, and The Descendants is available on my streaming service.

For me, Taro Patch has become my 'home base' and I have been hesitating to move out of it. Special thanks to SirDuke. This is very useful information to me, and saves me a lot of 'head' twisting. Thanks again.
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Ambrosius
Lokahi

132 Posts

Posted - 01/24/2013 :  02:17:44 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by sirduke58

Something else to note Ambrosius....The string relationships (or intervals) on strings two through six are the same as Taropatch tuning's strings one through 5. In theory you can play anything in your Taropatch repertoire by moving everything "up" one string. So if you take on this tuning you definitely won't be starting from scratch. This tuning also has the prettiest harmonics. Most common parallels are on the 1st & 3rd strings...open-2/1-4/3-5/5-7/7-9/8-11/10-12/12 & so forth. You can just strum these positions to find the melodies to songs & I guarantee you'll like what it sounds like. Of course there are also all the open/close positions of Taropatch but instead of it being on the 1st & 3rd strings they are now up a string on the 2nd & 4th strings. Noodle around & you'll find all kinds of good stuff.

Try strumming this, which is the start of "Hawaii Aloha"
Fretting 1st & 3rd strings and strumming all 6 strings
Open-2/1-4/3-4/3-5/5-4/3-4/3-4/3-open-open-(fret 3rd string 1st fret & 5th string 2nd fret for one strum) then open.

You could also alternate the bass strings between the positions mentioned above & sweeten the song a bit....Kawika Kahiapo of the group Kaukahi also uses this tuning a lot.




This is great, SirDuke.

I had to put work aside and re-tune. Could not wait. I've been in open D before, but a bit afraid to 'stay' there for a significant time by that 'loose' my Taro Patch feeling.

Beautiful, - I just 'loose' a 'V' on the bass side, but gain a 'I' on the treble side (as long as I think 'Taro Patch' on the lower five strings). I can manage to get my head around that, and I'm not so afraid to clutter my hard earned Taro Patch understanding anymore.

Taro Patch          Open D

Picking Strings

V                   I
III                 V
I                   III

Bass Strings

V                   I
I                   V
V                   I

Beautiful. Thanks.
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Ambrosius
Lokahi

132 Posts

Posted - 01/25/2013 :  1:33:41 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:

You could also alternate the bass strings between the positions mentioned above & sweeten the song a bit....


SirDuke ... 'with a little help from my friends' (Ringo Starr) ...

Could you please discuss a bit on this? What I miss is the possibilities the 'Taro Patch' gives in alternating bass. Especially on D-major's V7 (A7) which leaves be with a single tonic. I assume a full barre chord is the thing to do?
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Fran Guidry
Ha`aha`a

USA
1579 Posts

Posted - 01/26/2013 :  07:40:53 AM  Show Profile  Visit Fran Guidry's Homepage  Reply with Quote
Move the "D7" shape from taropatch one string toward the bass, in D tuning this is an A7. Now you have V (A) on the 5 string and V-of-V (E) on the 4 string.

Fran

E ho`okani pila kakou ma Kaleponi
Slack Key Guitar in California - www.kaleponi.com
Slack Key on YouTube
Homebrewed Music Blog

Edited by - Fran Guidry on 01/26/2013 07:41:54 AM
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sirduke58
`Olu`olu

USA
993 Posts

Posted - 01/26/2013 :  2:10:31 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Ambrosious

I did not word that part correctly & left it open to be easily miss interpreted. What I meant was that you can alternate between using either the 5th string or 6th string, whichever is appropriate for the parallel you are playing.

The following works best in my opinion. Using the Spanish arpeggio plucking sequence.

I...........Open...6-1-2-5-1-2-4-1 or 6-1-2-5-1-2-5-1
IV..........3rd string/1st fret & 5th string/2nd fret.....5-1-2-4-1-2-3-1
v...........1st string/2nd fret, 3rd string/2nd fret & 4th string/2nd fret (use same plucking sequence as IV)

I'm glad the previous info was useful and hope this is too.

Edited by - sirduke58 on 01/26/2013 2:11:20 PM
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Ambrosius
Lokahi

132 Posts

Posted - 01/31/2013 :  02:08:05 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by sirduke58
I'm glad the previous info was useful and hope this is too.



There are so much to learn. Occasionally it crosses my mind what if a source like this forum had been available to me some 40 years ago, when I was still in my teens and an aspiring guitar player

I have already and shall continue put efforts in the open D, mostly because there is music performed in open D which I like. I realize there is a tuning for all 'occasions' and some pieces (or even genres?) lend itself to different tunings, as well as personal preferences. Said that, I (now) don't see the benefits in play-ability gaining a 'root' at first string and loosing my bass 'V' at sixth.

I am looking into 'Isa Lei' so very well performed here in open D by John Trik http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aP4bWMDjr6s which made me interested in open D at the first. I think open D sounds very impressive strummed open, maybe simply because of the root at the sixth (I always strum from the 5th in Taro Patch).

I shall continue with open D, search for the soul and qualities in the tuning, but I suspect Taro Patch will be my home base

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chunky monkey
Ha`aha`a

USA
1022 Posts

Posted - 01/31/2013 :  11:55:00 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
If you want a good open D to experiment with, look into sthe Allman Bros. "Little Martha". Obviously not Hawaiian, but it has some great licks. Tab is available too.
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Ambrosius
Lokahi

132 Posts

Posted - 02/19/2013 :  04:42:48 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
... and back to the home base, Taro Patch. I thrive best at home.
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sirduke58
`Olu`olu

USA
993 Posts

Posted - 02/20/2013 :  05:49:00 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Taropatch is the most versatile of all the slack key tunings. Almost all of my instrumental ki ho'alu repertoire is in Taropatch G. It's a great place to reside
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Ambrosius
Lokahi

132 Posts

Posted - 02/21/2013 :  12:19:12 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by sirduke58

Taropatch is the most versatile of all the slack key tunings. Almost all of my instrumental ki ho'alu repertoire is in Taropatch G. It's a great place to reside



He he ... yes, I guess I discovered the truth of that. Although Open D has it's (sound)qualities, I feel I loose more than I gain, i.e. a root as 1st string does not make up for the loss of a V th on the 6th (and 4th) string, this despite Fran's (always good) advise.

Maybe if I had that 7th string ... a complete Taro Patch with a extra root as 1st string

My new 'thing' is to play ki ho'alu with three fingers ... a 'bottle neck' on my ring-finger to throw in a subtle slide now and then.

All in all, 'fiddling' around with these things gives my such joy, and I feel I learn so much true music.
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