| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| ah.clem |
Posted - 11/03/2010 : 3:22:38 PM
I'm located in the southeast US. I've been working through Ozzie Katani's excellent instruction manual on my own; I'm on lesson 4 at this time. I don't have access to a teacher, but I have a lot of tab resources I have gathered over the years, and Scott Hillman was kind enough to send me a copy of his excellent tunings manual.
Can someone offer me advice on what to practice in Taro Patch besides the songs I am working on in the method book? I don't mind hard work and figuring stuff out but I don't have a clue about what would be useful to get under my fingers (other than ascending/descending 3rds and 6ths, but I'm not even certain how to best practice them, alone or with the alternating bass patterns). What about triads on the top 3 strings? I am an experienced jazz bassist/pianist with a good grasp of theory; I believe I will be able to follow advice on this topic.
Is there a good method book that provides this advice?
I would really appreciate any advice anyone could give me on this. I will not be back on Oahu for 18 months for a few weeks so it will be some time before I can take a lesson or two with a kumu.
Thanks for your time.
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| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| basilking |
Posted - 12/01/2010 : 12:43:45 PM
I'd also offer that my knowledge & comfort-level has been amplified by trying non-Hawai`ian music using the tuning[s] I find myself in for slack key. Some familiar-to-me tunes that're "easy" come out different but fun in slack tunings. Others don't seem to lend themselves as readily, but it's fun to experiment. There are also different kinds of "mainland" music that at least sometimes utilize open G/taropatch, for example. Some "less-Hawai`ian-sounding" portions of these may still be useful passing-tones/shapes for some slack tunes. An example: John Prine's "Speed Of The Sound Of Loneliness" works great for me in open G with C bass/"Leonard's C" both as instrumental & as vocal accompaniment. Never knew it would til I chanced to try it, but there it was. |
| ah.clem |
Posted - 11/29/2010 : 3:37:20 PM
Thanks for the continuing dialogue. I find that I use tab to learn the stuff I'm not able to pick out yet do to inexperience, but I only use the tab as reference. I listen to the lesson I am working on over and over again in the car whenever I'm driving (with my lovely and patient wife saying "Exercise 4, 'Awiwi" in unison with Ozzie!) and as I advance in the lessons I try to predict the fingerings I will use to get the melody. The tab either confirms this or shows me my error in judgement. I have now memorized the fingering for Ozzie's arrangement of "Maunaloa"; the previous lessons were songs that made use of key elements of the arrangement. I play Maunaloa and I find I'm adding my own little things like slides into the two note chords, simple stuff but I like how it sounds. I also go over every previous exercise many times each practice session, trying to improve on the technique Ozzie was trying to present. I also find myself humming the melodies during the day, adding variations then trying to make those variations work when I get home and have the guitar in hand. I'm not too good at that yet, but I am quite happy with my progress since picking up the guitar in July.
EDIT: I just saw the reference to videos. I have both of Ozzie's, I have Keola Beamer's and I have Uncle Ray's video that I had on VHS and transferred to my hard drive so I could slow it down and loop it. I saw him live many times and I never got over how he just floated over the fretboard, magic! He was my inspiration to play this music but I didn't think I could. Ozzie is making it possible. You folks, too! Mahalos to all! |
| chunky monkey |
Posted - 11/17/2010 : 1:28:25 PM
Mark's videos are extremely helpful. I would also recommend any instructional DVD where you can actually see someone play; John Keawe X 2, Ozzie X 2, Patrick Landeza, Keoki Kahumoku X 2, etc. If you have good video gear, any performance video in which you can see (and slow down or stop) the fingers works after you get comfortable with a tuning. |
| Larry Goldstein |
Posted - 11/16/2010 : 11:37:15 AM
quote:
I also have a series of about 30 video lessons online. You can access the site and get a week's lessons free at my website: www.mark-o.com.
.
Any doubt Mark is one the most generous musician/teacher's around? Not to mention an obvious passion to share and promote the music.
Mahalo, Mark.
Larry
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| slipry1 |
Posted - 11/16/2010 : 10:28:43 AM
OK, guyz. The mantra for motor learning of any sort is (as I've posted here before) "the more you do it, the better you get". Tab is good for finding your way thru a tune, but, after you get it into your memory, play, play and play it more! A benefit of that, along with doing turnarounds, is that you find licks in one tune you can use in others, and, after a while, you find that you can pick up tunes without resorting to tablature. When I'm learning a new tune on steel from Alan Akaka, he has me learn to play the melody, note for note, until I KNOW the song, which makes playing it easier, adding more complex lines and rhythms as I go. I also go to "He Mele" or get lyrics from one of the Hawaiian music lyric websites so I can understand the meaning of the song. Lester Young is quoted as saying that, if you don't know the lyrics, you can't improvise on the song. One last shot - sightreading does not lead to knowing a tune - it's jst a transmission from eyes to hands. I quit teaching banjo after 15 years because I found that 'I was sightreading tablature! |
| jimscottjr |
Posted - 11/16/2010 : 09:54:56 AM
I'll throw in my 2 cents worth. I found that tabs, after the first month or two, kept me from moving forward. I would focus so much on the tab that I would be distracted from the mele.
I sometimes use tabs to get me 'in the ballpark', then just jam - try what seems like ought to work. Up and down the neck - and in the process learn new vamps and fingerings. The most important part for me is spending the time on the keyboard.
Aloha and keep at it. |
| Pops |
Posted - 11/11/2010 : 2:08:01 PM
Clem,
I would recommend that you listen to as much slack key music as possible. Many CDs list the tunings now so find those that are in Taropatch and try to play along with them at speed. It's like jumping in the water to learn how to swim, but it's worked throughout the ages. Good playing to you.
--Mark |
| ah.clem |
Posted - 11/10/2010 : 1:10:30 PM
Wow, guys, I'm overwhelmed! Thanks for all these great tips and ideas! Plenty of stuff here for many months of work. A sincere mahalo for all your time and advice. Mark, your book just arrived a few days ago and I have been listening to the CD; some of my favorites on there, looking forward to learning them.
So, sounds like it's vamps for me for the foreseeable future... pretty cool. Haole_Boy, great idea on the looper. BIAB will work fine for that.
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| RWD |
Posted - 11/08/2010 : 04:11:32 AM
This is a little late but is worthwhile to mention.
Try using a looper to practice vamps. You can put any kine chord progressions together really fast and then play vamps over it until you get it nailed down. |
| thumbstruck |
Posted - 11/05/2010 : 3:18:35 PM
Way back when, I used to "force" the Bluegrassers I jammed with to play rhythm for me for ki ho'alu once in a while. They didn't seem to mind. If you can get another to chop rhythm for you, it will help even out your timing. Music is communication and can build community. |
| RWD |
Posted - 11/05/2010 : 12:00:23 PM
You can make it on your own with online help and tabs. I have been doing it that way for over five years now. I have only met one slack key player to date.
There may seem to be many down sides to your situation, however, there is an upside as well--one that I am experiencing right now in fact...
When you are good enough to play out, your playing style will be like no one else in your area. No other guitar player will have your sound and you will not be one of many.
Enjoy knowing that this awaits you and practice.
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| Mark |
Posted - 11/05/2010 : 10:49:42 AM
I second what everyone has said, particularly the part about buying my book. 
I also have a series of about 30 video lessons online. You can access the site and get a week's lessons free at my website: www.mark-o.com.
Just click the link on my homepage.
BTW: I just got back from shooting a 3rd series of videos, covering F wahine tuning and topics of how (and when) to vary a melody, how to get off the page and create your own arrangement from TAB, and how to move a song from one tuning to another. Should be ready to go in about a month.
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| noeau |
Posted - 11/05/2010 : 08:48:30 AM
No forget to add the bass on most lines it is on the beat alternating G, D for the G chord and D, D for the D7 and C, F# for the C chord. think about what you dong at first then shoot fo intuitive playing from the na'au(heart) |
| thumbstruck |
Posted - 11/05/2010 : 08:35:59 AM
What Fran said. Vamps were my "2nd" lesson, I played them for weeks. "Can play any kine, as long as it fit. Go try make'm up. Noddah one. Noddah one. Keep going." After a while, you can experiment with II-V-I vamps. Taropatch lends itself to playing in C, so after you feel you have exhausted G, try C. |
| Fran Guidry |
Posted - 11/05/2010 : 05:35:50 AM
quote:
Originally posted by ah.clem
...
Can someone offer me advice on what to practice in Taro Patch besides the songs I am working on in the method book? ...
Play vamps obsessively. Listen to your music collection for examples of 1st position vamps, vamps around the 5th fret, vamps that end at the 7-8-9 G triad, vamps that start above the 12th fret. Your aim is to be able to cover the neck with V-I vamps in every direction.
Fran |
