Tag Archives: fingerstyle guitar

Keiki Slack Key on Nylon String Guitar

Songsacoustic guitar, altered tuning, classical guitar, fingerstyle guitar, keiki slack key, ki ho’alu, open G, open tunings, Ray Kane, relaxing music, slack key, taro patch, taylor 414ce-NR, taylor classical guitar, taylor nylon guitar, tranquil song

Today’s song is a cover of the Ray Kane classic “Keiki Slack Key” (not to be confused with the Sonny Chillingworth song of the same name). To me, Ray Kane is probably the best example of an ‘old style’ slack key player, and his tracks are always nahenahe. I never got to take a lesson from Ray, though I did get to speak to him and his wife Elodia on the phone once, not long before he passed – a cherished memory. Keiki Slack Key is one of the first slack key songs I transcribed, and has stayed on my setlists ever since. This arrangement was inspired by my recent purchase of a nylon string guitar; I really think this song works well on nylon for a number of reasons. Hope you enjoy.

Is There Anybody Out There? by Pink Floyd

Songsacoustic guitar, classic rock, David Gilmour, fingerstyle guitar, Pink Floyd, relaxing music, Roger Waters, Taylor 412ce-R, The Wall, tranquil song

Appearing as an interlude on The Wall, here is the guitar part from the end of Is There Anybody Out There? Originally done on a nylon string guitar, I think this song works well (and like it a little better) on steel string. This is one of the first songs I learned on guitar from one of my first guitar teachers. Years later, I taught the arrangement to some of my students – both using a pick and fingerstyle. It’s a great moody instrumental, and an arguably underappreciated acoustic piece from the classic rock canon. Hope you enjoy.

Study in Em – Francisco Tárrega

Songsacoustic guitar, classical guitar, E minor, Em, fingerstyle guitar, Francisco Tárrega, relaxing music, taylor 414ce-NR, taylor classical guitar, taylor nylon guitar, tranquil song

Here is my take on a Study in Em by Francisco Tárrega. This is a song I have taught in the past to students interested in learning a little fingerstyle or classical. To make the arrangement a little more fun for some students, I took some liberties and added a few flourishes here and there. This version of the study has also found its way onto some of my setlists over the years. Hope you enjoy.

Horn – Nick Drake Cover on Nylon String Guitar

Songsacoustic guitar, altered tuning, classical guitar, fingerstyle guitar, Horn, Nick Drake, open tunings, Pink Moon, relaxing music, taylor 414ce-NR, taylor classical guitar, taylor nylon guitar, tranquil song

Appearing as a sort of interlude on the Pink Moon album, Horn is a fascinating little study of a song in its own right. I love the simple melody and the atmosphere created by the space between the notes. I also really like the way this song works on nylon string guitar. (Apologies for the intonation in places – still getting a feel for this guitar and nylon again.) Of course, Drake apparently used really old, beat up steel strings, so his guitar work translates well to nylon. I don’t know what it is about the deceptively simple genius of his guitar parts, but they get me every time. Hope you enjoy.

Tranquility – original fingerstyle on nylon string guitar

Songsacoustic guitar, altered tuning, classical guitar, fingerstyle guitar, open tunings, relaxing music, tranquil song

Up until now, you’ve mostly heard me play steel string acoustic guitar. “Tranquility” is a song I recorded a years back on nylon string guitar. It’s a mellow, contemplative, and relaxing song. My friend Chris in Kona (no slouch on guitar himself) says it’s his favorite thing he’s heard me do. With that vote, I thought I would dig this out from the vaults for you.
Anyway, I haven’t had a nylon string guitar for going on 10 years… up until recently that is. I’ve made several recordings with it so far, and I hope to have them edited and posted before long. Meanwhile, please enjoy this song.

Pua Lililehua

Songsacoustic guitar, fingerstyle guitar, open tunings, performances, Pua Lililehua, relaxing guitar, slack key, taylor guitars

Here is a rendition of Pua Lililehua from the vaults. I always enjoyed this song because it is mostly sweet and mellow, but still has a bit of tension that creates a sense of yearning in it. I recorded this while living in an ohana unit with a large, tiled room that I kept mostly empty because I enjoyed the acoustics. (Plus, I don’t own a lot of furniture.) Hope you enjoy.

Recorded in Holualoa, Hawai’i, 2/27/08.

Iris

Songsacoustic guitar, fingerstyle guitar, open tunings, relaxing guitar, taylor grand concert, taylor guitars

Iris has a lot of harmonics, which creates a light, chimey atmosphere. A thunderstorm rolled in while I was recording and gave some interesting punctuation to the take. I’ll probably try to record another version of this song, but thought the lightness of the song coupled with the thunderstorm left an interesting contrast. Hope you enjoy.

Morning and Night

Songsfingerstyle guitar, gotoh 510, relaxing guitar, taylor grand concert, taylor guitars

Morning and Night started out as a fingerpicking study I wrote for one of my students way back when. I added a little to the study to perform it as a slow, relaxing solo piece and it has stayed in my repertoire ever since.
A few years back I decided to write a harmony part for the song, which I almost forgot about until I found a demo take while combing through some old files. I think it’s interesting to hear the song both with and without the harmony. Hope you enjoy both versions.

Nick Borho

Slack Key & Fingerstyle Guitar