| Author |
Topic: Tenor Hawaiian Guitar? |
Bob Stone
From:
Gainesville, FL, USA
|
Posted 26 Jul 2001 10:53 am |
|
I'm in the process of wotking on the Sacred Steel book and transcribing a few hours of interviews with pioneer "sacred steel" guitarist Willie Eason. In several of the interviews he mentions that his older brother Troman's trio or quartet (circa late 1930s) featured two electric Hawaiian steel guitars. Troman played lead HSG and a fellow named Plummer played "tenor" HSG. Willie remembers the sound of Plummer's steel as being "keener" (brighter). Willie says both Troman and Plummer studied and taught tablature.
Can anyone shed any light on the "tenor" electric Hawaiian steel guitar Willie is describing? Was it fairly common in that era for a 2nd steel to play a high harmony? Might the tenor be lightly strung, or just played in the upper registers? Were written , or tablature, arrangements for a lead and tenor guitar common?
Any help would be appreciated.
Mahalo,
Bob |
|
|
 |
John Tipka
From:
Reynoldsburg,OH
|
Posted 26 Jul 2001 12:59 pm
|
|
Bob,
I think multiple guitar parts - tenor or harmony - were common during the 1930's.. I have quite a few of the O`ahu Publishing Company tablatures that contain parts for two, three, or even four guitars. Some playing high, some low... Examples -"Red Wing", "Rambling Rose", "Spanish Two-Step", "Till We Meet Again","Pagan Love Song", "On Top Of Old Smoky", "Lei Ilima", "Over The Rainbow", etc etc..
All of the harmony parts are for six string steel guitar rather than the four string "tenor" you might be referring to...
You need someone a bit older than my 65 years to answer your question...
Regards,
John [This message was edited by John Tipka on 26 July 2001 at 02:04 PM.] |
|
|
|
George Keoki Lake
From:
Edmonton, AB., Canada
|
Posted 26 Jul 2001 10:23 pm
|
|
| What John mentioned is quite true. However, I wonder if by mentioning the word "tenor" the referance might have been to a tenor guitar which is a 4 string plectrum guitar usually tuned to the banjo tuning. Tenor guitars were very popular in the thirties and often used in Hawaiian music. Just a thought. |
|
|
|
Bob Stone
From:
Gainesville, FL, USA
|
Posted 27 Jul 2001 7:24 am
|
|
Thanks John and George.
Willie Eason is very clear that his brother Troman and Troman's friend Plummer played only electric lap steel guitars. My best guess is that Plummer was playing a "tenor," or high harmony part on a normal six string electric lap steel. I'm very interested in the opinions of Forum readers with regard to this question, especially those who can remember the steel guitar world of the late 1930s.
Thanks again.
Bob |
|
|
|
Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
|
Posted 27 Jul 2001 8:11 am
|
|
I'd have to agree - I think that Mr. Eason is referring to a tenor voicing of a harmony part, similar to what you'd find in a choir. Troman would be playing the soprano (lead) and Plummer would be playing the tenor (harmony).
That's a common occurrence in early Hawaiian steel guitar sheet music. For example, I have a copy of "When You and I Were Young, Maggie", one of the series of lessons in the Gibson Mastertone System for Steel Guitar. The sheet music shows the three parts as "Melody", "Tenor" and "Special Obbligato".
------------------
Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars
|
|
|
|
George Keoki Lake
From:
Edmonton, AB., Canada
|
Posted 27 Jul 2001 2:27 pm
|
|
| I have four old, (read: OLD) books which were written for the simple A Major tuning and were scored for two or three part steel guitar harmony. Most of the songs are in the keys of A, D or E. Good for keepsake, little else. |
|
|
|
Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
|
Posted 27 Jul 2001 3:43 pm
|
|
| Bob, did you ever have any luck reaching Ralph Kolsiana? Ralph was born in 1912 so he's probably one of the oldest steelers still with us (I hope - haven't spoken to him for about a year). He might be familiar with early steel arrangments as well as the Philly scene in the 30's. [This message was edited by Andy Volk on 27 July 2001 at 04:44 PM.] |
|
|
|
Bob Stone
From:
Gainesville, FL, USA
|
Posted 30 Jul 2001 11:53 am
|
|
Thanks guys.
Andy, I did talk with Ralph Kolsiana, but it was at least a year ago, probably longer. I think I'll contact him again just to see if he might remember more details on the Kahanalopua brothers and the Hawaiian music scene in Philly in the 1930s.
Thanks again.
Bob |
|
|
|
