History and Techniques of the Guitar

Music 2007
Welcome to the class. This book contains most of the material that you will need for Music 2007. You
will use this book in conjunction with the website and the instructors lectures and presentations.
The first section of the book involves music theory and guitar-playing instruction. It is page
numbered as follows:

Basic Guitar Theory 3

Chromatic Scale 4

The staff 5

Rhythm and Counting 6

Time Signatures 7

Note Values 7

Rest Values 8

Tablature 9

Chord Diagrams 10

Scale Diagrams 10

The Major Scale 11

Minor Pentatonic Scale 11

Building Chords 12

Extended Chords 13

Harmonizing a major scale 13

Tuning the Guitar 14

Holding the Guitar 14

Using a Pick 15

Chord Sheet 18

Strumming 19

12 Bar Blues 20

Bar Chords 26

First String 33

Second String 34

Third String 36

Fourth String 39

Fifth String 40

Sixth String 42

Fingerstyle 43

Musical Styles as it Relates to Guitar 49

1

Guitar Styles Examples 51

A Brief History of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar 52

Types of Acoustic Guitars 56

A Short History Of The Electric Guitar 58

The rest of the book is excerpts from other books and periodicals. The sections are in the following
order:

Instrument

Bottleneck and Slide Guitar

Man out of Time Antonio Torres

Anatomy of the Acoustic Guitar
Blues Guitars
Anatomy of the Electric Guitar
Strings and Guitar Maintenance

History

Early History
19th Century
Andres Segovia
Origins of Flamenco
Solo Guitar (jazz)
Modern Period (jazz)
Virtuoso Rock
Modern Pop Rock
A Century of the Blues

Guitarists

Robert Johnson
Son House
Charlie Christian
John Lee Hooker
Muddy Waters
Albert Collins
Buddy Guy
B. B. King
Otis Rush
Bo Diddley
Chuck Berry
Wes Montgomery
Doc Watson
Chet Atkins
Pierre Bensusan / Michael Hedges
Eric Clapton
Jeff Beck
Jimi Hendrix
Carlos Santana
Eddie Van Halen
Pat Metheny
2

Eric Johnson
Steve Morse
Steve Vai
Joe Satriani

200 Greatest Guitar Recordings

The 101 Greatest Moments in Guitar History
Glossary of Guitar Terms

Basic Guitar Theory

In music, pitches are identified by the first seven letters of the alphabet: A-B-C-D-E-F-G. This is
known as the musical alphabet, and within it are two types of consecutive intervals. An interval is
the distance between two notes. Consecutive intervals are those that proceed to the next letter in
the musical alphabet: A to B, B to C, and so on. This stepwise movement is called diatonic, and is
the basis for all scales. The further you progress through the musical alphabet, the higher
(ascending in frequency) the pitch, until the octave is reached. The octave is the eighth tone above
the note started on, and shares the same letter name with that note. An octave is double the
frequency (beats per second) of the note that shares the same letter name. There are two different
intervals in the diatonic scale as shown in the diagram below:

On the guitar fretboard:

A half step interval is equal to one fret.
A whole step interval is equal to two frets.
These notes placed on the guitar fretboard would look like the diagram below:

The Chromatic Scale

Arranging the musical alphabet on the fretboard gives us a good overview of the guitar neck, but it
is not complete: we need to name the notes on each fret. By inserting notes between every whole
step, we generate a twelve-note scale comprised entirely of half steps. Because we are limited to
only seven letters when identifying pitches, we must supply accidentals. An accidental is the term for
a sharp (#) or flat (b).
The sharp (#) raises the pitch of a note by a half step (one fret).
The flat (b) lowers the pitch of a note by a half step (one fret).
Using accidentals, we can generate a scale made up entirely of half steps. This is called the
chromatic scale.

Notice that every sharp has a flat equivalent and vice versa. When two pitches share two names,
these names are called enharmonic. For example, the enharmonic equivalent of Bb is A#.

The Staff
Music is written by placing notes on a staff. The musical staff consists of five lines and four spaces.
Each line and space represents a letter from the musical alphabet. The higher the note is placed, the
higher the pitch. The lower a note is placed, the lower the pitch. The clef appears at the beginning of
every staff and indicates where the musical alphabet is assigned. Guitar music is written in treble
(G) clef. The loop of the clef encircles the second line of the staff, designating this as G. From this
we can determine the note names on the remaining lines and spaces.

In order to display the chromatic notes we use sharps or flats:

The illustration above shows the six strings with all notes up to the twelfth fret, both on the staff and
the neck.

Rhythm and Counting

The staff is divided into measures. Measure are defined as equal groupings of time. Each is
separated by a vertical line called a bar line. To track progress through the measure, we use beats
or counts. It is common to have four beats per measure. These counts are evenly placed
throughout, and the speed at which the beats are counted is called the tempo.

Time Signatures
The time signature appears after the clef at the beginning of a piece of music. The top number
indicates the number of beats per measure, while the bottom number indicates which type of note
(half, quarter, etc) receives one count.

Note Values
While the location of a note on the staff tells you its pitch, the duration (or value) is indicated by its
shape. Below are five note values with the counting of each shown below the measure. Notice that
each successive note value is half the length of the previous one. These note values are applicable to
4/4 time signature.

Summary of note values:

2/2
2

4/4
4

9/8
8

1/2

1/4

1/2

1/8

1/4

1/2

Rest Values
Rests are similar to notes except that they represent silence. For each note value there is an
equivalent rest.

The above illustration would be in 4/4 time

Other Note Symbols

A dotted note increases the note value by 50%. In the above example a quarter note is worth 1
beat. When a dot is added to the note the dotted quarter note is equal to 1 beats (1 + ).
A tie joins to notes of the same pitch together so that the note value is the total value of the two
notes. In the above example two quarter notes (1 beat each) are joined together to create a note
value of two beats (1+1). In other words, the first note is played and it then rings for the value of
the second note.
Triplet Three notes played in the time of two of the notes.
These three eighth notes are played in the time of two eight notes or one
quarter note.

Tablature
Tablature is a system that graphically represents the fingerboard.

Lines represent strings

Numbers represent frets
Zero indicates and open string
Numbers written separately are played individually as notes
Numbers aligned vertically are played together as chords

Pitch and rhythm are indicated on the staff above the tablature. Fingerings for both hands and
picking direction are also shown. Left-hand fingering is written below the tablature. Right hand
fingering and pick direction are written above the tblature. If chords are present, their symbols are
written above the staff.

10

Chord Diagrams
Vertical lines represent strings, and horizontal lines represent frets. The lowest or thickest string
(low E) is on the left side, while the highest or thinnest string (high E) is on the right side. Left-hand
fingerings are shown as black dots, and the corresponding finger numbers are placed either beside
them or at the top of the diagram. The root of a chord or scale may be circled. Barres are
represented with a curved line, and strings that are not played are shown with an X. With chord
diagrams, all fingers are placed down at the same time.

Scale Diagrams
Scale diagrams are similar to chord diagrams except there are multiple notes per string. When
playing through a scale diagram, start with the lowest note on the lowest string. Play all notes
shown before rpeating the process on the next string. The fret is indicated to the right of the
diagram for higher positions. With scale diagrams, all tones are shown but the fingers are placed
down sequentially (one at a time). Here is a two0octave C major scale in seventh position.

11

The Major Scale

The major scale is the most commonly used scale in our culture. This is the familiar do-re-mi-fa-solla-ti-do. Most chords and other scales are derived from or are related to the major scale. Notice that
each note is given a number. The formula for a major scale is:
Whole step, whole step, half-step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half-step

Minor Pentatonic Scale

Playing the 6th, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th of a major scale, in that order, creates the minor pentatonic
scale. It is called pentatonic because it has five tones. This is the main scale used in rock
improvisation. This is a moveable scale form, as displayed below. By changing the root you change
the scale. Below is a G minor pentatonic scale.

12

Building Chords
Triads are three-note chords and are the basis for almost all chords. Chords are derived from scales.
Triads are built from the root, third and fifth degree of the major scale. There are four types of
triads:
Major Root, third and fifth. Using the C major scale C, E and G. By playing these notes
simultaneously we have a C major chord or C chord for short.

Minor Root, lowered third and fifth C, Eb and G

Augmented - Root, third and raised fifth C, E and G#
Diminished Root, lowered third and lowered fifth C, Eb and Gb

13

Extended Chords
By using more than three notes of the scale we create more complex chords. The following charts
illustrates the formulas for the various chords
Use the notes from the major scale.
b = flat (lower note 1 fret or semitone)
# = sharp (raise note 1 fret or semitone)
Major
Minor
Diminished
Augmented
6
Maj7
Min7
7
9
#9
11
13

1, 3, 5
1, b3, 5
1, b3, b5
1, 3, #5
1, 3, 5, 6
1, 3, 5, 7
1,b3, 5, b7
1, 3, 5, b7
1, 3, 5, b7,
1, 3, 5, b7,
1, 3, 5, b7,
1, 3, 5, b7,

9
#9
9, 11
9, ,11, 13

Harmonizing a major scale

By using a 1, 3, 5 note pattern beginning on each note of the major scale we get a series of chords
that we can use to harmonize a melody or song that uses this scale. In other words, a series of
chords for each key.

14

Playing the Guitar

Tuning the Guitar
Steps to Tuning Your Guitar
Make sure your sixth string is in tune. Compare to a reference tone such as a tuning fork, tuner,
piano, other guitar, etc. Then do the following:

Holding the Guitar

Get yourself an armless chair, and take a seat. You should be sitting comfortably, with your back
against the back of the chair. Slouching significantly is a no-no; you'll not only end up with a sore
back, you'll develop bad habits on the guitar.
Now, pick up your guitar, and hold it so the back of the body of the instrument comes in contact
with your stomach/chest, and the bottom of the neck runs parallel to the floor. The thickest string on
the guitar should be the closest to your face, while the thinnest should be closest to the floor. If this
isn't the case, turn the guitar the in other direction. Typically, a right-handed person will hold the
guitar so the headstock points to the left, whereas a left-handed person will hold the guitar so the
headstock points to the right. (NOTE: to play the guitar as a lefty would, you will need a left-handed
guitar.)
When playing the guitar sitting down, the body of the guitar will rest on one of your legs. In most
styles of guitar playing, the guitar will rest on the leg farthest away from the headstock. This means,
a person playing the guitar in a right-handed fashion will typically rest the guitar on his/her right leg,
while someone playing the guitar in a lefty manner will rest it on their left leg. (NOTE: proper
classical guitarist technique dictates the exact OPPOSITE of the above, but for this lesson, let's stick
to our initial explanation)

15

Next, concentrate on your "fretting hand" (the hand closest to the neck of the guitar, when sitting in
proper position). The thumb of your fretting hand should rest behind the neck of the guitar, with
your fingers in a slightly curled position, poised above the strings. It is extremely important to keep
these fingers curled at the knuckles, except when specifically instructed not to do so.

Using a Pick
Hopefully, you've bought or borrowed a few guitar picks. If not, you'll need to buy yourself some.
You can experiment with different shapes and brands, but you should probably start with medium
gauge picks to start; ones that aren't too flimsy, or too hard.
The following documentation explains how to hold, and use a pick. When reading, keep in mind that
your "picking hand" is the hand which is nearest to the bridge of the guitar, when sitting in the
correct position.

1. Open your picking hand, and turn the palm to face you.
2. Close your hand to make a very loose fist. Your thumb should remain beside your index
finger.
3. Rotate your hand until you are looking at its profile, with your thumb's knuckle facing you.
4. With your other hand, slide your guitar pick between your thumb and index finger. The pick
should be approximately located behind the knuckle of the thumb.
5. Be sure the pointed end of the pick is pointing directly away from your fist, and is protruding
by about a half an inch. Hold the pick firmly.
6. Position your picking hand over the soundhole of your acoustic guitar, or over the body of
your electric guitar. Your picking hand, with thumb knuckle still facing you, should hover over
the strings.
7. Do not rest your picking hand on the strings or body of the guitar.
8. Using your wrist for motion (rather than your entire arm), strike the sixth (lowest) string of
your guitar in a downward motion. If the string rattles excessively, try striking the string a bit
softer, or with less of the pick surface.
9. Now, pick the sixth string in an upwards motion.
10. Repeat the process several times. Try and minimize motion in your picking hand: one short
picking stroke downwards, then one short picking stroke upwards. This process is referred to
as "alternate picking"
11. Try the same exercise on the fifth, fourth, third, second, and first strings.
Tips:
1. Holding the pick in this manner will invariably feel awkward at first. You will initially have to
pay special attention to your picking hand whenever you play guitar.
2. Try and create fluidity in your alternate picking. Your downstrokes should sound virtually
identical to your upstrokes.

16

Flamenco and classical guitarists sit with their left leg elevated. Some flamenco players tend to raise
the right leg. In either case, the foot is usually place on a foot stool.

17

18

Playing Chords
Chords to Learn for First Term

19

Strumming
One of the primary ways that exceptional guitarists stand out from more mediocre ones, is via their
ability to bring life and energy to otherwise routine songs using an interesting strumming pattern. A
guitarist with a good grasp of strumming can bring a 2-chord G to C song to life, and make the
listener think they're hearing something much more complex than they actually are. It's an often
neglected aspect of guitar playing; we as guitarists tend to worry much more about getting our
fingers in the right positions on the strings. But, a great rhythm guitarist is every bit as valuable to a
band as the flashy lead player (and some would argue, more). In the first installment of this feature,
we'll examine some of the basics of strumming the guitar, and learn some widely used strumming
patterns.
First things first... make sure your guitar is in tune and you have a guitar pick. Using your fretting
hand, form a G major chord on the neck. Making sure you are holding your pick properly, practice
playing the following example, which is a basic one bar strumming
pattern.
Alternate between strumming down, and strumming up. When you
get done playing the example once, loop it, without any sort of
pause. Count out loud: 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 1 and 2 and (etc.)
Notice that on the "and" (often referred to as the "offbeat") you are
always using an upwards strum. Here are a few things to keep in
mind as you play the above pattern:

If you are playing an acoustic guitar, make sure to strum directly over the sound hole
On electric guitar, strum over the body (different locations will give you different sounds), not
over the neck
Make sure all strings are ringing clearly
Make sure the volume of your downstrums and upstrums are equal
Be careful not to strum too hard, as this often causes strings to rattle, and produces an
undesirable sound
Be careful not to strum too softly, as this will produce a "wimpy" sound. Your pick should be
striking the strings with a relatively firm, even stroke
Think of your elbow as being the top of a pendulum; your arm should swing up and down
from it in a steady motion, never pausing at any time.
Having said that, the bulk of the picking motion should come from a rotation of the wrist,
rather than from the forearm. Be sure not to keep your wrist stiff when playing.

= Upstroke

= Downstroke

20

Strumming Patterns

12 Bar Blues
This pattern consists of 4 bars of the I chord, 2 bars of the IV chord, 2 bars of the I chord, 1 bar of
the V chord, 1 bar of the IV chord, 1 bar of the I chord and 1 bar of the V chord. Quick change blues
is when you substitute a IV chord in the 2nd measure. The pattern below is 12 bar, quick-change
blues in the key of A.

21

12 Bar Blues in G

22

SONGS
House of the Rising Sun
Am
C
D
F
There is a house....in New Orleans......
Am
C
E
E
They call it the rising sun......
Am
C
D
F
And its been the ruin of many a young man....
Am
E
Am
E
And God, I know, I'm one.........

23

BAD MOON RISING

by Creedence Clearwater Revival ( CCR )
Intro:
D A G D....
D
A G
D
I see a bad moon arisin'
A
G
D
I see troubles on the way
A
G
D
I see earthquakes and lightning
A G
D
I see bad times today
CHORUS:
G
D
Well don't go round tonite, it's bound to take your life
A
G
D
There's a bad moon on the rise
I
I
I
I

hear hurricanes a blowin'

know the end is coming soon
feel rivers over flowing
hear the voice of rage & ruin

CHORUS
solo - chords are the same as verse
Hope you got your things together
Hope you are quite well prepared to die
Looks like we're in for nasty weather
One eye is takin' for an eye
CHORUS 2x

24

DOWN BY THE RIVER Buffalo Springfield (Neil Young)

Em7 A Em7 A
Em7

Be on my side, I'll be ...

Em7
A
there is no reason ...
Em7
A
It's so hard for me ...
Em7
A
when you could be ...
Em7

Bm
yeah, ...

Cmaj7
Bm
She could drag me ...
Cmaj7
Bm D
and send me ...
G
D
A
Down by the river
G D
A
I shot my baby
G
D
A
Down by the river
Repeat

25

HEY JOE
Performed by Jimi Hendrix Experience
Intro :
E--0----0------------------0---------------------------0-----------B--3/5--3------------------0---------------------------0-----------G----------4/2--0----------1---------------------------1-----------D------------------2-------2------4/5---4/5---4--2------------------A------------------------2--------4/5---4/5---4--2------------------E---------------------0--------0------0-----0-------0-----0---------E---------------------B--------7-----7------G--------7-----7------D----7h9---7h9---9---A---------------------E---------------------The chords are: C G D A E repeated and repeated.....
You can also substitute an E7#9 chord (Hendrix chord)for the E major
Here is the run played in octaves on bass and guitar.
E-------------------------------------------------------------B-------------------------------------------------------------G-------------------------------------------------------------D-------------------------------------------------------------A--3---------2-3-4-5---------4-5-6-7---------------------------E----0-1-2-3---------2-3-4-5------------------------------------

Power Chord Exercise

Power Chords are two (or three note) chords consisting of the root and fifth note

26

BASIC BAR CHORDS

The chord diagrams below are moveable shapes, which means that you just slide the chord shape
up or down the neck to change the name of the chord. The most important thing to know when
using any moveable chord shape, is knowing which string the Tonic ( T ) is on.
The Tonic is the note that the chord takes its name from and is indicated with the letter T directly
below the string in the diagrams below. For example, the first major chord below has a T under the
6th string
(E ), so all you need to know are the notes on the 6th string and move the whole chord shape up or
down the neck to the fret with the desired note under the first finger. If you wanted to play an A
Major chord you would slide the chord with the Tonic on the 6th string so that your first finger ( Bar
) is on the 5th fret.
The first finger, or Bar goes right across the whole six strings.
String

Fret 3 Fret 5 Fret 7 Fret 8 Fret 10

String 6 (E) G

String 5 (A) C

27

Play the following song with bar chords.

SITTIN' ON) THE DOCK OF THE BAY
(Otis Redding & Steve Cropper)
Verse 1:
G
B
Sittin' in the mornin' sun,
C
B Bb A
I'll be sittin' when the evenin' comes.
G
B
Watching the ships roll in,
C
B Bb A
then I watch 'em roll away again, yeah.
Chorus:

G
E
I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay,
G
E
watching the tide roll away.
G
A
Oo, I'm just sittin' on the dock of the bay,
G
E
wastin' time.

Verse 2:
I left my home in Georgia,
28

headed for the 'Frisco Bay.

I have nothing to live for,
it look like nothin's gonna come my way.
Chorus:
So, I'm just gon' sit on the dock of the bay,
watching the tide roll away.
Oo, I'm just sittin' on the dock of the bay,
wastin' time.
Bridge:

G D
C
Look like nothing's gonna change.
G D C
Ev'rything still remains the same.
GD
C
G
I can't do what ten people tell me to do,
F
D
so I guess I'll remain the same, yes.

Verse 3:
I'm sittin' here restin' my bones,
and this loneliness won't leave me alone, yes.
Two thousand miles I roamed
just to make this-a dock my home.
Chorus:
Now, I'm just gon' sit at the dock of the bay,
watching the tide roll away.
Oo, I'm just sittin' on the dock of the bay,
wastin' time.

29

Use a 5th string bar chord to play the Bb chord in the following song.
CALIFORNIA DREAMIN
by The Mamas And The Papas
(from "If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears")
-------VERSE 1:
-------Dmin
C
Bb
All the leaves are brown
(all the leaves are brown)
C
Asus4
A7
And the sky is grey
(and the sky is grey)
Bb
F
A7
Dmin
I went for a walk
(I went for a walk)
Bb
Asus4
A7
On a winter's day
(On a winter's day)
Dmin
C
Bb
I'd be safe and warm
(I'd be safe and warm)
C
Asus
A7
If I was in L.A.
(If I was in L.A.)
Dmin C Bb
California Dreamin'
(California Dreamin')
C
A7sus4
On such a winter's day
(such a winter's day)
-------VERSE 2:
-------Stopped into a church
I passed along the way
Oh I got down on my knees (got down on my knees)
And I Began to pray (I began to pray)
You know the preacher likes the cold (preacher likes the cold)
He knows I'm gonna stay (I'm going stay)
California Dreamin' (California Dreamin')
On such a winter's day (on such a winter's day)
-------VERSE 3:
-------All the leaves are brown (all the leaves are brown)
And the sky is gray (and the sky is gray)
I've been for a walk (I've been for a walk)
On a winter's day (on a winter's day)
If I didn't tell her (if I didn't tell her)
I could leave today (I could leave today)
30

In the following song, use bar chords for the G and Bm chords.
EIGHT DAYS A WEEK
Words and Music by John Lennon and Paul McCartney
Intro
(fade in and let ring)
D
E
E|--0---------0-----0-------0--|-0--------0----0------0--------|
B|-10--------10----12------10--|12-------12---14-----12--------|
G|-11--------11----11------11--|13-------13---13-----13--------|
D|-12--------12----12------12--|14-------14---14-----14--------|
A|--------------------------- -|-------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------|-------------------------------|
G
D
E|--0---------0-----0-------0--|-0--------0----0------0--------|
B|-15--------15----17------15--|10-------10---12-----10--------|
G|-16--------16----16------16--|11-------11---13-----11--------|
D|-17--------17----17------17--|12-------12---14-----12--------|
A|-----------------------------|-------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------|-------------------------------|
Verse 1:
D
E
G
D
Oo, I need your love, babe, guess you know it's true
D
E
G
D
Hope you need my love, babe, just like I need you
Chorus:
Bm
G
Bm
E
Hold me, love me, Hold me,
love me,
D
E
G
D
I ain't got noth-in' but love babe, Eight Day's A Week
Verse 2:
D
E
Love you every day,
D
E
One thing I can say,

G
D
girl, always on my mind
G
D
girl, love you all the time

Chorus
Bridge:
A
Bm
Eight days a week
I love you
E
G
A
Eight days a week is not enough to show I care
[Repeat Verse 1]
[Repeat Chorus 1]
[Repeat Bridge]
31

[Repeat Verse 2]
[Repeat Chorus 1]
G
D
Eight Days A Week
G
D
Eight Days A Week
G
D
Eight Days A Week
[Repeat Intro]

All ALONG THE WATCHTOWER

Bob Dylan From "John Wesley Harding"
[Am]"There must be some[G] way[F] out of here,"
[G] [Am] Said the joker[G] to the[F] thief,
[G] [Am]"There's too much[G] con[F]fusion,
[G] [Am] I can't get[G] no rel[F]ief.
[G] [Am]Businessmen,[G] they[F] drink my wine,
[G] [Am]Plowmen dig[G] my[F] earth,
[G] [Am]None of them [G]a[F]long the line
[G] [Am]Nobody of it[G] is[F] worth
[G]
[G]
[G]
[G]
[G]
[G]
[G]
[G]

[Am["No reason to[G] get ex[F]cited,"

[Am]The thief, he kind[G]ly [F]spoke,
[Am]"There are many[G] here a[F]mong us
[Am]Who feel that life[G] is but[F] a joke.
[Am]But you and I,[G] we've[F] been through that,
[Am]And this is not[G] our[F] fate,
[Am]So let us not[G] talk [F]falsely now,
[Am]The hour is[G] getting[F] late."

[G]
[G]
[G]
[G]
[G]
[G]
[G]
[G]

[Am]All along[G] the [F]watchtower,

[Am]Princes kept[G] the[F] view
[Am]While all the wo[G]men[F] came and went,
[Am]Barefoot ser[G]vants,[F] too.
[Am]Outside[G] in the[F] distance
[Am]A wildcat[G] did [F]growl,
[Am]Two riders[G] were app[F]roaching,
[Am]The wind began[G] to[F] howl. [G] [Am]

32

LAY LADY LAY by Bob Dylan

G Bm F Am G Bm F Am
G
Bm F
Am
G Bm F Am
Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed
G
Bm F
Am
G Bm F Am
Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed
D
Em
G
Whatever colours you have in your mind
D
Em
G
I'll show them to you and you'll see them shine
G
Bm F
Am
G Bm F Am
Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed
Stay, lady, stay, stay with your man awhile
Until the break of day, let me see you make him smile
His clothes are dirty but his hands are clean
And you're the best thing that he's ever seen
Stay, lady, stay, stay with your man awhile
Bm
D
G
Why wait any longer for the world to begin
Bm
Am G
You can have your cake and eat it too
Bm
D
G
Why wait any longer for the one you love
Bm
Am
When he's standing in front of you
Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed
Stay, lady, stay, stay while the night is still ahead
I long to see you in the morning light
I long to reach for you in the night
Stay, lady, stay, stay while the night is still ahead
G Bm F Am Bm C G

33

Notes on the First String

34

Notes on the Second String

35

36

Notes on the Third String

37

38

39

Notes on the Fourth String

40

Notes on the Fifth String

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida - Iron Butterfly

E-|---------------------------------------|
B-|---------------------------------------|
G-|-----------------------2--1--0---------|
D-|--0---0---3p2------0------------3------|
A-|---------------3-----------------------|
E-|---------------------------------------|

41

42

Notes on the Sixth String

43

44

Fingerstyle Pieces
In the following pieces you use your right hand to pick the strings. The RH fingering is indicated by:
p = thumb (pulgar)
i = index
m = middle
a = ring or anular

45

BLACKBIRD
John Lennon and Paul McCartney - The Beatles
#1
#2
3/4 G
Am7
G/B
4/4 G
E{|---------------------------|-----------------------------------|
B{|---0-------1-------3-------|---12----12--12----12----12--12----|
G{|-------0-------0-------0---|-------0-------0-------0-------0---|
D{|---------------------------|-----------------------------------|
A{|-----------0-------2-------|---10------10------10------10------|
E{|---3-----------------------|-----------------------------------|
+ . + . + .
+ . + . + . + .
3/4 G
Am7
G/B
4/4 G
E||---------------------------|-----------------------------------|
B||---0-------1-------3-------|---12----12--12----12----12--12----|
G||.------0-------0-------0---|-------0-------0-------0-------0---|
D||.--------------------------|-----------------------------------|
A||-----------0-------2-------|---10------10------10------10------|
E||---3-----------------------|-----------------------------------|
+ . + . + .
+ . + . + . + .
1. Blackbird singing in the dead of night
2. Blackbird singing in the dead of night
#5
C
A7/C# D
B7/D#
Em
Cm/Eb
E |-----------3---------------5-------|-----------------------------------|
B |---5--(5)----------7--(7)----------|---8-----8---8-----8-----8---8-----|
G |-------0-------0-------0-------0---|-------0-------0-------0-------0---|
D |-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
A |---3-------4-------5-------6-------|---7-------7-------6-------6-------|
E |-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
+ . + . + . + .
+ . + . + . + .
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see (notes in () not played 2nd verse)
#7
3/2 D
A7/C# C
Cm
E |-----------3----------------------------------------|
B |---7---------------5-----5---5------4-----4---4-----|
G |-------0-------0-------0-------0--------0-------0---|
D |----------------------------------------------------|
A |---5-------4-------3-------3--------3-------3-------|
E |----------------------------------------------------|
+
.
+
.
+
.
All
your life
All
your life

46

#8
G/B
A7
C/D
E |----------------------------------------------------|
B |---3-----3---3-----2-----2---2------1-----1---1-----|
G |-------0-------0-------0-------0--------0-------0---|
D |------------------------------------0-------0-------|
A |---2-------2-------0-------0------------------------|
E |----------------------------------------------------|
+
.
+
.
+
.
You were only waiting for this moment to aYou were only waiting for this moment to be
-----------------------------------------------------------------------...
| 1.
#9
4/4 G
C
G
A7
C/D
E |-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
B |---0-----0---0-----5-------3-------|---2-----2---2-----1-----1---1-----|
G |-------0-------0-------0-------0---|-------0-------0-------0-------0---|
D |-----------------------------------|-------------------0-------0-------|
A |-------------------3-------2-------|---0-------0-----------------------|
E |---3-------3-----------------------|-----------------------------------|
+ . + . + . + .
+ . + . + . + .
rise.
... ----------------- ------------------|| 2.
|
#11
||
|
2/2 G
E |--------------------||-------------------|
B |---0-----0---0------||---0-----0---0-----|
G |-------0-------0---.||-------0-------0---|
D |-------------------.||-------------------|
A |--------------------||-------------------|
E |---3-------3--------||---3-------3-------|
+ . + .
+ . + .
free.

47

TEARS IN HEAVEN - ERIC CLAPTON

A
E(onG#)
E||-------------------|-----------------------------|
B||-------------------|-----2h3p2----5-----5--2--|
G||-------------------|---2--------2--4-----4--2--|
D||-------------------|-----------------------------|
A||-------------------|--0--------------------------|
E||-------------0h2-|-----------------4--4-----2--|

F#m
A(onE)
D(onF#)
E7sus4E7
-------------------------|-------------------------|
-------2-----2-----2-----|--3-----3-----3-----3----|
-------2-----2-----2-----|--2-----2-----2-----1----|
-------------------------|-------------------------|
-------------------------|-------------------------|
----2-----2--0--0-----0--|--2--2-----2--0--0--0----|
A
A
E(onG#)F#m
---------------------------|---------------------------|
--2-----2-----2-----2------|--------2h3p2----5------2--|
--2-----2-----2-----2------|-----2--------2--4------2--|
---------------------------|---------------------------|
--0--0-----0--0--0--0------|--0------------------------|
-----------------------0h2-|-----------------4------2--|
F#m
A(onE)
D(onF#)
A(onE)
-------------------------|--------------------------|
-------2-----2-----2-----|--3-----3-----2-----2-----|
-------2-----2-----2-----|--2-----2-----2-----2-----|
-------------------------|--------------------------|
-------------------------|--------------------------|
----2-----2--0--0-----0--|--2--2--2--2--0--0-----0--|
E
F#m E(onG#) A
E(onG#) F#m
--------------------------|----------------------------|
--0-----0-----2-----3-----|--2-----2h3p2----5-------2--|
--1-----1-----2-----4-----|-----2--------2--4-------2--|
--------------------------|----------------------------|
--------------------------|--0-------------------------|
-----0-----0-----0-----0--|-----------------4----4--2--|

48

F#m
A(onE)
D(onF#)
A(onE)
-------------------------|--------------------------|
-------2-----2-----2-----|--3-----3-----2-----2-----|
-------2-----2-----2-----|--2-----2-----2-----2-----|
-------------------------|--------------------------|
-------------------------|--------------------------|
----2-----2-----0-----0--|--2--2-----2--0--0-----0--|
E
F#m E(onG#) F#m
--------------------------|--------------------------|
--0-----0-----2-----3-----|--2-----2-----2-----2-----|
--1-----1-----2-----4-----|--2-----2-----2-----2-----|
--------------------------|--------------------------|
--------------------------|--------------------------|
-----0-----0-----0-----0--|--2--2-----2-----2-----0--|
C#(onF)
Em6
--------------------------|--------------------------|
--2-----2-----2-----2-----|--2-----2-----2-----2-----|
--1-----1-----1-----1-----|--0-----0-----0-----0-----|
--------------------------|--------------------------|
--------------------------|--------------------------|
--1--1-----1-----1-----1--|-----0-----0-----0-----0--|
F#7
E(onF#)
Bm7
--------------------|--------------------------|
--------------------|--3-----3-----3-----3-----|
--3--------3--------|--2-----2-----2-----2-----|
--2--------2--------|--------------------------|
--------------------|--2--2-----2--2--2-----0--|
--2--------2--------|--------------------------|
E7sus4
A
E(onG#)
-----------------------|-----------------------------|
----3-------3----------|--------2h3p2----5-----5--2--|
----2-------2----------|-----2--------2--4-----4--2--|
-----------------------|-----------------------------|
-----------------------|--0--------------------------|
---------0---------0h2-|-----------------4--4-----2--|

49

Musical Styles as it Relates to Guitar

Flamenco
This is a style of music indigenous to Spain. It is a folk music of the Gypsy people and traditionally
consisted of song and dance. The guitar was originally used only for accompaniment but early in this
century it began to take on a solo function. Sabicas, Paco de Lucia, Paco Pena and Ramon Montoya
are a few of the great solo flamenco players.
Classical Guitar
Classical guitar refers to players who use a nylon string guitar and play the music of the classical
composers from John Dowland, to J.S. Bach to Carlo Domeniconi. Some renowned performers
include Andres Segovia, Julian Bream and John Williams.
New Acoustic
New acoustic refers to a new generation of primarily steel-string, fingerstyle players who write
original music that has a strong pop/jazz flavour. Key players include Tommy Emmanuel, Doyle
Dykes, Lawrence Juber and Preston Reed.
Bluegrass
Bluegrass music is named after Grand Ol Opry star Bill Monroes band The Bluegrass Boys. Some
people believe that Bluegrass dates from 1939 when Monroe first organised his band The Bluegrass
Boys. Others believe that Bluegrass began in 1945 when Bill hired Earl Scruggs to play banjo. Some
feel that it was Monroes tempos and high vocals, together with Scruggs unique 3-finger picking
style that created the basis of the Bluegrass sound. Bluegrass was just a part of general country
music up until the birth of Rock n Roll in the mid 50s when, because of its continued use of banjo
and fiddle, it became recognised as a clearly defined genre.
The music is characterised by instrumental breaks between the verses or choruses of songs, in a
similar manner to traditional and Dixieland Jazz. Doc Watson, Tony Rice and Mark OConnor are a
few of the finest bluegrass guitar players.
Blues
Blues is an American musical form that has its origins in African traditions brought to America by
the slaves. Blues has had a profound affect on all styles of popular music. One of the first key
personalities in the development of the blues was Robert Johnson, the king of the delta bluesmen.
Other early delta blues players include Son House and John Lee Hooker. Later players include Albert
King, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Kenny Wayne Sheppard.
Rock/Modern
This genre includes all styles of electric guitar playing (excluding jazz and blues) since 1960. This
includes such players as Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana, David Gilmour, Mark Tremonti and John
Petrucci.
Early Music - Lute
The lute was a stringed instrument popular during the renaissance period (1450 1600). Although
not necessarily a direct predecessor to the guitar, the music is still played today not only on lutes
but the classical guitar.
50

Hawaiian Slack String

In slack key, players raise or lower some strings from the standard tuning. Hawaiian slack string
guitarists play fingerstyle, where the thumb tends to play the bass notes and the fingers the upper
strings. The roots of slack key can be traced to the 1830s, when the guitar was brought to the
islands by Mexican and Spanish cowboys.
New Age
New Age music tends to be music that has an ambient quality without strongly defined rhythms and
melodies. Quite often this music tends to be used for relaxation purposes. Perhaps the most wellknown new age guitarist is Michael Hedges.
Avante Garde
This refers to a style of music that is at the leading edge of what is aurally acceptable. Beyond this is
noise. This music will tend to be atonal, use instruments in an unorthodox manner and use other
unusual mannerisms and effects.
Jazz
There are two quite distinct definitions of what constitutes jazz guitar. Firstly, there is the style most
usually considered to originate with Charlie Christian. This reached its apex during the late 50ths
and early 60s with guitarists such as Herb Ellis, Barnie Kessel, Joe Pass and Wes Montgomery. This
tradition has been carried on by the later generations of jazz guitarists such as Lenny Breau, Jim
Hall, Pat Metheny and John Scofield
The other definition addresses more the spirit than the letter. This is the spirit of improvisatory
freedom within each musician and within the band as a whole. The influence of this definition is seen
not only in jazz per se but many other styles of music.
Celtic
Celtic guitar music consists primarily of music from Scotland, England and Ireland arranged for solo
guitar. In the past, one would have seen this music performed on the fiddle, pipes, button accordion
and whistles. Celtic guitarists tend to use altered guitar tunings very frequently. One of the more
common altered tunings is DADGAD. Pierre Bensusan and Pat Kirtley are two well- known Celtic
guitarists.

51

Guitar Styles Examples

Style
Renaissance Lute
Baroque Lute

Title
Fantasia John Dowland
Courante S.L. Weiss

Julian Bream
Michel Cardin

Performer

Classical

Prelude 1 Heitor Villa-Lobos

Leyenda Issac Albeniz

Julian Bream
Norbert Kraft

Blues

Dust My Broom
Call it Stormy Monday
You Fired Yourself
Am I Wrong
The Sky is Crying
Somehow, Somewhere, Someway

Robert Johnson
B.B. King / Albert Collins
Otis Rush
Keb Mo
Stevie Ray Vaughn
Kenny Wayne Sheppard

Modern

Purple Haze
Samba Pa Ti
Layla
Becks Bolero
Good to Go
Love Thing
Black Star, Far Beyond the Sun
Cliffs of Dover

Jimmy Hendrix
Carlos Santana
Eric Clapton
Jeff Beck
Steve Morse
Joe Satriani
Yngwie Malmsteen
Eric Johnson

Celtic

Morgan Magan
Mine R Jigs
Sheebeg An Sheemor

Pat Kirtley
Scott Macmillan
Pierre Bensusan

Bluegrass

Blackberry Blossom
Salt Creek

Mark OConnor
Tony Rice/Doc Watson/ Norman Blake

Jazz

Honey Suckle Rose

Round Midnight
All the Things You Are
Autumn Leaves
Our Spanish Love Song

Charlie Christian
Wes Montgomery
Lenny Breau
Lenny Breau
Pat Metheny

Flamenco

Sancti Petri (Rumba)

Gerardo Nunez

Avante Garde

Changes Elliot Carter

David Starobin

Hawaiian Slack Key

Kowali

Cyril Pahinui

Slide

Little Boy Blue

Robert Junior Lockwood

New Age

Aerial Boundaries

Michael Hedges

New Acoustic

Gitarre 2000

Doyle Dykes

52

A Brief History of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar

Hawaiian slack key guitar (ki ho'alu) is truly one of the great acoustic guitar traditions in the world.
Ki ho'alu, which literally means "loosen the key," is the Hawaiian language name for the solo
fingerpicked style unique to Hawai'i. In this tradition, the strings (or "keys") are "slacked" to produce
many different tunings, which usually contain a major chord, or a chord with a major 7th note, or
sometimes one with a 6th note in it. Each tuning produces a lingering sound behind the melody and
has a characteristic resonance and fingering.
Many Hawaiian songs and slack key guitar pieces reflect themes like stories of the past and present
and people's lives. But it is the tropical surroundings of Hawai'i, with its oceans, volcanoes and
mountains, waterfalls, forests, plants and animals, that provide the deepest source of inspiration for
Hawaiian music.
These currents run deep in slack key guitar playing, as accompaniment to vocals, as instrumental
compositions or as interpretations of vocal pieces. Slack key guitar music is sweet and soulful, and it
is said that slack key is drawn from the heart and soul out through the fingers of each player.
There is a mystique surrounding slack key guitar music - it is very personal, and can be very magical
in feeling. Slack key derives its unique sound from techniques such as "hammering-on" and "pullingoff." These techniques mimic the yodels and falsettos common in Hawaiian singing. Harmonics
("chiming"), produced by lightly touching the strings at certain points on the fretboard, and slides in
which one or two treble notes are cleffed and then slid (usually up) to sound another note, are also
common. All these enhance the feeling of aloha, joy or longing expressed, sometimes all in the same
song.
Like blues, slack key guitar is very flexible. Often, the same guitarist will play a song differently each
time, sometimes using different tempos, and even different tunings. As each guitarist learns to play
slack key, they find their own individual tunings, repertoire, tempos and ornaments. It is a very
individualistic tradition and, as one can hear from different recordings, each guitarist plays quite
differently from the others.
There are different theories about the beginnings of slack key guitar in the Islands. Music is one of
the most mobile of cultural forms, and the six-string guitar was probably originally introduced to the
Hawaiians by European sailors around the beginning of the 19th century.
Guitars were also brought to Hawai'i by Mexican and Spanish vaqueros (cowboys), hired by King
Kamehameha III around 1832 to teach the Hawaiians how to handle an overpopulation of cattle.
Many of them worked on the Big Island of Hawai'i, especially around the Waimea region.
In the evenings around the campfire, the vaqueros probably played their guitars, often two together,
with one playing lead melody and the other bass and chords. This new instrument would have
intrigued the Hawaiian cowboys, or paniolo, as they came to be called, who had their own strong,
deep-rooted music traditions. However, given the strenuous work, the Hawaiians possibly didn't
have time to learn a lot about this new music.
When the hired cowboys returned to the Mainland a few years later, some of them gave their
guitars to the Hawaiians. The Hawaiians incorporated what they had learned of the Mexican and
Spanish music into their traditional chants, songs and rhythms, and thus created a new form of
guitar music. Hawai'i's own unique musical traditions tended to dominate, as they did with the other
musical influences that came their way from the rest of the world, and over time, it blended into a
sound that became completely the Hawaiians' own.
At first, there possibly weren't a lot of guitars, or people who knew how to play, so the Hawaiians
developed a way to get a full sound on one guitar by picking the bass and rhythm chords on the
lower three or four pitched strings with the thumb, while playing the melody or improvised melodic
fills on the upper two or three pitched strings.
53

The gut string guitar (the precursor to the modern nylon string guitar) brought by the cowboys had
a very different sound than the steel string guitar, which came to the Islands later, probably brought
in by the Portuguese around the 1860s. The steel string sound caught on with the Hawaiians, and
became very popular by the late 1880s, by which time slack key had spread to all of the Hawaiian
Islands.
The slack key tradition was given an important boost during the reign of King David Kalakaua, who
was responsible for the Hawaiian cultural resurgence of the 1880s and 1890s. He supported the
preservation of ancient music, while encouraging the addition of imported instruments like the
'ukulele and guitar. His coronation in 1883 featured the guitar in combination with the ipu (gourd
drum) and pahu (skin drum) in a new form called hula ku'i, and at his Jubilee (celebration) in 1886,
there were performances of ancient chants and hula. This mixing of the old and new contributed to
the popularity of both the guitar and 'ukulele.
Kalakaua's conviction that the revitalization of traditional culture was at the root of the survival of
the Hawaiian kingdom became a major factor in the continuity of traditional music and dance, and
his influence still shows. This was a great period of Hawaiian music and compositions, actively
supported, and many of the monarchy composed superb songs that are still well-known today. After
Kalakaua passed away, he was succeeded by his sister, Queen Lili'uokalani, Hawai'i's last monarch.
She was the greatest composer of this period, writing classic pieces such as Aloha 'Oe, Sanoe, Kuu
Pua I Paoakalani, Pau'ahi O Kalani, Lei Ka'ahumanu and many other beautiful songs still played
today.
Until the mid-20th Century, vocals were usually the most important element of Hawaiian music. The
guitar was mainly relegated to a back-up role, often grouped with other instruments, and was played
in a natural, finger picked style, with a steady rhythm, to accompany hula and singing. The guitar
usually did not play the exact melody of the song, but played a repeated fragment with improvised
variations using ornaments such as hammer-ons, pull-offs, harmonics and others.
A wide variety of tunings in several different keys were created to back up the singers effectively.
When the strings were tuned too low, they lost their tone, and when they were tuned too high, they
were likely to break, thus tunings in six keys were developed. (Most Hawaiians did not have a guitar
capo, a strap or clamp which fits on the guitar neck and raises pitch, allowing the same guitar
fingerings in a higher key.) The Hawaiians often retuned the guitar from the standard Spanish tuning
(E-A-D-G-B-E, from lowest- to highest-pitched string), resulting in sweet sounding tunings with
"slacked" open (unfretted) strings. The guitar was often tuned to a major chord, like the popular G
Major "Taro Patch" tuning (D-G-D-G-B-D), or tunings containing a major 7th note (called "Wahine"
tuning), or tunings with the top two pitches tuned a wide fifth interval apart (called "Mauna Loa"),
and other combinations. The many ingenious tunings the Hawaiians invented fall into five basic
categories: Major, Wahine, Mauna Loa, Ni'ihau/Old Mauna Loa, and miscellaneous.
When two or more guitarists play together, they often use different tunings in the same key. For
example, one guitarist might use G Major tuning, and the other might use G Wahine tuning. Guitars
can also be played together with different tunings in different keys, capoed up to various frets to
sound in the same key. This is one way to appreciate the slack key sound.
Due to the distance between the islands, styles particular to each developed, sometimes specific to
regions of an island. The Big Island, probably because of its size, has engendered the greatest
variety of regional styles. Some O'ahu players, especially from Honolulu, have sometimes had more
modern and varied styles because of their greater exposure to different musical traditions from the
Mainland and other parts of the world. To this day, each slack key artist draws from the traditions of
the area where they grew up and from the music of their 'ohana (family), adding to it their own
individual way of playing.
Slack key guitar became part of the music that the paniolo would play after work or with families
and friends at gatherings, and this paniolo tradition continues to this day on the Big Island and Maui.
Since the 1960s, and especially now in the 1990s, Hawaiian slack key guitar has also evolved into a
54

highly developed instrumental art form, in both solo and group formats. It is when played solo that
the beautiful and unique intricacies of the slack key guitar can be fully appreciated, as the music of
the masters has great depth and individuality.
The most influential slack key guitarist in history was Gabby Pahinui [1921-1980]. The modern slack
key era began in 1947 when Gabby (often referred to as "the father of modern slack key guitar")
made his first recording of Hi'ilawe on an Aloha Records 78 rpm (#AR-810). Gabby was the prime
influence for keeping slack key guitar from dying out in the Islands, and his prolific guitar techniques
led to the guitar becoming more recognized as a solo instrument. He expanded the boundaries of
slack key guitar, making it into a fully evolved solo guitar style capable of creatively interpreting a
wide variety of Hawaiian traditional and popular standards, original guitar pieces, and even pieces
from other countries. Many have also been inspired by Gabby's beautiful, expressive vocals and his
virtuoso falsetto voice.
The Gabby Pahinui Band of the 1970s is a good example of the complexity of sound slack key can
achieve. Along with Gabby, this band featured late great slack key guitarists Leland "Atta" Isaacs,
Sr. and Sonny Chillingworth, and Gabby's sons Cyril and Bla Pahinui. Usually on the band's
recordings, each of the guitarists would play in a different C tuning, providing a thick, textured
sound.
Besides Gabby, two other highly influential slack key artists have been Leonard Kwan and Sonny
Chillingworth. These three are notable not only because of their artistic virtuosity, but also because
of the availability of their recordings, Gabby's in the late 1940s, and Leonard's and Sonny's in the
late 1950s and early 1960s.
Four of Gabby's earliest recordings from the late 1940s or early 1950s (on Bell Records 78 rpms) are
especially impressive: Hi'ilawe (#505); Key Khoalu (#509); Hula Medley (#506); and Wai O
Keaniani (#510). Other slack key guitarists were astounded and inspired by these four recordings,
because of the level of Gabby's playing, and because each was in a different tuning. He also made
many recordings in the 1950s for the Waikiki label, issued on three different albums: Hawaiian Slack
Key, Volume 1 (#319), Hawaiian Slack Key, Volume 2 (#320), The Best of Hawaiian Slack Key
(#340).
Awareness and popularity of slack key guitar were further increased by the release of several great
slack key albums in the 1960s by Leonard Kwan, Ray Kane, Atta Isaacs and Gabby Pahinui on
Margaret Williams' Tradewinds label.
These four, along with Sonny Chillingworth, recorded in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s (Gabby Pahinui
started recording in the 1940s) and influenced all the younger slack key guitarists. Sonny
Chillingworth, Leonard Kwan and Ray Kane have also continued to record and influence many others
in the 1980s and 1990s. In the 1970s, albums were issued by the new generation of influential
players such as Keola Beamer, Ledward Kaapana (with his trio Hui Ohana), and Peter Moon (with his
trio The Sunday Manoa).
There are four basic types of slack key guitar. The first is the simple but profound style, most
evident in the older playing styles, such as that of the late Auntie Alice Namakalua. The second is a
sort of "slack key jazz," with lots of improvisation, used prominently in the music of Atta Isaacs,
Cyril Pahinui, Ledward Kaapana, Moses Kahumoku, George Kuo and Ozzie Kotani. The third kind
creates a unique sound using ornaments like hammer-ons and pull-offs. These techniques are
featured on Sonny Chillingworth's Ho'omalu Slack Key, Ray Kane's Punahele, and George Kuo's
Kohala Charmarita.
The fourth, performance-oriented slack key style, features entertaining visual as well as sound
techniques. These include playing with the forearm, playing with a bag over the fretting hand
(performed by the late Fred Punahoa and by Ledward Kaapana), and the intriguing needle and
thread technique, where the player dangles a needle, hanging from a thread held between the teeth,
55

across the strings while otherwise playing normally, which creates a sound a bit like a mandolin or a
hammered dulcimer. This can be heard, performed by Sonny Chillingworth, on the fourth verse of
the song Wai Ulu, on his recording Sonny Solo (Dancing Cat 08022 38005). The technique can be
seen on the song Kaula'ili in Susan Friedman's film Ki ho'alu, That's Slack Key Guitar and in Eddie
Kamae's great slack key film "The Hawaiian Way."
In the old days, there was an almost mystical reverence for those who understood ki ho'alu, and the
ability to play it was regarded as a special gift. To retain and protect the slack key mystique, tunings
were often closely guarded family secrets. This practice has changed with the times, as respect has
increased for the preservation of older Hawaiian traditions, and now slack key guitarists are more
willing to share their knowledge outside the family circle with those who sincerely wish to learn.
Because many of the beautiful old traditions in Hawai'i have been changed by outside influences, this
greatly increased respect for the older slack key traditions and the sharing of tunings is helping to
ensure that traditional slack key guitar will endure and be shared.
Since the early 1970s (often called the era of the Hawaiian Renaissance), Hawaiians have
increasingly looked to their cultural roots, and because of this, slack key guitar has steadily grown in
popularity. The Hawaiian Music Foundation, founded by Dr. George Kanahele, did much to increase
awareness through their publications, music classes and the sponsoring of concerts, including the
landmark 1972 slack key concert.
Currently, there are several major slack key festivals. The Gabby Pahinui/Atta isaacs Slack Key
Festival is held annually in or near Honolulu on the Island of O'ahu, every third Sunday in August,
and the annual Big Island Slack Key Guitar Festival is held on the next to last Sunday in July at the
Hilo Civic Auditorium on the island of Hawai'i. Other festivals also take place on Maui and Kauai, on
the Mainland, and occasionally internationally. Because Hawai'i is one of the crossroads of the world,
its music has always had many influences: Latin music from Mexico, Spain and Portugal; Polynesian
music, especially from Samoa and Tahiti; European music and music from the Mainland, including
jazz, country & western, folk and pop. All have been absorbed by Hawaiians, and they have enriched
it with their mana (soul).
Hawaiian music has always enjoyed a reciprocal relationship with music from the American Mainland.
Hawaiians began touring the U.S. during the early 1890s with acts such as the Royal Hawaiian Band,
small string bands, steel guitarists and vocal ensembles. The 1912 Broadway show Bird of Paradise
helped introduce Hawaiian music (although not slack key guitar) to the Mainland, as did Hawaiian
shows at the big Panama Pacific Exhibition in San Francisco in 1915. By the late teens, Hawaiian
recordings were the biggest selling records in the U.S., especially acoustic steel guitar and vocal
recordings.
Starting around 1912, blues slide guitarists and country & western steel guitar players became more
and more influenced by the Hawaiian slack key guitar sound, due to increased recordings and tours
by Hawaiian performers. The pedal steel guitar was developed from the Hawaiian steel guitar, which
was invented in the 1880s. Some Hawaiian steel guitar tunings (and thus, some of the Mainland
steel guitar tunings) evolved from slack key tunings, especially the G Major tuning for the dobro and
lap steel guitar, and the C Major 6th tuning (similar to the C Mauna Loa tuning) for the pedal steel
guitar. (Steel guitar means any guitar played with a metal bar, regardless of what material the
guitar is made.)
In return, the hot jazz of the 1920s and 1930s, especially the great trumpeters Louis Armstrong and
Bix Biderbocke, influenced the Hawaiian steel guitar players, most notably Sol Ho'opi'i (1902-1953).
In the modern era, the late Dave Guard of the Kingston Trio grew up in Hawai'i, where he was
inspired by Gabby Pahinui. In 1961, he produced and recorded the Pure Gabby album, which was
eventually released in 1978.
Although Hawai'i's guitar tradition is the richest in the Pacific, many other Polynesian countries also
have guitar traditions closely related to slack key. For example, in the Cook Islands, especially on
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the island of Aitutaki, it is called Ki Mamaiata (or sometimes Ki Amoa), which translates as "early in
the morning," a favorite time to play guitar there.
More slack key guitar recordings are now available in Hawai'i and on the Mainland and other
countries, and several guitarists are touring more often outside of Hawai'i. With these factors and
the increase of techniques and influences of today's players expanding the range of slack key guitar,
the future looks good for ki ho'alu.
Dancing Cat Records is currently producing albums, mainly solo, by some of the best players. The
entire repertoire of each of the players are being recorded, as well as experiments beyond. The
guitarists include Sonny Chillingworth, Ray Kane, Keola Beamer, Ledward Kaapana, Cyril Pahinui,
Leonard Kwan, Ozzie Kotani, George Kuo, Moses Kahumoku and others. Also, an album of duets is
planned featuring Barney Isaacs on acoustic steel guitar (dobro), accompanied by George Kuo on
slack key guitar, a combination curiously never found in a century of Hawaiian recording history.
Ultimately, seventy or more albums are planned in this ongoing series.
For more information on slack key guitar, such as upcoming releases, concert information and
recommended recordings, or to be on the mailing list, please write to Dancing Cat Records, Dept.
SK, P O Box 639, Santa Cruz CA 95061.
This article is courtesy of Keola Beamer-Mahalo Keola!

Types of Acoustic Guitars

There are several types of acoustic guitars. The most common are the Dreadnaught (6 string and 12
string), Classical and Parlor guitars. Each is designed to accommodate different musical styles.
Pictured below are each of these types.
Dreadnaught
While the dreadnaught appears in many variations, this is the guitar that comes
to mind when most people think "guitar." Sometimes called a western guitar, the
Dreadnaught is a big instrument with a full sound and a lot of bass. Ideally,
dreadnaughts are loud guitars designed to accompany singers or fit into a wide
range of musical idioms. For the average player, this is the right guitar.
Different styles of dreadnaught guitars include the standard dreadnaught
constructed of a full range of woods from common ones like mahogany and
spruce, to woods that are rather exotic like Brazilian rosewood, lacewood or
jacaranda. Some guitars don't use wood at all. Instead, they are constructed of
composite materials like carbon fiber (Ovation). Using different materials in the
construction of a guitar will contribute dramatically to the sound of the
instrument.

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12 String Dreadnaught
The 12 string guitar is similar in construction and styling to the six string guitar.
Although it has 12 strings rather than the usual six, the strings work in pairs
tuned to the same notes; the first two pairs are tuned to exactly the same pitch
while rest are tuned to the same notes one octave apart. This means that,
although the 12 string has a fuller, richer timbre, the notes and chord shapes are
the same as the standard six string. The additional string tension makes this
guitar somewhat less than ideal for beginners. It's a great strumming guitar, but
note bending is nearly impossible.

Cutaway Dreadnaught
Another style of dreadnaught guitar has a cutaway to allow access to the highest
register. The cutaway's effect on the guitar's sound is a subject for debate but,
the reality is that, if you want to play those frets, you have to be able to reach
them. The assumption is that there is a loss of bass response due to the
decrease in internal volume. Again, a well made guitar will sound great anyway.

Parlor Guitar
The term "parlor guitar" dates back to the days before recorded music where
entertainment was conducted live and often in the parlors of those who were
lucky enough to have them. Today, the term describes a size and style of guitar.
Parlor guitars have smaller bodies than dreadnaughts and often are smaller than
even classical guitars. Contrary to popular assumption, their reduced size isn't
intended to accommodate smaller players but, rather to provide for a more even
frequency response. In other words, bass, treble and all of the frequencies in
between are the same volume. In an acoustically near perfect environment like a
"parlor" or concert hall, this even frequency response is a must if the music isn't
to be overwhelmed with bass.
Often (in fact, usually), the neck of a parlor guitar is wider than that of a
dreadnaught. Parlor guitars are often the choice of fingerstyle players. The wider
neck better accommodates this style of player giving him/her more room to get
individual fingers between the strings.
Anyone looking for a guitar would be well served to consider a good parlor style
guitar. The mid frequencies of these guitars are punchy and pleasing making
these instruments a good choice for all but the classical or flamenco player.

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Classical / Flamenco
Classical guitars are characterized by the use of nylon (in the old days, gut)
strings. Typically, these instruments have a wide neck and a very flat
fingerboard. Some "old school" instructors feel that this is the only guitar a
beginning guitarists should consider as the lighter string tension and greater
string gauge are easy on the fingers. (These days, even inexpensive instruments
can be extremely well made making them easy to play. So, buy a guitar that is
appropriate for the style of music you wish to play.) Classical guitars are best
suited for classical music so, it's best to stick to steel strings for most popular
musical styles. Of course, if you like the sound, go for it. They are wonderful
instruments.

Jumbo
Jumbos are designed to be loud and full of bass. It's basically similar in function
and usage to the dreadnaught. They're great guitars if well made. In some
situations, the mid frequencies get lost, overpowered by the bass. Be aware of
this if you are shopping for one and listen objectively in different sized rooms.

A Short History Of The Electric Guitar

Since their birth, jazz and blues have revolved around the guitar. Guitarists such as Charlie
Christian, B.B. King, and Barney Kessel have contributed greatly to the progress of jazz and blues as
an art form. As the guitar has contributed to the progress of jazz, jazz has contributed to the
progress of the guitar. Jazz and blues have been the driving force behind every major trend in 20th
Century guitar making, from the metal-body resonator guitar to the solid-body electric guitar.
In the earliest roots of jazz, West African-influenced blues-folk, guitar and banjo were the most
important, and often the only instruments present. They were used simply as instruments of vocal
accompaniment, and were usually played in chords, sometimes with simple melodic accompaniment.
In the 1920s, as big band jazz music became popular, and virtuoso guitarists such as Lonnie
Johnson and Eddie Lang came into the forefront, the need for a louder guitar became obvious. At the
same time, a new style of country-blues, slide guitar, was bringing Hawaiian style guitars into the
forefront. Thus, the metal-body resonator guitar, and eventually the electrified Hawaiian guitar,
were born.
Early slide guitar players found that the traditional way of holding the guitar did not accommodate
slide guitar, a style of playing where a cylindrical object dragged across the strings, not the left
hand, is used to change notes. Guitars began being played while resting in the lap. However,
traditional, thick-bodied guitars were uncomfortable and impractical for this application. The
Hawaiian guitar, a flat guitar with a thick neck and between six and eight strings, was introduced to
make slide guitar more comfortable. Unfortunately, these flat guitars had little to no resonance, and
could barely be heard when played with other instruments.
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In the 1920s, George Beauchamp and John Dopyera, two musicians from Los Angeles, undertook
the task of creating a louder guitar that would be suitable for all types of playing. Beauchamp
wanted to create a funny-looking Hawaiian guitar with a horn attached to the bottom. While this did
effectively amplify the guitar, the sound was awful. Beauchamp got the inspiration for his next
design from the thin mica disc that vibrated and amplified the sound in a Victrola. John Dopyera
experimented with several different materials to amplify the guitars tone. He found that thin
aluminum discs, in conical forms, used in conjunction with a metal body, made the guitar much
louder. In fact, the guitar was three to five times louder than traditional acoustic guitars. In 1927,
Beauchamp and Dopyeras new company, National, patented the resonator guitar.
The resonator guitar became an immediate success among slide blues players. It had a smaller
body, punchy tone, greater volume, and could sustain long slide passages better than traditional
wood body guitars. Its prices, ranging from $32-$195, were comparable with those of Martin, the
leading acoustic manufacturer of the time, whose guitars ranged from $55 to $200. Many early blues
guitar greats, such as Bukka White and Tampa Red, who was the first major guitarist to use a
National resonator guitar, played resonator guitars. For the moment, resonator guitars dominated
the blues guitar market.
George Beauchamps contributions to the evolution of the guitar were not nearly finished. As early
as 1923, Lloyd Loar had been working on the electrification of the guitar, making several ineffective
pickups that sensed vibration on the tops of guitars. In 1930, George Beauchamp was fired from
National, and began a business partnership with his metal supplier, Adolph Rickenbacker.
Beauchamp had been experimenting with using phonograph pickups to electrify guitars since 1925,
putting the pickup from a Brunswick Phonograph on a 2x4 board with a single string. Beauchamps
original guitar pickup consisted of two horseshoe magnets, which the guitar strings pass through,
with six pole pieces focusing the magnetic field on each individual string. In 1932, the first electric
guitar, nicknamed the frying pan, was built by a skilled craftsman named Harry Watson, and sold by
Adolph Rickenbacker and George Beauchamps new company, Ro-Pat-In, which was later simply
called Rickenbacker. The frying pan was a Hawaiian-style made of one solid piece of hollowed out
aluminum, with a mirror finish, and sold for $140.00.
Electric Hawaiians provided a great new advantage for slide players, but Rickenbacker was not to
make an electrified "Spanish" guitar, a guitar with a traditional shape and neck, until 1936. In 1933,
Lloyd Loar, the man who first tried to electrify the guitar in 1923, would create the first electric
Spanish guitar. Loar worked for Gibson, possibly the most respected name in guitars at the time. In
1933, Loar started an all-electric company with some of his co-workers from Gibson, called ViviTone. Vivi-Tone produced only one type of guitar: the electrified Spanish guitar. It was very
aggressively marketed, and ads predicted the doom of the acoustic guitar, asking acoustic players
"why lose your job?" Unfortunately, Loars pickup design was no match for Rickenbackers. The
magnetic signal acquired from the pickup was transferred to the wood in the guitars bridge, then
into a metal rod, then through a wire into an amplifier. This signal was fuzzy and weak, and
destroyed the guitars tone. But a bad pickup was the least of Vivi-Tones worries. Any company that
relied only on electric guitars, especially electric Spanish guitars, which there was little to no demand
for in 1933, was bound to fail. Within the course of one year, Vivi-Tone had failed miserably. But
Gibson was not to forget the idea of an electric Spanish guitar, and the Vivi-Tone would go on to
inspire some of the greatest electric guitars ever made.
While the electric Spanish guitar was failing miserable, the electric Hawaiian guitar was becoming
more and more popular. Rickenbacker modified their electric Hawaiians, replacing the easily-warped
metal body with Bakelite, the material bowling balls are made out of. Meanwhile, every major guitar
maker; Fender, National, Gretsch, Epiphone, Supro, and Silvertone, was producing electric
Hawaiians. But it was the Gibson Company, the very same company whose offshoot, Vivi-Tone, had
failed miserably, that would revolutionize the guitar industry.

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In Spring, 1935, Gibson commissioned the design of a new guitar pickup. The pickup was designed
by Alvino Rey, a slide guitarist, and engineers at the Lyon & Healy engineering company, and the
final version was built by Gibson employee Walter Fuller. This new pickup had many design
advantages; it went under the strings, not around them, and produced a clean, warm sound. The
pickup was put on all Gibson Hawaiian guitars, but it was the new Gibson Spanish, the ES-150 that
was to change the way people looked at guitars.
The ES-150, named for its price, was an ideal jazz guitar. It had a warm fat tone, was very wellmade, and had something completely new to guitar design: a tremolo, a bridge with a metal
extension bar that, when moved back and forth, creates a vibrato effect. A young jazz guitarist,
named Charlie Christian, took notice of the new Gibson ES-150, and began playing it first in the
Anna Mae Winburn Orchestra, then in the Al Trent Sextet, and then in the Benny Goodman
Orchestra. While many early jazz and blues musicians, such as Eddie Durham and Floyd Smith, had
experimented with electric guitars, Charlie Christians immense popularity and style not only brought
the electric guitar into the forefront, it changed the way jazz guitar was played. The high volume and
long sustain of an electric guitar allowed Charlie Christian to come to the front of his group, and play
brilliant and complex improvisations. For the first time, the electric guitar was becoming an
instrument to be reckoned with.
Gibson was not prepared for the immense success of the ES-150, and the demand for a higher-end
electric guitar caught them completely off guard. But they responded quickly with the ES-250, a
guitar that featured fancy inlays and a fully bound body. Despite its immense popularity, the Gibson
hollow-body electrics were far from perfect. The hollow bodys vibrations were picked up as much as
the strings vibrations, and the guitars were plagued with feedback, distortion, and unwanted
overtones. However, one jazz guitarist, Les Paul, had a solution. He made two simple magnetic
pickups, mounted them on a 4x4 made of solid pine, and glued two halves of a hollow body guitar to
either side of the pine 4x4. The result was an excellent-sounding jazz guitar, nicknamed "The Log,"
free of feedback and unwanted overtones. In 1946, Les Paul took his guitar to the Gibson company.
Guitar history was about to be made.
Gibson was at first very reluctant to take up Les Pauls proposition, convinced that a solid body
guitar wold never go over well with consumers. Many earlier attempts to introduce a solid-body
guitar, such as the 1942 APP, failed miserably. But one man, named Leo Fender, was convinced that
a solid-body electric was exactly what the electric guitar market needed. In 1943, Leo Fender
developed a prototype guitar, made of oak, which he rented out to musicians to get suggestions. In
1949, Fender built the prototype for what would become the first successful solid-body guitar, first
called the Esquire, then renamed the Broadcaster, and finally christened the Telecaster. This guitar
had the same advantages as Les Pauls log; it had less feedback and distortion. However, it would
never truly catch on as a jazz guitar, and it would reach its peak popularity with rock and roll in the
1950s and 1960s. Still, the Esquire sold well among country musicians as well as some blues
musicians, and Fender fast became a force to be reckoned with, and Gibson took notice.
In 1952, Gibson finally took Les Pauls advice. They set about to design a solid-body electric guitar
to end all solid-body electric guitars. While the finished productI bore Les Pauls name, the design for
the new guitar came not from Les Paul, but from Gibsons new president, Ted McCarty. The design
for the first Les Paul was based more on 1800s Gibson models than on the ES-150. The top was
carved, with a gold finish, and the pickups were P-90, or soapbar pickups. P-90s were developed by
Gibson in 1946, and were highly versatile and warm sounding. In fact, vintage P-90s are now highly
sought after pickups. The Les Paul was very successful from 1952 to 1961, when lagging sales
prompted new innovations.
1958 to 1961 saw great innovations in all fields of guitar making. The Les Paul was outfitted with
Humbuckers, new pickups which effectively cancelled out any hum and feedback by utilizing a dualcoil design. The Les Paul was split into four models; the Junior, the Special, the Standard and the
Custom. Around the same time, Ted McCarty introduced another guitar that would revolutionize the
industry. The ES-335 was a modestly decorated semi-hollow guitar; it was only hollowed out to
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certain depths in certain areas. The ES-335 combined the warm tones of a traditional hollow guitar
with the better sound quality of a solid guitar. The ES-335 fast became a guitar suitable for all styles
of music. Also in 1958, Ted McCarty introduced a series of futuristic guitars that would be
commercial failures until heavy metal music would make them extremely popular in the 1970s and
1980s. In 1961, the Les Paul SG, which stands for Solid Guitar, would become a staple of rock
music used by such famed musicians as Toni Iommi of Black Sabbath and Pete Townsend of the
Who. Meanwhile, Fender introduced the Stratocaster, which would go on to become a staple of blues
and rock guitar.
While innovations continued with solid-body and semi-hollow guitars, the hollow electric guitar still
remained a jazz favorite. Gibsons jazz guitars, such as the L-5, maintained extreme popularity.
Gibson introduced many jazz guitars built to the specifications of great jazz guitarists, such as Tal
Farlow and Barney Kessel. Even today, the L-5 is an extremely popular jazz guitar.
While Gibson and Fender have always had the jazz and traditional rock guitar markets covered,
other companies have created guitars to suit other guitar styles. The Fred Gretsch company, which
was formed in 1883 in Brooklyn, would capitalize on the swing movement with eye-catching sparkle
finishes. Later, companies such B.C. Rich, which was founded in 1986 by Bernardo Chavez Rico,
would capitalize on heavy metal with guitars with built-in distortion and tremolos that never go out
of tune. Also in the 1980s, Ned Steinberger would create a headless guitar based on techno music.
For every style of music, a guitar has been built, and vice versa.
While electric guitars were progressing and evolving at a rapid pace, acoustic players were becoming
a rarity. Acoustic guitars could not be effectively amplified without being thinned out significantly,
and magnetic pickups destroyed the woody tone of fine acoustic instruments. The natural sound that
was so vital to blues and bluegrass music was disappearing. The earliest acoustic pickups, designed
by DeArmond, fit under the guitars bridge, and sensed vibrations of the guitars top. In 1969,
country-blues singer and Guitarist Glen Campbell played a Baldwin guitar, the first guitar to feature
an under-the-bridge acoustic pickup, on the Johnny Carson Show. Campbell had previously endorsed
Ovation, a guitar company specializing in guitars with rounded backs. Ovation, fearing that they
would lose Campbells endorsement, set about creating a pickup that would sound great and
preserve a guitars woody tone. They found that piezoelectric elements, which sensed vibrations in
the top and bottom of the guitar, created a full, woody sound without feedback. Since then, every
major acoustic guitar manufacturer has included piezoelectric pickups on their guitars, and bluegrass
and other acoustic music styles have regained much popularity.
As jazz and blues have evolved and spread into different styles of music, so has the guitar. Every
time there has been a great moment in jazz, the guitar has been there ready to react, and every
time there has been a great step in the evolution of the guitar, jazz has reacted accordingly. From
the first metal resonator to the invention of the piezoelectric pickup, jazz and the guitar have worked
hand in hand. Charlie Christian almost single-handedly popularized the electric guitar. Les Paul
created the first solid-body electric guitar. Blues-country guitarist Glen Campbell spurred the
creation of the piezoelectric pickup. And slide guitar prompted the electrification of the guitar in the
first place. Jazz and blues have served as a catalyst for the progress of the guitar.

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