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KenS
Aloha
USA
5 Posts |
 Posted - 02/01/2006 : 06:57:03 AM
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Hello all,
I am an experienced fingerstyle player - blues, folk, jazz, Celtic, "whatever I can learn," etc. and am interested in exploring Slack Key. I've used tunings for a long time and have a decent feel for them in the styles mentioned - but Slack Key is completely new.
I know about Mark Hanson's book - but am wondering if I might be better off going to one of the books by the traditional players/teachers. As such, I am looking for recommendations on book/CD combos or DVD's for someone like myself. Given that I am new to the style, I don't want to go too advanced - but I'm not sure I need a total beginner's book either. Or maybe I do?
At any rate - whatever advice you might offer would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Ken
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Fran Guidry
Ha`aha`a
USA
1579 Posts |
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Russell Letson
`Olu`olu
USA
504 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2006 : 07:21:26 AM
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I started with slack key after playing fingerstyle for 40 years, and the biggest challenge was getting the rhythmic feel right. The syncopations are not quite like those in, say, Piedmont/John Hurt/Libba Cotten tunes, though they're close enough to fool the fingers.
For an experienced player, I'd say it's less a matter of which book than of listening to a lot of players and letting your fingers get connected to your ears (which you must have done for every genre you've tackled). Even though I learned most of my fingerpicking from books early on (the days of Oak Publications and Stefan Grossman's first efforts), and as useful as tabs are for nailing down fingerings I'm too dense to work out myself, I've found that I get a better feel for a given slack key piece from videos--there's something about the dance the fingers do that connects.
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Pua Kai
Ha`aha`a
USA
1007 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2006 : 07:37:34 AM
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How about getting John Keawe's DVD? Also, think about Slack Tracks - from Chunkey Monkey (Terry Beckhelm)or Ianui (Don Narup).
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Karl Monetti
`Olu`olu
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2006 : 10:17:04 AM
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Welcome, Ken,
My first exposure to educational materials was Keola Beamers video. I still think it is one of the better instructionals, along with the John Keawe video. Mark Hansons book is good, Ozzies a little lower level of expertise (the book, only, not necessarily the player). A lot of us have tab for individuyal songs if you can learn from that, but for me, i need to at least hear someithn g before i can learn from tab, and the video works best for me. If there are any other TPers in your neck of the woods maybe they could lend a hand for visualization.
Slack key is not a technically demanding form, althouhg a notable few like Led Kaapana and Moses Kahumoku take it to a higher level. I have played fingerstyle for years also, and i like the simplicity, the syncopation, the harmonies involved, and it is easier to play than a lot of other stuff i have tried. I hope yu like what you find and become a regular contributor. You will probably get more information than you want, especially if goofballs like me reply.
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Karl
Frozen North |
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Mark
Ha`aha`a
USA
1628 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2006 : 10:32:28 AM
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Hey Ken -
Welcome to the slack key world. I'll second some of the advice already given: the best way to learn slack key is the "listen with your eyes" traditional approach. The problem with any books (including mine) is that they give the impression that there is a "right" way to play something. Slack key is like blues or any other trad form in that the song's never played the same way twice.
Pick up some videos, go to concerts, find some players in your area and just immerse yourself in the music.
But if you really want to learn come to Hawai`i. Take in one of the camps, check out the kani kapila's like the one at Waihe`e, take some lessons from one of the greats like George Kahumoku, Jr, John Keawe, Ozzie Kotani or Kevin Brown. It'll change your life, guaranteed.
cheers,
Mark Not Hanson
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RJS
Ha`aha`a
1635 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2006 : 10:41:19 AM
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There's a part of me that wants to say that slack key is not so very demanding, and from a purely technical part of view, you can play good slack key without a lot of technical fireworks. (If that were the whole picture, how come most people who try don't play like superb slack key?) But I don't think the issue is technical proficiency. You can find superb players who bring a lot of technical sophistication to their work, and it is beautiful slack key. "Simple" ain't just the issue.
There is a prett good spectrum of material available now. Enjoy the buffett and you'll soon pick out the "sub-styles" that resonante with you.
But... as said before - I think the best thing to do is get your hands on every slack key CD you can and listen multiple times. Keep it on all the time if you can, so that you can find the feeling for it somewhere inside yourself. Then try to express your own voice within the genre. Don't try to play like anyone else, except as a learning strategy. But slack key does have a feel to it. My favorites still are Sonny Chillingworth, Ozzie Kotani, Keola Beamer, Dennis Kamakahi and Steve Sano. That no way implies that the others aren't great - it's a question of personal taste, and that list represents my "favorites amoung the favorites."
Also -- and I think this is very important. Slack key is a part of Hawaiian music. Listen to a broad spectrum of the music. The words are very important. Listen to the great singers and pay attention to their phrasing. And watch hula -- there is a such a strong connection between the music, the words and the dance -- that is the whole. Get a feeling for that, and it will inform your slack key playing and give it depth.
Hawaiian music is a great "world." Have fun exploring. And welcome to the patch. |
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hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2006 : 11:15:45 AM
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Hi Ken,
Welcome to slack key. A good way to get a taste for all the different styles is to buy the Dancing Cat "Masters of Slack Key Guitar" CDs 1 and 2. It will give you a feel for the different playing styles.
Jesse Tinsley |
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KenS
Aloha
USA
5 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2006 : 11:44:16 AM
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Thank all for your welcome and your suggestions. I've ordered Ledward Kaapana's DVD and will begin to beef up my CD collection as well - currently I have a Sonny Chillingworth and a Keola Beamer. Most of my exposure has been via other sources thus far.
I agree with the DVD over book preference. The videos spoil you (at least when the teachers are good). My playing is pretty eclectic and I'm looking forward to exploring a new style.
Regards
Ken |
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chunky monkey
Ha`aha`a
USA
1022 Posts |
Posted - 02/02/2006 : 07:49:32 AM
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| KenS - You've found the mother lode of information for this subject. There are some great minds and players represented here. I'll add my two cents. I used to really care about note for note practice, trying to parrot Led or Keola or whoever. It took a while, despite the advise of Mark Nelson and Dave Nye and Fran and Raymond and others to come around to the listen, look and experiment approach. Being an experienced player will help you immeasurably because you already know how to do what you want to do. I recommend getting some John Keawe and some Dennis Kamakahi stuff. John's music inspires me because of its simplicity and its emotional appeal. Being an inexperienced player, I found his music doable with just lots of practice and without too much concentration on note-for-note reproduction. For me, his instructional DVD was a milestone in learning. Dennis Kamakahi's music is a microcosym of Hawaiian music (not just Slack Key) and demonstrates the breadth of what a slacker can do. Welcome to the barrel. |
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KenS
Aloha
USA
5 Posts |
Posted - 02/02/2006 : 11:09:16 AM
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Good points, CM. My method with most styles is to learn note for note until I know the piece and then put the tab away. I usually find that if I look at it again at a later time, that I've changed it somewhat. I had a teacher in the late 70's who was a stickler for learning the piece as taught. His view was that you can always personalize it later - but it was also easy to use "playing it my way" as an excuse to not deal with learning the hard parts. I've found that that approach works for me and is a good discipline. I usually play pretty fast and loose with right hand technique - Roy Bookbinder says that your personal style is in the right hand - and with left-handed fingering techniques. But I try to play all the notes - if that makes any sense - in the right tempo.
btw, I started working on my first piece this morning - "Wa'apa" in G-wahine tuning as taught by Keola in an Acoustic Guitar article from the past. The AG site has RAM files, so I'm able to hear what I'm supposed to be doing. I'm really enjoying it.
Ken
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thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2168 Posts |
Posted - 02/02/2006 : 2:11:35 PM
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| Welcome to da patch! The guy who taught me gave me good advice: "Can play any kine 'long as it fit." |
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