The Road to Poipu
Time: 4.38
Tuning: Hawaiian Open G (Taro-patch)
Instrument(s): Wingert Parlor Acoustic Guitar, Various Percussion Instruments
Hawaiian guitar grew out of an era when the Paniolo (the Hawaiian cowboys) were taught their trade from the Mexican vaqueros. In the year 1832, cattlemen from Mexico were hired by King Kamehameha III to teach the Hawaiians the art of cattle ranching. The Mexican vaqueros brought many things with them and one was the guitar. The Hawaiians found the standard tuning of the guitar to be troublesome and soon learned to tune down the guitar to slack key or literally “loose tuning”. I have always been intrigued by the ringing and harmonic open sound of slack key (ki ho’alu) guitar and on a trip to the island of Kauai, I stopped at a local guitar shop and asked if someone could show me slack key tuning. I was introduced to an older guy named Bruddah John who promptly tuned his guitar to DGDGBD. He handed me the guitar and said “This is Hawaiian tuning—now play”. The road to Poipu is my first composition in Hawaiian taro-patch tuning.
Written by Lawrence Blatt
Performed by Lawrence Blatt
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