Tag Archives: Taylor 912ce

Slack Key Bach (Bourrée in Open A Taro Patch)

Songs, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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.

Greensleeves

Songs, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Here is an arrangement of Greensleeves I did back when I was teaching guitar full time.  The arrangement was meant for intermediate to advanced students, and is both a little challenging and fun to play.  Greensleeves (a/k/a What Child is This?) is often thought of as a Christmas classic, but the song actually originated as a love ballad in late 1500’s England.  The tune quickly became a staple of popular culture, even to the point of Shakespeare seeming to have a bit of fun with the song’s widespread prevalence in The Merry Wives of Windsor.  And the tune remains well known, even to this day.  Hope you enjoy.

“Let the sky rain potatoes, let it thunder to the tune of ‘Greensleeves’…”
    — William Shakespeare, via Falstaff, The Merry Wives of Windsor (Act V, Scene 5)

Welsh Dragonfly (912ce)

Songs, , , , , , , , , , ,

Here is another version of my song Welsh Dragonfly, which was written after listening to some of the ‘acoustic’ music born out of Led Zeppelin’s retreat to the Welsh countryside.  That music had an atmosphere at once both ethereal and bucolic, a vibe I try to tap into myself from time to time.  This version of Welsh Dragonfly was recorded on a rosewood and spruce guitar – the rosewood’s scooped midrange provides a nice separation between the bass and treble parts, fitting well with this arrangement.  This song makes me feel relaxed and peaceful when I play it.  Hope you enjoy.

The Bantry Girl’s Lament (alt take)

Songs, , , , , , , , , ,

Here is an alternate take of The Bantry Girl’s Lament, a traditional Celtic song which dates back to the early 1800’s.  The arrangement is based on Martin Simpson’s version from his fine album “Leaves of Life.”  While Martin used a Drop D tuning for the song (or rather its equivalent on Baritone guitar), I play it here in open G6: (D-G-D-G-B-E).  To me, this is a peaceful, meditative song that gives pause.  Hope you enjoy.

After the Solstice (Early Take)

Songs, , , , , , , , , , , ,

After the Solstice and its harmonic laden chorus came to me one day after a winter solstice.  It’s a quiet, peaceful time of year where the days are gradually getting longer and your mind turns to the hope of a new cycle.  (I think it’s also fine for the already long days of summer too though.)  Hope you enjoy.

Fair Wind (912ce)

Songs, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Here is a more recent version of my song “Fair Wind.”  The song is named for a boat of the same name that ran snorkel / dive cruises to Kealakekua Bay out of Keauhou Bay – still does – and my parents took me and my friends for a cruise on it for a number of my birthdays.

Sound and Solace (Original Fingerstyle)

Songs, , , , , , , , , , ,

This song was born of my desire to improvise around some familiar ideas and possibly discover some new ones.  Using familiar shapes and runs, perhaps I would come to appreciate them from a new angle, or juxtapose them in a way that I hadn’t before.  I wanted to explore textures, try to accent some of the notes in a different way, give the strings a staccato strum or two, play some lush harmonics.  Sometimes rather than trying to come up with something totally new, you want to explore the familiar ground of existing templates, maybe change them just a little – not to the point they’re unrecognizable, but to explore how they can be tweaked and see if it suits.  

In addition to trying out some musical ideas, I wanted to see how they would sound with a microphone I hadn’t used lately, recording with a different sound.  The mic I chose sounds crisp, picking up all the harmonic details and giving clear note separation.  It’s quiet, and also good at gathering room ambiance.  The bass is not as bold and the mid-scooped rosewood sound isn’t as prominent as another mic I had been using lately, but this mic would provide a nice, hi-fi, detailed sound – one I might now want to explore even more.  Anyway, sometimes it’s important to try something a little different with your sound, to record an improvisation and see what happens.  Hope you enjoy.

 

Bantry Girl’s Lament (912ce)

Songs, , , , , , , , , ,

The Bantry Girl’s Lament is a traditional Celtic song which dates back to the early 1800’s.  The ‘lament’ is for the soldiers who were called off to fight in the Napoleonic wars, but I find the melody is more wistful than maudlin.  My fingerstyle version is based on Martin Simpson’s version from his fine album “Leaves of Life.”  While Martin used a Drop D tuning for the song (or rather its equivalent on Baritone guitar), I play it here in open G6: (D-G-D-G-B-E).  To me, this is a peaceful, meditative song that gives pause.  Hope you enjoy.

Recorded with a Taylor 912ce (Rosewood/Spruce, with Elixir Nanoweb Phosphor Bronze HD Light strings) and a Neumann TLM 102 microphone.

76 Minutes Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Covers

Songs, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

This video features a collection of Ki Ho’alu a/k/a Hawaiian Slack Key guitar instrumental covers I have performed, recorded, and assembled here for your listening pleasure.  These are songs by various slack key legends such as Gabby Pahinui, Ray Kane, Leonard Kwan, Keola Beamer, Fred Punahoa, Sonny Chillingworth, Atta Isaacs, Dennis Kamakahi, and Ledward Ka’apana – all slack key guitar masters who have been influential to me as well as many others.  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.