Category Archives: Songs

Punahoa Special

Songsblue sky guitar, fingerstyle guitar, fred punahoa, fred punahou, Hawaii, ki ho’alu, mauna loa tuning, Neumann TLM 102, nick borho, peaceful guitar, relaxing guitar, slack key, taylor 414ce-NR, taylor classical guitar, taylor guitars, taylor nylon

Today’s song is the joyful “Punahoa Special,” a signature showpiece of legendary slack key master Fred Punahoa. This is a song I was fortunate enough to learn directly from Led Ka’apana, one that Led had in turn learned directly from Fred himself. Though Fred Punahoa never made a full album under his own name, he did make a notable appearance on the Waimea Music Festival album in addition to fostering amazing talents of the next generation such as Led and Sonny Lim. “Punahoa Special” is an often covered song in the slack key canon, and might also be the most popular song in Mauna Loa slack key tuning. Hope you enjoy.

Hilo Rag (alt take)

Songsacoustic guitar, dennis kamakahi, ear trumpet labs, edwina, fingerstyle guitar, Hawaii, ki ho’alu, mauna loa tuning, open tunings, peaceful guitar, relaxing guitar, slack key, sons of hawaii, taylor 414ce-NR, taylor classical guitar, taylor nylon

Here is an alternate take of Dennis Kamakahi’s song, “Hilo Rag.” This is a super fun song to play and one of my favorites from Dennis Kamakahi’s oeuvre. Better known for lyrical songs like Koke’e, Hilo Rag makes me wish I heard more of Dennis’s instrumental work. Hope you enjoy.

Banyan (Alternate Take)

Songsacoustic guitar, banyans, banyans surf spot, blue sky guitar, fingerstyle guitar, Hawaii, kailua kona, ki ho’alu, kona, mauna loa tuning, nahenahe, Neumann TLM 102, nick borho, open tunings, peaceful guitar, relaxing guitar, slack key, taylor 414ce-NR, taylor classical guitar, taylor nylon

Here is an alternate take of my song “Banyan” (a/k/a “Banyans,” or “Banyan Tree Slack Key”), a slack key style song I wrote years ago on nylon string guitar. I used to play my gut string ‘beach’ guitar (an old Ibanez) around beaches and surf spots in Kona like Magic Sands, Banyans, and Old Airport. So I guess this song is partially named after the surf spot, but also after some banyan trees near Magic Sands – some of which have since been cut down – or even majestic banyan trees in general. Hope you enjoy.

Momentum (K22ce)

Songsblue sky guitar, fingerstyle guitar, Hawaiian koa, koa taylor, momentum, Neumann TLM 102, nick borho, taylor grand concert, Taylor K22ce

Momentum is an original I’ve been playing for a while. Over the years, I have added different bridges and changed the intro at times, but at its core the song remains the same. This version has a new bridge and was recorded on my Taylor K22ce.

Bach Cello Suite #1 Prelude (BWV 1007)

SongsBach Cello, baroque guitar, blue sky guitar, BWV 1007, classical guitar, Neumann TLM 102, nick borho, peaceful guitar, prelude, relaxing guitar, steel string, Taylor 912ce, taylor grand concert

I fell in love with the Pablo Casals recordings of the Bach cello suites a few years back. The prelude to the first suite is oft adapted for guitar, but it’s still a great piece to play. Hope you enjoy.

Jewel Ponds

Songsacoustic guitar, big island, blue sky guitar, Elixir Polyweb, fingerstyle guitar, Hawaii, Holualoa, kailua kona, ksm141, nick borho, open tunings, peaceful guitar, relaxing guitar, shure, slack key, taylor 310ce, Taylor Dreadnaught

This improvisation is named for the beautiful anchialine ponds you find along the leeward coast of Hawai’i Island. These ponds are an ultra rare and pristine habitat (please do not bathe in them) that host rare tiny red shrimp – ‘ōpae ‘ula – and can have a magnificent array of turquoise and opaline colors, like jewels. Some of these ponds are tiny indeed, almost more of a puddle than a pond, and legends tell of ponds that would mysteriously appear to someone only to vanish when visited again. There can be no denying the strange, quiet magic of Hawai’i’s anchialine ponds.

Ki Ho’alu

SongsGabby Pahinui, Hawaii, kailua kona, ki ho’alu, mauna loa tuning, Neumann TLM 102, nick borho, open tunings, Ozzie Kotani, peaceful guitar, Pure Gabby, relaxing guitar, slack key, taylor 414ce-NR, taylor classical guitar, taylor nylon

Here’s my take on Gabby Pahinui’s classic instrumental simply and appropriately titled “Ki Ho’alu,” which is course is the Hawaiian term for “slack key.” I probably first heard this song on the stellar “Pure Gabby” album – a must own – although it has appeared on other compilations and been covered by numerous slack key artists, including Ozzie Kotani’s excellent version. My version is inspired by Gabby, Ozzie, and also Dennis Kamakahi who was prolific in the Mauna Loa tuning.

Mauna Loa Slack Key

Songsbig island, blue sky guitar, Elixir Polyweb, Hawaii, Holualoa, ki ho’alu, kona coffee, ksm141, mauna loa, nick borho, shure, slack key, taylor 310ce, Taylor Dreadnaught

Here is my cover of “Mauna Loa Slack Key,” one of the relatively few surviving original songs from legendary slack key kupuna Fred Punahoa. Though “Uncle” Fred never made a full album, he did make a notable appearance on the Waimea Music Festival album which features Mauna Loa Slack Key along with another of Fred’s originals, “Punahoa Special.” Uncle Fred’s legacy also includes fostering amazing Big Island talents of the next generation such as Ledward Ka’apana and Sonny Lim. Like the Punahoa Special, Mauna Loa Slack Key is an often covered song in the slack key world. Hope you enjoy.

Recorded in Holualoa, Hawai’i, 10/11/07.

Bron-Yr-Aur (912ce)

Songsacoustic guitar, blue sky guitar, fingerstyle guitar, Jimmy Page, Neumann TLM 102, nick borho, open C6, peaceful guitar, physical graffiti, relaxing guitar, Taylor 912ce, taylor grand concert, Welsh Countryside

Bron-Yr-Aur is probably my favorite Led Zeppelin acoustic song. Written about a tranquil cottage in the Welsh countryside, the song is meditative and bucolic; it always puts me in a different place whenever I hear it or play it. This version was recorded on my Taylor 912ce.

Momentum (912ce)

Songsblue sky guitar, fingerstyle guitar, momentum, Neumann TLM 102, nick borho, rosewood taylor, Taylor 912ce, taylor grand concert

Nick Borho

Slack Key & Fingerstyle Guitar