NAVIGATION
BIO & ʻOHANA
HUMOR
MISCELLANEOUS
Join our email list! to be notified of any breaking news, tours, new releases and appearances, and to enter our monthly drawing for a FREE Keola Beamer CD!

A Free Slack Key Guitar Piece
by Keola Beamer!
This is a manuahi (free!) sample of how our on-line lessons
work!
With aloha from Keola Beamer!
Follow the directions below to enjoy this easy to play and fun slack key
guitar piece! My 'Slack Key Sampler' is a quick example of how our
on-line lessons are taught. Slack Key is healthy, good fun and very
fulfilling to play. Try it yourself- and move over to the slack side of
life!
Here's how;
- Download and print out the tablature of this
sample piece from your printer. Tablature is a 'picture' of the notes
that you will play. The six horizontal lines indicate guitar strings, with
the bottom line being the lowest bass string on your guitar. The numbers
intersecting the lines are the frets you will play on those strings. Its Easy!
- Tune your guitar to 'G
Double Slack' by listening to my real audio file. If you experience any difficulty with network congestion, try this file.
- Listen
to my recording of 'A
Slack Key Sampler' and compare it to the
Tablature you just printed. If you experience any difficulty with network congestion, try this file.
Study Notes
Here are some notes to help you enjoy this piece;
- 'A Slack Key Sampler' uses the technique of 'hammering on' to accent
the cool movement of the rhythm. This hammer on technique is at the heart
of the Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar and is indicated by a curved line in the
Tablature. Pluck the first note with your right hand and then hammer down
on the second note with your left hand. Remember that your right hand
plays only the first note, the left hand sounds the second note.
- Take it easy! The journey is half as fun as getting there! Play
smoothly from one section to the next. Try to connect the notes to each
other for a nahenahe (sweet, smooth, satisfying) sound.
- The very last group of notes is a chord. Play these three notes at
the same time with your right hand. You can also form a bar with the
index finger of your left hand (Bar only the 3 high strings). Let the low
bass continue from the previous beat and sound through the end of the song.
Feels good, doesn't it? That's the way slack key makes you feel inside.
Good. Like a little bit of light, shining in your heart. If you've
enjoyed this little sample, you'll have a blast with our lessons! Why not
join our 'Ohana (family) at www.kbeamer.com? Our on-line lessons are
getting rave reviews from players who consider them truly excellent values.
Feel the Aloha! Come and
join our 'Ohana.
©2000 Keola Beamer. All Rights Reserved.