Hawaiian Slack Key

Hawaiian Slack Key is a distinctive style of playing the guitar, which utilizes mostly picking and a steady alternating bass played on the top strings. Hawaiian Slack Key, Kiho`alu, has a rather interesting beginning. In 1792, George Vancouver gifted King Kamehameha I with ten cows and two bulls. Recognizing the rarity of these animals, King Kamehameha I created a kapu (law), allowing them to roam freely. Over the years, the herd kept growing and it became necessary to find a way to contain them. So, his son, King Kamehameha III sent for the Vaqueros to come to Hawai`i and teach the skill and art of cattle ranching. Paniolo, likely adapted from the word Español, is what they became known as. Imagine…building fences, rounding up and roping cattle by day. At night, by the campfires atop such beautiful mountains as Mauna Kea and Haleakala, under the vast canopy of stars, they shared their mo`olelo (history) and their mele (songs). Of course, the Vaqueros brought their guitars. What the clever Hawaiians did was to re-tune them by slackening the strings enough to form chords that could be strummed with relatively simple fingerings upon the frets, making the guitars easy to play. Yet, achieving a full sound in range. Today, there are over one hundred different tunings. Many tunings are exclusive to certain Paniolo families. Fortunately, the once secret tunings are being shared today and therefore, preserved for future players.

Ki = key
Ho`alu = to loosen

Kiho`alu = to loosen the key!

Source: Oral History

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