| Author |
 Topic  |
|
ah.clem
Aloha
15 Posts |
 Posted - 11/03/2010 : 3:22:38 PM
|
I'm located in the southeast US. I've been working through Ozzie Katani's excellent instruction manual on my own; I'm on lesson 4 at this time. I don't have access to a teacher, but I have a lot of tab resources I have gathered over the years, and Scott Hillman was kind enough to send me a copy of his excellent tunings manual.
Can someone offer me advice on what to practice in Taro Patch besides the songs I am working on in the method book? I don't mind hard work and figuring stuff out but I don't have a clue about what would be useful to get under my fingers (other than ascending/descending 3rds and 6ths, but I'm not even certain how to best practice them, alone or with the alternating bass patterns). What about triads on the top 3 strings? I am an experienced jazz bassist/pianist with a good grasp of theory; I believe I will be able to follow advice on this topic.
Is there a good method book that provides this advice?
I would really appreciate any advice anyone could give me on this. I will not be back on Oahu for 18 months for a few weeks so it will be some time before I can take a lesson or two with a kumu.
Thanks for your time.
|
|
|
thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2173 Posts |
Posted - 11/03/2010 : 5:49:32 PM
|
| I've fooled around with minor triads on the 3 highest strings. There are only 3 forms and cool background stuff can be accomplished with them. |
 |
|
|
mike2jb
Lokahi
USA
213 Posts |
Posted - 11/03/2010 : 6:11:05 PM
|
Hi, ah.clem--
Do you have any Hawaiian songs you like to sing? Maybe you could pick one with just 3 or 4 chords in it. Then, if you know those parallel 3rds and 6ths, can you give a try to seeing if you can find the melody to one of those songs under your fingers by noodling around with them? Can you then try putting your thumb underneath them (alternating bass) like in some of Ozzie's beginning songs?
Mark Nelson also has a book of tabs for "standards" that you might find useful:
http://www.mark-o.com/
And as for a kumu, Patrick Landeza teaches at the Swannanoa Gathering in North Carolina in the summer: http://www.swangathering.com/ |
|
|
|
Mika ele
Ha`aha`a
USA
1493 Posts |
Posted - 11/04/2010 : 08:17:50 AM
|
Clem,
The most comprehensive and difinitive book on Slack Key is Professor Peter Medeiros' book. Search on Taropatch and you will see several threads already (on how to order). He describes not only the how of slack key, but the why and where from -- which are almost, if not more, important. Peter has added audio files on his web site so you can hear what an "Alberti Bass" sounds like or an "Olapa rhythm".
Unfortunately Peter does not have any videos (at least yet). However, Ozzie does and the music you are working on is all demonstrated in his first DVD. It is outstanding and is almost as good as going to Ozzie's house for a lesson. |
E nana, e ho'olohe. E pa'a ka waha, e hana ka lima. |
Edited by - Mika ele on 11/04/2010 08:19:07 AM |
|
|
|
ah.clem
Aloha
15 Posts |
Posted - 11/04/2010 : 1:53:23 PM
|
Thumbstruck, Mike and Mika ele. Thanks, I will order the Medeiro's book and I will try to locate Patrick Landeza. If he is in the Carolinas I can probably arrange to meet with him occasionally. Good advice on playing Hawaiian songs I know, Mike. I had already begun doing that; there's just so much to figure out and it's challenging without an instructor. But I'm making progress, so that's pretty good.
EDIT: it seems that Patrick Landeza lives in CA, so maybe I can hook up with him when he's in NC next summer. Thanks again for the advice. |
Edited by - ah.clem on 11/04/2010 1:57:57 PM |
|
|
|
Fran Guidry
Ha`aha`a
USA
1580 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2010 : 05:35:50 AM
|
quote:
Originally posted by ah.clem
...
Can someone offer me advice on what to practice in Taro Patch besides the songs I am working on in the method book? ...
Play vamps obsessively. Listen to your music collection for examples of 1st position vamps, vamps around the 5th fret, vamps that end at the 7-8-9 G triad, vamps that start above the 12th fret. Your aim is to be able to cover the neck with V-I vamps in every direction.
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
2173 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2010 : 08:35:59 AM
|
| What Fran said. Vamps were my "2nd" lesson, I played them for weeks. "Can play any kine, as long as it fit. Go try make'm up. Noddah one. Noddah one. Keep going." After a while, you can experiment with II-V-I vamps. Taropatch lends itself to playing in C, so after you feel you have exhausted G, try C. |
|
|
|
noeau
Ha`aha`a
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2010 : 08:48:30 AM
|
| No forget to add the bass on most lines it is on the beat alternating G, D for the G chord and D, D for the D7 and C, F# for the C chord. think about what you dong at first then shoot fo intuitive playing from the na'au(heart) |
No'eau, eia au he mea pa'ani wale nō. |
|
|
|
Mark
Ha`aha`a
USA
1628 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2010 : 10:49:42 AM
|
I second what everyone has said, particularly the part about buying my book. 
I also have a series of about 30 video lessons online. You can access the site and get a week's lessons free at my website: www.mark-o.com.
Just click the link on my homepage.
BTW: I just got back from shooting a 3rd series of videos, covering F wahine tuning and topics of how (and when) to vary a melody, how to get off the page and create your own arrangement from TAB, and how to move a song from one tuning to another. Should be ready to go in about a month.
|
|
|
|
RWD
`Olu`olu
USA
850 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2010 : 12:00:23 PM
|
You can make it on your own with online help and tabs. I have been doing it that way for over five years now. I have only met one slack key player to date.
There may seem to be many down sides to your situation, however, there is an upside as well--one that I am experiencing right now in fact...
When you are good enough to play out, your playing style will be like no one else in your area. No other guitar player will have your sound and you will not be one of many.
Enjoy knowing that this awaits you and practice.
|
Bob |
Edited by - RWD on 11/05/2010 12:02:32 PM |
|
|
|
thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2173 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2010 : 3:18:35 PM
|
| Way back when, I used to "force" the Bluegrassers I jammed with to play rhythm for me for ki ho'alu once in a while. They didn't seem to mind. If you can get another to chop rhythm for you, it will help even out your timing. Music is communication and can build community. |
|
|
|
RWD
`Olu`olu
USA
850 Posts |
Posted - 11/08/2010 : 04:11:32 AM
|
This is a little late but is worthwhile to mention.
Try using a looper to practice vamps. You can put any kine chord progressions together really fast and then play vamps over it until you get it nailed down. |
Bob |
|
|
|
ah.clem
Aloha
15 Posts |
Posted - 11/10/2010 : 1:10:30 PM
|
Wow, guys, I'm overwhelmed! Thanks for all these great tips and ideas! Plenty of stuff here for many months of work. A sincere mahalo for all your time and advice. Mark, your book just arrived a few days ago and I have been listening to the CD; some of my favorites on there, looking forward to learning them.
So, sounds like it's vamps for me for the foreseeable future... pretty cool. Haole_Boy, great idea on the looper. BIAB will work fine for that.
|
|
|
|
Pops
Lokahi
USA
387 Posts |
Posted - 11/11/2010 : 2:08:01 PM
|
Clem,
I would recommend that you listen to as much slack key music as possible. Many CDs list the tunings now so find those that are in Taropatch and try to play along with them at speed. It's like jumping in the water to learn how to swim, but it's worked throughout the ages. Good playing to you.
--Mark |
|
|
|
jimscottjr
Aloha
USA
38 Posts |
Posted - 11/16/2010 : 09:54:56 AM
|
I'll throw in my 2 cents worth. I found that tabs, after the first month or two, kept me from moving forward. I would focus so much on the tab that I would be distracted from the mele.
I sometimes use tabs to get me 'in the ballpark', then just jam - try what seems like ought to work. Up and down the neck - and in the process learn new vamps and fingerings. The most important part for me is spending the time on the keyboard.
Aloha and keep at it. |
Old Haole
http://www.haoleslackkey.com/ |
|
|
|
slipry1
Ha`aha`a
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - 11/16/2010 : 10:28:43 AM
|
| OK, guyz. The mantra for motor learning of any sort is (as I've posted here before) "the more you do it, the better you get". Tab is good for finding your way thru a tune, but, after you get it into your memory, play, play and play it more! A benefit of that, along with doing turnarounds, is that you find licks in one tune you can use in others, and, after a while, you find that you can pick up tunes without resorting to tablature. When I'm learning a new tune on steel from Alan Akaka, he has me learn to play the melody, note for note, until I KNOW the song, which makes playing it easier, adding more complex lines and rhythms as I go. I also go to "He Mele" or get lyrics from one of the Hawaiian music lyric websites so I can understand the meaning of the song. Lester Young is quoted as saying that, if you don't know the lyrics, you can't improvise on the song. One last shot - sightreading does not lead to knowing a tune - it's jst a transmission from eyes to hands. I quit teaching banjo after 15 years because I found that 'I was sightreading tablature! |
keaka |
|
|
|
Topic |
|
Practice Advice
