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Author
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Topic: Old Hawaiian method books
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Jesse Pearson
Member From: San Diego , CA
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posted 26 March 2003 04:03 PM
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Well, I just got my "Kamiki Hawaiian guitar method book", dated revised edition 1938, from e-bay. I paid $5.60 for it and it has no tab at all and is in delta open A. The cover is way cool and "Alice R. Rich" signed the inside with a date of 1941. It doesn't look like there is anything worth trying to figure out, so I think I'll put it in a frame and hang it on my music room wall. Boy, it musta been hard trying to learn Hawaiian steel on your own back then with no tab. I was wondering if this was the norm. You would have to read music pretty good to ever understand this book. It has numbers next to the notes here and there to give you a fret location to go with the notated note.P.S. It does have "Aloha Oe" in the key of A , which I might as well learn. How many tunings can you play that song in?[This message was edited by Jesse Pearson on 26 March 2003 at 04:16 PM.] [This message was edited by Jesse Pearson on 26 March 2003 at 09:00 PM.] |
Gary Anwyl
Member From: Palo Alto, CA
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posted 26 March 2003 05:51 PM
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Most Hawaiian Guitar method books from the 30s have tab notation. Your book is probably a reprint of a book originally published in the 20s.I have a webpage with excerpts from some old Hawaiian Guitar method books: Hawaiian Guitar method books. The excerpts are short since I don't want to infringe on any copyrights. The arrangements in these old books are interesting. They're different from what people play today. They are designed for solo-style playing with lots of strummed chords and melody notes played on the first string over chords played on the open strings. The book The Hawaiian Steel Guitar and Its Great Hawaiian Musicians by Lorene Ruymar also has some good information about old Hawaiian Guitar method books.[This message was edited by Gary Anwyl on 26 March 2003 at 06:04 PM.] [This message was edited by Gary Anwyl on 30 May 2006 at 09:15 AM.] |
Jesse Pearson
Member From: San Diego , CA
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posted 26 March 2003 08:52 PM
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Here's what the book looks like:  |
Rick Aiello
Member From: Berryville, VA USA
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posted 26 March 2003 09:08 PM
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The cover was worth $5.60  ------------------
www.horseshoemagnets.com |
Russ Young
Member From: Seattle, Washington, USA
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posted 26 March 2003 09:34 PM
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I've got the same Kamiki book -- a 1938 edition that was originally published in 1927. (Jesse is right when he says the cover is great!)That one's a beginning Hawaiian guitarist's dream, compared to the 1919 "National Self Teacher for Hawaiian Guitar." That book (thanks, Gary Slabaugh) has me convinced that most students would have given up before they reached page 3 -- putting their brand-new student guitars back in the cases ... and into closets and attics ... and saved for eBay.[This message was edited by Russ Young on 26 March 2003 at 09:38 PM.] |
George Keoki Lake
Member From: Edmonton, AB., Canada
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posted 26 March 2003 10:25 PM
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Back in those days, (early 40's for me), it was quite common to take Hawaiian Guitar lessons in a class environment. The teacher explained the notation system and frankly, we thought nothing unusual about playing by notes instead of numbers. I know, for me, it was a great introduction to reading notation albeit the notes were generally written in the high leger lines, (one octive above actual pitch). To this day I still have all my old books, (incuding that Kamiki book shown above), each complete with little stick-on stars placed on the page by my teacher as my "reward" for playing the lesson song so well!  (Whoopie dooo! ) The low bass A Major was about the only tuning these books concentrated upon allowing the player to accompany themself while playing the melody....usually in the key of A...it wasn't until methods like OAHU and others came along in later years did the E7th, C#m, D9 and F#9 tunings become popular and feature tablature. To this day, I much prefer to read notation rather than tablature. |
Jesse Pearson
Member From: San Diego , CA
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posted 27 March 2003 07:24 AM
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I like music notation above the tab best. The music notation makes it easy to play the notes at the right place in the measure. I'm still looking for C#m, F#9 and E major and E7 method books. I think it's kinda of trick to play Hawaiian lap steel on the old delta tunings for my blues buddies, trips em out a little! Lowell George of Little Feat fame was deep into low A tuning and would throw everyone out of the recording studio when he was adding his secret slide to the mix. I wonder if he played lap style on any of his records? I know he used to slant his socket slide to get a minor chord up on the top three strings. [This message was edited by Jesse Pearson on 27 March 2003 at 07:28 AM.]
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HowardR
Member From: N.Y.C.,N.Y.
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posted 27 March 2003 06:05 PM
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here's a wild one......
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Jeff Au Hoy
Member From: Honolulu, Hawai'i
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posted 27 March 2003 06:30 PM
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Yikes! And all this time I thought I was steeling for...That "Magic" book is no good... probably teaches you how to play Rock N Roll  [This message was edited by Jeff Au Hoy on 27 March 2003 at 06:31 PM.] |
Jesse Pearson
Member From: San Diego , CA
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posted 27 March 2003 11:26 PM
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Wow, Howard, what is the history of that promo picture from your last gig? |
HowardR
Member From: N.Y.C.,N.Y.
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posted 28 March 2003 06:33 AM
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Yes, that was the promo for the Off Off Off Off Way Off Broadway production of "Charles Manson, The Musical."That book helped me obtain the sound and tone that I'm known for, namely a tractor trailer smashing into a concert grand. Can't find that in Jerry Byrd's course... |
Russ Young
Member From: Seattle, Washington, USA
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posted 28 March 2003 06:51 AM
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The cover of Howard's book confirms our worst fears.The only thing that's missing is Elvis standing next to the Devil. |
Dave Van Allen
Member From: Doylestown, PA , US , Earth
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posted 28 March 2003 07:19 AM
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I hear JK Rowling's next one is "Harry Potter and the Magic Steel Guitar" |
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