Tag Archives: Hawaii

Slack Key Bach (Bourrée in Open A Taro Patch)

Songsacoustic guitar, Bach Bouree, Bach cello suites, blue sky guitar, classical music, fingerstyle guitar, guitar instrumental, Hawaii, hawaiian guitar, Kapiolani Park, ki ho’alu, Monkeypod trees, nahenahe, Neumann TLM 102, nick borho, open G, open tunings, Pablo Casals, Paki Ave, peaceful guitar, relaxing guitar, slack key, taro patch, Taylor 912ce, taylor grand concert, yoga

I went through a phase a few years back where I was regularly listening to the Pablo Casals recordings of the Bach cello suites. They were on the USB stick with music I had in my car, and for some reason the memory of listening to them that stands out is that of making my way home from Kapiolani Park after yoga class. Driving along Paki Avenue, listening to the mellow cello suites as the moon was coming out, looking up through the sunroof of my Honda at the moonlight filtering through the intricate silhouettes created by the canopy of Monkeypod trees lining the avenue, an amazing textured design.

Recently, I decided to arrange part II of the Bourrée from Bach’s Cello Suite 4 (BWV 1010) in Taro Patch tuning. Rather than the usual Open G, I used a capo on the 2nd fret to play the piece in Open A which helped make some of the stretches a little easier. This arrangement is based on Stanley Yates’s excellent arrangements of the cello suites for guitar (Mel Bay). In further adapting it for Taro Patch, I decided to use various fingerings and add some harmonics in place of fretted notes – things that one wouldn’t normally do, but which were part of the fun of playing this piece in an open tuning. Hope you enjoy.

Spooner Slack Key (First Take)

Songsacoustic guitar, blue sky guitar, fingerstyle guitar, guitar instrumental, Hawaii, hawaiian guitar, Hawaiian koa, kailua kona, ki ho’alu, koa taylor, Neumann TLM 103, nick borho, open tunings open G, peaceful guitar, relaxing guitar, slack key, taro patch, taylor grand concert, Taylor K22ce

Spooner Slack Key was born out of an idea improvised between recording takes of another song. I decided to record an improvised version of the song as a demo to remember the idea – resulting in this ‘first & only’ take (so far) – then resumed working on the other song I was recording at the time. When listening back to the original recording recently, I like the energy and decided to post it. Hope you enjoy.

Home Abroad (Slide Guitar, Low Reverb Mix)

Songsacoustic guitar, awake again, big island, blue sky guitar, blues guitar, Elixir Polyweb, fingerstyle guitar, guitar instrumental, Hawaii, Holualoa, kailua kona, kona coffee, ksm141, nick borho, Open D, open tunings, relaxing guitar, sapele tone, shure, slide guitar, taylor 310ce

Here is a remix of “Home Abroad,” a slide guitar song which was recorded as part of my Awake Again album project. While revisiting that project and remixing the album (a playlist of the full album is also available on the ‘music’ page), I had two different ideas for how I wanted to approach the mix for this song – basically a ‘wet’ mix which is featured on the remixed album, and a more ‘dry mix’ with a little less reverb that I decided to release here as a bonus track of sorts. Though the wet mix was a better fit for the album, I also like the directness of the dry mix.

Straight Ahead Blues (310ce)

Songsacoustic blues, acoustic fingerstyle blues, acoustic guitar, big island, blue sky guitar, Elixir Polyweb, fingerstyle guitar, guitar instrumental, Hawaii, Holualoa, kona coffee, kona coffee farm, ksm141, nick borho, peaceful guitar, relaxing guitar, sapele tone, shure, taylor 310ce

Here is another take of “Straight Ahead Blues,” also known as “New Blues,” which was recorded as part of my Awake Again album project. While revisiting that project and remixing the album (a playlist of the full album is also available on the ‘music’ page), I came across some alternate takes of a couple of songs that I thought it would be fun to publish; this is one of those songs. At the time I recorded this song, I was listening to the Clapton Unplugged album quite a bit, and experimenting with various blues ideas. Hope you enjoy.

Naupaka Slack Key ~ Early Take

Songsacoustic guitar, beach naupaka, big island, blue sky guitar, guitar instrumental, half flowers, Hawaii, hawaiian guitar, kailua kona, Kamakahonu beach, ki ho’alu, King Kamehameha Hotel, Kohala beaches, Kona beaches, Kona pier, KTA grocery, lilikoi man, Line Audio CM4, mountain naupaka, nahenahe, Naupaka, nick borho, ohana and friends, open tunings, passionfruit, peaceful guitar, relaxing guitar, sapele tone, slack key, Taylor 312ce, white berries

Here is an early take of Naupaka Slack Key, a song that pays tribute to ‘beach’ naupaka, a cheerful bush that can be found near many beaches in Hawai’i. While the story of separated lovers embodied in the ‘half flowers’ of beach and ‘mountain’ naupaka is poignant, I often think of the little white berries bobbing around in the water at such places as Kamakahonu beach near the King Kamehameha Hotel in Kailua-Kona where I used to swim as a keiki. Not long ago, an old friend reminded me of the ‘lilikoi man’ who used to walk by the beach there selling passionfruit from a KTA shopping bag for a quarter. As kids, we would build sand castles, explore the nearby pier, and take small fishing nets to catch little minnow-sized fish for our beach bucket filled with seawater (which we would return to the ocean not long after). Anyway, the naupaka plant was often nearby during those childhood hours (small kid time, as they say) spent at various Kona and Kohala beaches – mellow and relaxing days with ohana and friends. Hope you enjoy.

Punahele – Ray Kane Slack Key Cover (Longer Version)

Songsacoustic guitar, blue sky guitar, Elixir HD Light, Fred Kelly thumbpicks, g wahine tuning, Hawaii, hawaiian guitar, ki ho’alu, nahenahe, nanakuli, Neumann TLM 102, nick borho, old style slack key, open tunings, peaceful guitar music, punahele, Ray Kane, Raymond Kane, real old style, relaxing guitar, relaxing music, slack key, Taylor 412ce-R, taylor grand concert, tranquil song

Here is another, slightly longer version I recorded of the classic Ray Kane slack key song “Punahele.” According to the Dancing Cat liner notes, Punahele (“favorite” or “pet”) came to Ray “one night in 1938 at Zablan’s Beach in Nanakuli. ‘Back in those days there were no cars, it was pitch black. So I sit there in the dark in the nice cool breeze and I hear the waves bouncing on the sand and see the moonlight flicker on the water. It inspired me, something so nice. So mellow. That’s what gave me my inspiration.’” Hope you enjoy.

Hualalai Sunrise (Slack Key Guitar)

Songsacoustic guitar instrumental, big island, blue sky guitar, Hawaii, hawaiian guitar, Holualoa, hualalai, kailua kona, ki ho’alu, kona coffee, nahenahe, nick borho, open tunings, peaceful guitar, relaxing guitar, slack key, taylor 414ce-NR, taylor classical guitar, taylor nylon, Telefunken M60

“Hualalai Sunrise” was inspired by the morning sunrises in Kailua-Kona on the Big Island of Hawai’i. Much of North Kona – from Kalaoa where I spent much of my early childhood to Holualoa where I later lived – can see the sun shining over the top ridges of Hualalai in the morning, bathing its warm light over the slopes from the summit to the ocean.

Acacia Improv (K22ce)

Songsacoustic guitar, blue sky guitar, fingerstyle guitar, Hawaii, hawaiian guitar, Hawaiian koa, ki ho’alu, koa taylor, nahenahe, Neumann TLM 103, nick borho, open G, open tunings, original fingerstyle, peaceful guitar, relaxing guitar, slack key, taro patch, taylor grand concert, Taylor K22ce

Acacia Improv is an outtake of some improvisation done one day while I was recording “Acacia Just Noticed.” That song as well as this short little improv were meant to highlight the koa guitar’s warm low-mid tone with a touch of sparkle in the treble register, to bring out the characteristic warmth and sweetness of the wood. Hope you enjoy.

Glass Ball Slack Key (Kamaka HF-3D)

Songsblue sky guitar, chicken in the straw ukulele, fingerstyle ukulele, Hawaii, Kamaka HF-3D, Kamaka Koa Deluxe Tenor, ki ho’alu, nick borho, slack key, slack key ukulele, Telefunken M60

Glass Ball Slack Key is a favorite chestnut (or perhaps kukui nut) of uke players in Hawai’i; it’s a fun little ditty that is sure to please aunty or uncle. I learned this song watching and listening to the great Led Ka’apana over the years. A recorded version can be found on the classic Led Live album. Many other ukulele players have covered the song over the years as well. Hope you enjoy.

Keiki Slack Key (412ce)

Songsacoustic guitar, blue sky guitar, fingerstyle guitar, Fred Kelly, Hawaii, hawaiian guitar, honolulu, keiki slack key, ki ho’alu, love, nahenahe, Neumann TLM 102, nick borho, open G, open tunings, peace, peaceful guitar, Ray Kane, relaxing guitar, relaxing music, slack key, st louis heights, taro patch, Taylor 412ce-R, taylor grand concert, taylor guitars, thumbpicks, tranquil song

Here is another version of the Ray Kane classic “Keiki Slack Key” I recorded on my Taylor 412ce-R steel string guitar. Keiki Slack Key (not to be confused with the Sonny Chillingworth song of the same name) is one of the first slack key songs I transcribed, and has stayed on my setlists ever since. To me, Ray Kane is probably the best example of an ‘old style’ slack key player, and his tracks are always nahenahe. Hope you enjoy.

Nick Borho

Slack Key & Fingerstyle Guitar