Born: ‘Ele‘ele, Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i
Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar - Master

"What slack key usually does is bring back memories, thinking about the happy days. The days that I love most as I was growing up and reminds me of all these times. Ah, words cannot express..."

The guitar came to Hawai‘i sometime during the 1830s. By the 1900s, Hawaiian musicians had developed a Hawaiian style of playing known as kiho‘alu (slack key). Kiho‘alu is skillfully played on the high strings while the bass is being played at the same time on the low strings. The guitar has a very full sound because the player loosens the strings and tunes the guitar to an open chord. Many tunings were secret and passed down within families or local communities. Each player ultimately develops his or her own personal style. Many of today’s finest kiho‘alu players have actually learned to play by ear.