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History of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar
Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar is one of the oldest finger-styles in the world, dating back to the 1800's when Kamehameha III brought Latin American cowboys, or vaqueros, to teach the Hawaiians to ranch. The "Paniolos" as they were called brought their guitars and gave them to the Hawaiian cowboys, who invented their own style by 'slacking' or detuning the strings.
Slack key remained shrouded in secrecy for years, as the story goes, with each family having its own "secret" tunings handed down from generation to generation. They would not teach their techniques or tunings to outsiders, and may have even refused to play for people outside their circle. Some of this may be fancy, for while there are a large number of known slack key tunings (and probably many that were lost), only a relative few are in common use.
Taro Patch, or Open G, is by far the most common slack key tuning. This tuning is not unique to slack key, and was in fact popular among Delta Blues players such as Robert Johnson. It's also the way a banjo is tuned, and thus familiar to Appalachian and Bluegrass music. Other popular tunings are G Wahine (a.k.a. Punahele or Namakelua's tuning), Drop C, Mauna loa, and occasionally Open D tuning.
While many other forms of music use open tunings, Slack Key can also be defined by other elements. As with many 'folk fingerstyles,' the idea is to play both melody & bass at the same time, using an alternating bass on the bottom 3 (& sometimes 4) strings and playing the melody on the top 3. Generally the songs are in major keys, and focus around 3 or 4 chords (I, IV, V, II). You see the similarities to blues & folk already, and in both styles the turnaround is also important. In a slack key V-I, the melody usually hits the 'one' from the Major 7.
Of course theory doesn't quite cover it. There are certain turnarounds, techniques, runs, etc., but the most important element is feel. The best way to get a handle on Slack Key is to listen to some recordings (our "classic albums" page is a good place to start).
The ukulele and the steel guitar dominated the "Golden Age" of Hawaiian music in the 20's and 30's. Though some recordings feature slack key, it was mainly as a rhythm or background instrument (as most guitar of the era). After World War II, the style was in danger of dying out. Fortunately, the few people left who could play realized this and made an effort to replace the secrecy surrounding the style with a spirit of sharing and Aloha.
Heading into the 50's & 60's, artists such as Ray Kane, Gabby Pahinui, Leonard Kwan, and (later) Sonny Chillingworth began recording albums that featured Slack Key as a lead instrument. These four players became 'godfathers' of the style and helped Slack Key regain its prominence. They were also influential in the Hawaiian cultural renaissance of the 70's, when the next generation of players like Keola Beamer, the younger Pahinui's like Cyril & Bla (as part of the legendary "Gabby Band"), Peter Moon, George Kuo, and Led Ka'apana began emerging.
In the 90's, George Winston's Dancing Cat label began releasing a series of High Quality recordings by masters like Sonny Chillingworth, Ray Kane, Ozzie Kotani, Cyril Pahinui, and Led Kaapana that helped pave the way for continued interest in the style. More people started listening to the music, festivals and tours became more popular, and modern instructional materials began to emerge. In 2005 the first grammy for Hawaiian music went to a slack key compilation album.
The future for Slack Key looks bright, with the continued recording of Masters like Led Ka'apana, Ozzie Kotani, Cyril Pahinui, and younger voices like High School aged Danny Carvahlo emerging. It's also seen talented players such as George & Keoki Kahumoku, Sonny Lim, Jeff Peterson, and Makana rise to prominence. All in all, the future looks bright for Slack Key guitar. - Sept. '07