Tag Archives: taro patch

Mino’aka – Keola Beamer Cover (Alt Take)

Songsacoustic guitar, altered tunings, blue sky guitar, fingerstyle guitar, harmonics, Hawaii, keola beamer, ki ho’alu, nick borho, open g tuning, open tunings, peaceful guitar music, relaxing guitar, relaxing music, slack key, soliloquy, taro patch, Taylor 912ce, taylor grand concert, tranquil song

Here’s an alternate take of Keola Beamer’s Mino’aka (Smile), from his awesome Soliloquy album. Soliloquy is one of my favorite Dancing Cat era albums from Keola and a highly recommended listen. Keola’s book is one of the first I picked up when I really delved into the slack key style years ago, and this was one of my favorite songs featured in the book. In fact, I also recommend Keola’s book for beginner to intermediate fingerstyle players who are looking to learn some slack key. Although the version I recorded here is at a slightly faster tempo, I hope it still captures the original’s relaxed feel. Hope you enjoy.

Slippery Slack Key (Nylon String Guitar)

Songsbig island, blue sky guitar, fingerstyle guitar, Hawaii, kailua kona, ki ho’alu, nick borho, nylon string slack key, open G, open tunings, slack key, taro patch

Here is another version – this one recorded on a nylon string guitar – of my song “Slippery Slack Key.” Also known as the “Slippery Fish Slack Key,” this is a fast paced and fun to play slack key song that saw various incarnations in my set a few years back. The slippery runs were inspired in part by the fish in the waters off Kailua-Kona. Hope you enjoy.

Fronds in the Wind (alt take)

Songsacoustic guitar, blue sky guitar, fingerstyle guitar, Hawaii, honolulu, ki ho’alu, Neumann TLM 102, nick borho, open G, open tunings, peaceful guitar, relaxing guitar, slack key, taro patch

Here is an alternate take of a slack key song I wrote called “Fronds in the Wind.” Hope you enjoy.

Meadows

Songsacoustic guitar, big island, blue sky guitar, Elixir Polyweb, fingerstyle guitar, Hawaii, Holualoa, kailua kona, ki ho’alu, ksm141, Mamalahoa Highway, nick borho, open G, open tunings, peaceful guitar, relaxing guitar, shure, slack key, taro patch, taylor 310ce

“Meadows” is an original song I wrote during a full moon in Kailua-Kona. I think the song was influenced by the night air and night sounds – the occasional chirp of geckos, the distant sounds of traffic on Mamalahoa Highway and the waves in the ocean. This version was probably recorded within a year of when I wrote it. Hope you enjoy.

Slippery Slack Key (310ce)

Songsbig island, blue sky guitar, Elixir Polyweb, Hawaii, kailua kona, ki ho’alu, ksm141, nick borho, open G, shure, slack key, taro patch, taylor 310ce

Years back I was working on some turnaround ideas when I wrote “Slippery Slack Key.” Also known as the “Slippery Fish Slack Key,” this is a fast paced and fun to play slack key song that saw various incarnations in my set a few years back. The slippery runs were inspired in part by the fish in the waters off Kailua-Kona. Kona’s world famous fishing was also brought to mind frequently by my landlord at the time I wrote this song, a local fish boat captain named Chuck. Hope you enjoy.

77 Minutes Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Instrumental Music

Songsacoustic guitar, big island, blue sky guitar, fingerstyle guitar, hanalei, Hawaii, Holualoa, kailua kona, kapaa, kauai, ki ho’alu, love, maui, mauna loa tuning, nick borho, open tunings, paia, peace, peaceful guitar, relaxing guitar, slack key, taro patch, taylor grand concert, tranquil song

For your listening pleasure here is a collection of Ki Ho’alu a/k/a Hawaiian Slack Key guitar instrumentals. This compilation includes both energetic and relaxed tunes, though I’d say the overall vibe is relaxing. I like to listen to some of those longer “relaxing music” videos while working on the computer and became inspired to produce some videos featuring my own performances. Hope you enjoy.

Kuakini Slack Key

Songsacoustic guitar, big island, blue sky guitar, fingerstyle guitar, Hawaii, Hulihe’e Palace, John Adams Kuakini, kailua kona, Kailua pier, ki ho’alu, Kuakini Highway, Larrivée, nick borho, open G, open tunings, P-09, Palani Road, parlor guitar, peaceful guitar, relaxing guitar, rosewood, sitka spruce, slack key, taro patch

Here is a demo of a song called Kuakini Slack Key, named after Kuakini Highway (which was in turn named after former governor of Hawai’i island and builder of Hulihe’e Palace, John Adams Kuakini). I wrote this in a friends’ condo which was off Kuakini, not far from Palani Road and the Kailua pier. As a kid, I also lived for several years in a home farther south that was just off Kuakini.

This is one of the few recordings done with a Larrivee parlor guitar I used to own – a rosewood / spruce P-09, which I have since sold. There’s also a fun little manual fade at the end. Hope you enjoy.

Opihi Moe Moe (Taylor 310ce)

Songsbig island, blue sky guitar, Chet Atkins, Elixir Polyweb, Hawaii, Holualoa, kailua kona, ki ho’alu, kona coffee, ksm141, leonard kwan, nick borho, open G, peaceful guitar, relaxing guitar, shure, slack key, taro patch, taylor 310ce, Taylor Dreadnaught

Here’s a recently found cover I did of Leonard Kwan’s signature tune, Opihi Moe Moe. One of the most popular songs in the slack key repetoire, this song has been covered perhaps most prominently by Led Kaapana; in fact, Chet Atkins even recorded a version after hearing it from Leonard on a visit to Hawai’i. Notably, Leonard himself recorded several versions of this song including variations such as Opihi Bounce. Opihi Moe Moe is a fun song to play that lends itself to little variations, and everyone seems to bring something different to this deceptively simple song. Hope you enjoy.

Recorded in Holualoa, Hawai’i, 1/4/2008.

Fronds in the Wind Wai’alae Beach Park in Kahala

Songsblue sky guitar, diamond head, east oahu, Hawaii, kahala, kaimuki, ki ho’alu, nick borho, open G, peaceful guitar, relaxing guitar, relaxing music, rosewood taylor, slack key, taro patch, Taylor 412ce-R, taylor grand concert, waialae beach park

Here’s a recording of my slack key song Fronds in the Wind at Wai’alae Beach Park in Kahala. Appropriately, it was a windy day, but nice and the park was not super crowded. Hope you enjoy.

Recorded with a Taylor 412ce LTD (Rosewood/Spruce, with Elixir strings, ES1) direct through a Boss DD-2 delay pedal, in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Bumble Bee Slack Key

Songsbig island, Fred Kelly, Hawaii, Holualoa, ki ho’alu, kona coffee, ksm141, peaceful guitar music, relaxing guitar, relaxing music, shure, slack key, taro patch, taylor 310ce, Taylor Dreadnaught, thumbpicks, tranquil song

Demo recording of original song Bumble Bee Slack Key, inspired in part by the nalo meli, honey bees buzzing about their business. I wanted a song that was both lively and mellow and think I achieved it. Hope you enjoy.

Recorded in Holualoa, Hawai’i, 12/16/07.

Nick Borho

Slack Key & Fingerstyle Guitar