| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
Puluke
Aloha
USA
36 Posts |
 Posted - 08/10/2014 : 08:30:04 AM
|
|
Just started wondering recently and can't find the answer anywhere. So, why are open tunings with the major 7th added referred to as wahine tunings?
|
- Bruce |
|
|
cmdrpiffle
`Olu`olu
USA
553 Posts |
Posted - 08/10/2014 : 10:29:44 PM
|
Teh girlz, they love those sounds?
Best guess anyway |
my Poodle is smarter than your honor student |
 |
|
|
thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2169 Posts |
Posted - 08/11/2014 : 05:59:15 AM
|
| I was told that Aunty Alice was instrumental in developing them, thus "wahine". Major7th tunings are also found in steel guitar. Cool intervals, minor triads, etc. For steel info, contact Slipry1. |
|
|
|
Momi
Lokahi
402 Posts |
Posted - 08/11/2014 : 06:20:01 AM
|
I thought I had heard it was because chords didn't require as much reach, since women typically have smaller hand spans than men.
This is coming from someone who doesn't play slack key, however. |
|
|
|
sirduke58
`Olu`olu
USA
993 Posts |
Posted - 08/11/2014 : 07:15:42 AM
|
Peter Medeiros will probably have the correct answer to this question.
I would guess along the lines of what Momi suggested. Through personal experience I would say that "Wahine tunings" puts the "resolve" in a very easy to reach place on the fretboard. This allows intricate fingerings of the melody to be played in very close proximity of just a few frets.
Take Raymond Kane's "Punahele" for instance. It's possible to play it in taropatch tuning but you're going to work very hard for it. Your "resolve" will be a hard to reach a 4-5 on the 4th string & you will have to move 5 frets vertically to achieve the signature "hook" lick of the song. Slack your G string (No not that one. The one on the guitar ) 1/2 step & now you're in G Wahine aka Double Slack. The signature "hook" lick from "Punahele" can then be played on just the first two frets. Now you can go vertically instead of horizontally on your fretboard to accomplish the signature lick in "Punahele" Same principle with Gabby's "Hi'ilawe aka C Wahine" tuning. The "resovle" ends up in an easy to reach 0-1 add-on on the 2nd string.......Dunno if I'm explaining it clearly in text, sorry  . So easy to show it in person |
Hoof Hearted?...Was it you Stu Pedaso? |
|
|
|
thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2169 Posts |
Posted - 08/11/2014 : 10:12:20 AM
|
| Nicely explained, Duke! |
|
|
|
Earl
`Olu`olu
USA
524 Posts |
Posted - 08/11/2014 : 1:13:54 PM
|
| Between Thumbstruck (Auntie Alice's influence), Sirduke (convenient resolution note)and Momi (lesser reach in general for smaller female hands) we have now covered all of the explanations that I have ever heard. The answer is in there somewhere.... |
|
|
|
Ben
Lokahi
USA
122 Posts |
Posted - 08/12/2014 : 01:51:49 AM
|
| I once heard it suggested - perhaps with tongue in cheek - that it's because wahine tunings are more complicated and subtle, just like with people. |
Mālama pono
Ben |
|
|
|
Admin
Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
Posted - 08/12/2014 : 05:07:05 AM
|
| I've also heard what Momi and Duke already posted. |
Andy |
|
|
|
Peter Medeiros
`Olu`olu
546 Posts |
Posted - 08/12/2014 : 3:52:25 PM
|
Wahine tunings are not complicated. They utilize simple chords with even simpler fingering. But, I think we may need Mr. Peabodyʻs Wayback machine to find the origin. Off the top of my head my thinking is this -- wahine tunings have certain charecteristics that have been only partially addressed in this thread. Wahine tunings are diatonic – played in one key and for the most part with little or no modulation to another key. Any song can be played in a wahine tuning. However, the wahine tunings are really optimized for simple songs that use only the root and dominant chords. The majority of tunes played using wahine tunings are strophic – simple two line verses.
This is what I learned from Peter Moon. The sound of the wahine tunings when played Hawaiian style can be charecterized as having a twang, because the movement often involves the use of the hammer-on between chords (Wheeha Swing, Punahele,). This charecteristic twang comes about because the strings are tuned to a major seventh chord that allows for simple one finger chords (root & dominant 7).
There are any number of ways a major 7th tuning can be constructed, but the wahine style is setup primarily for ease of use – there is no room for complicated fingering or chords. For example, G wahine = DGDF#BD – the F# on the 3rd string is hammered to make a G chord & then left open to make a D7 chord with the same finger moving over to the 1st fret 2nd string. The F# makes the open strings in this tuning a major 7th. The D wahine that was used by my dadʻs family, DADF#AC#, the C# on the 1st string makes the strings in this tuning a major 7th. The hammer-on going to the root chord D is at the first fret 1st string. The hammer-on going to the dominant 7 (A7) is first fret 3rd string. Furthermore, the C wahine CGEGBE, the B on the 2nd string is the major 7th in the key of C. To hold a simple C chord hold or hammer the 2nd string at the first fret. To hold a simple G7 chord hold or hammer the 4th string at the first fret.
Why are the tunings called wahine is a good question and I doubt if I have the right answer, but I do know that we have to go back to the 1800s when the guitar was just becoming popular in Europe and America. In comparison to a piano, the guitar was a portable and affordable musical instrument – and it could be found in many households. My father learned slack key from his tutu and mother and they would play every night after pauhana. I can only surmise that the term wahine tuning came about as the result of womanʻs role as not only being in charge of the household but also the entertainment.
At that point in time women were burdened with just about all of the domestic responsibilites one could think of – while the men were out working, so weʻre told. Entertaining the family and guests were the responsibility of women of the house and this included teaching and playing music. As the guitar became popular and fashionable a good number of womenʻs guitar clubs were formed for educating, entertaining and socializing. Standard tuning (EADGBE) was no where near being as widespread (and standard) as it is now. Alternate tunings such as the Sevastapol (DADF#AD), Spanish (DGDGBD) and other open or modal tunings were prevalent. To make the fingering (chords) easier, one could change the tuning on a string so that you only had to hold down one string for a chord. So, Open D – Sevastapol - (DADF#AD) becomes D wahine (DADF#AC#) and Open G tuning (DGDGBD) becomes (DGDF#BD), and Open C (CGEGCE) becomes(CGEGBE). Okayden. Over and out. Iʻm pau for now. |
|
|
|
Fran Guidry
Ha`aha`a
USA
1579 Posts |
Posted - 08/13/2014 : 06:17:53 AM
|
Some years ago at a beach park kanikapila, I showed a young man double slack G wahine. His dad was observing and commented excitedly that this was "that old one finger slack key" which he had seen the kupuna play when he was a keiki.
Fran |
E ho`okani pila kakou ma Kaleponi
Slack Key Guitar in California - www.kaleponi.com
Slack Key on YouTube
Homebrewed Music Blog |
|
|
|
thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2169 Posts |
Posted - 08/13/2014 : 1:53:27 PM
|
There is even a "Samoan" tuning for ukulele that allows "one finger" control:
GCEA- standard Island tuning, GBEA- Samoan. |
|
|
|
Momi
Lokahi
402 Posts |
Posted - 09/12/2014 : 1:57:44 PM
|
| The one slack key `ukulele tuning I know of is GCEG. I can do a passable "Moon of Manakoora" and "Malaguena" in that tuning. (Learned them from my dad.) |
|
|
|
thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2169 Posts |
Posted - 09/12/2014 : 6:00:22 PM
|
Azz da Samoan tuning!
|
|
|
|
basilking
Lokahi
124 Posts |
Posted - 10/09/2014 : 6:31:21 PM
|
A Hawai`ian pal & I were at Ala Moana park near the channel some years ago, kanikapila'g while watching his daughter @ outrigger canoe practice. He's studied a good long while with a venerable kumu & I asked him where the name "Wahine Tuning" originated. He said a version of, "You hafta hold it to make a chord, gently, like you hold your woman". Dunno that's the historic derivation, just what a local friend told me.
BTW, he plays quite well, unhindered by any technical concerns or knowledge of "major 7th tunings". His style is old-school and spot-on. |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
Why are they called "wahine" tunings?
