In the tapestry of guitar music, few styles are as distinctive and captivating as Slack Key Guitar, or Kī Hō’alu. This unique Hawaiian tradition gained wider recognition in the 1950s thanks to Gabby “Pops” Pahinui. His recording of “Hi’ilawe,” an old song attributed to Sam Li’a, showcased his signature slack key style and became an instant classic. Named after a beautiful waterfall in Waipi’o Valley and a love story that unfolded there, “Hi’ilawe” resonated deeply, paving the way for other slack key guitarists to share their music.
The 1960s and 70s marked the height of the Hawaiian Renaissance, a period where Hawaiians reclaimed their cultural heritage. During this time, slack key guitar flourished. Artists like Leonard Kwan, Leland “Atta” Isaacs, Fred Punahoa, Nedward and Ledward Ka’apana, Auntie Alice Namakelua, Peter Moon, and the Pahinui ohana (family) – Raymond, Sonny, and Gabby – became foundational figures. They elevated Kī Hō’alu from a personal folk expression to a celebrated art form within Hawaiian music, bringing this relatively unknown style into the global spotlight.
While many of these pioneers are no longer with us, their legacy endures. A new generation has embraced the kuleana, or responsibility, to carry on this cherished folk art. As renowned pianist George Winston, founder of the Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar recording label Dancing Cat, aptly stated, “Hawaiian Slack Key is the final frontier of the acoustic guitar.” This exploration of slack key guitar is just a glimpse into its magic. The true essence of the music is best experienced live, accompanied by the stories of its players and their journeys through Hawai’i and beyond.
For those seeking a deeper, more technical understanding of slack key guitar, let’s delve into the mechanics and soul of this captivating style.
“Slack key” is more than just a tuning; it’s a holistic approach to playing the guitar. It begins with altering the standard tuning, “slacking” or loosening certain strings to create open tunings. This retuning changes the relationship between open string notes, unlocking new melodic and chordal possibilities across the fretboard. The sheer variety of tunings is astounding – there are literally hundreds. When combined with a distinctive fingerpicking technique that simultaneously produces bass lines, rhythmic accompaniment, and melody, the result is a rich, resonant sound, often described as sounding like “three guitars in one.”
The concept of “slack key,” or playing in open tunings, exists in various cultures. Essentially, it’s a colloquial term for tuning the strings to form a chord, freeing the fretting hand from holding basic chords. This liberation allows the player to explore melodic movement while the picking hand establishes an alternating bass pattern, overlaid with rhythmic and lead melodies. It’s an art of sonic layering, simulating a mini-symphony from a single guitar.
While “open tuning” is often used interchangeably with slack key tuning, it’s crucial to understand the distinction. Many guitar styles utilize open tunings but are not considered Slack Key or Hawaiian Slack Key. Slack key guitar is generally played in open tunings, but open tuning alone does not define the style. History and cultural context are paramount to truly understanding this art form before even considering the technical aspects. Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar transcends mere technical skill; it must emanate from the soul. It requires a deep connection to Hawaiian values, an experiential understanding of mana (spiritual power) and the beauty of Hawai’i Nei (Hawai’i itself), the influence of kupuna (elders), and a heart filled with aloha (love). It’s about expressing love for Hawai’i, for a place, for a feeling, for another person – the embodiment of aloha.
Without this essential spirit, slack key becomes simply a technique, devoid of the heart and soul that the old masters would recognize as Kī Hō’alu. As Uncle Ledward Ka’apana poignantly said, “Slack Key is the way we love each other, the way we share our Aloha with each other.”
Hawaiian slack key guitar style is built upon three core elements:
First, an alternating bass line, typically played by the thumb. Second, “faux rhythms,” where percussive brush strokes simulate a rhythmic strumming guitar. Third, the melody, usually played on the higher strings. A significant aspect of slack key melody is the use of slides up and down the fretboard, coupled with open chord voicings and syncopated variations on the bass line. Compared to styles like Travis picking, slack key incorporates more simultaneous syncopation, demanding a drummer-like independence of the different musical layers. This complexity contributes to the often-steep learning curve associated with mastering slack key guitar.
The term “Kī Hō’alu” itself means “to slacken or relax.” Intriguingly, “alu” also carries the kaona (hidden meaning) of “combined or acting together,” highlighting a crucial aspect of slack key. The very act of tuning, or “slacking,” the strings to a chord is fundamental to the unique sound of Hawaiian Slack Key. By tuning to a chord, the player minimizes the need to fret chords with the left hand. This reduction in fretting is key because fingers dampen string vibrations.
The beauty of Kī Hō’alu lies in its resonance. When playing in the root key, tuned to a “G” chord for instance and playing in the key of G, the guitar inherently sounds harmonious without constantly fretting chords. This allows the strings to ring freely and resonate after being plucked, creating a sustained, droning effect. This resonance generates the magical illusion of multiple instruments playing simultaneously, a truly beautiful and unique characteristic of slack key.
Many slack key songs feature minimal fretting. Gabby Pahinui’s “Kī Hō’alu,” for example, exemplifies this approach. Often, only the two highest strings are fretted, allowing the bass strings to ring continuously while the high strings are quickly fretted and released to mimic bird sounds and other uplifting sounds of nature.
Once the guitar is tuned, or “slacked,” the picking hand takes on the role of self-accompaniment through a combination of techniques:
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Alternating Bass Line (Thumb): The thumb typically performs an alternating bass line, though variations exist, primarily using the three thickest bass strings. This is an essential element of authentic slack key. It’s what creates the illusion of multiple guitars and requires significant dexterity and independence of the thumb. Many aspiring players can learn the melodies of Hawaiian mele (songs) but struggle to master the bass part. Influential masters like Raymond Kane and Sonny Chillingworth emphasized this aspect, rigorously teaching and passing down the art of the alternating bass in Hawaiian Slack Key. While ensembles like the Gabby Pahinui Hawaiian Band sometimes feature other instruments covering the bass, solo slack key performance traditionally hinges on this thumb-driven bass. Gabby Pahinui’s solo recordings showcase his mastery of this technique in diverse and intricate ways.
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Melody (Fingers): The fingers of the picking hand are responsible for executing the primary melody of the piece. This usually occurs on the two or three highest pitched strings, although the specific strings can vary widely depending on the song and tuning.
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Faux Rhythm (Thumb and Pointer Finger): Occasionally, the thumb and pointer finger impart a “faux” rhythm, simulating the sound of an accompanying strumming rhythm guitar. This technique, more pronounced in the styles of Gabby Pahinui and Atta Isaacs, adds depth and texture. However, it is a subtle and challenging technique to articulate and teach, making it less commonly incorporated, though it is a hallmark of the legendary players’ styles.
The harmonious combination of these three elements—alternating bass, melody, and faux rhythm—played simultaneously on a single guitar in slack or open tuning, defines the fundamental approach to the captivating guitar style known as Hawaiian Slack Key.
