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Topic: Hawaiian demo recording |
Alex Cattaneo
From:
Quebec, Canada
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Posted 20 Feb 2014 8:42 am |
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Hey guys, just wanted to share my Hawaiian music demo. It has 4 songs on it, from the ultra-common Aloha Oe to some more original choices like Sophisticated Hula. Just wanted to get some input from some more seasoned Hawaiian players. I already know I need to work on that vibrato!
Anyhow, it's all here:
https://soundcloud.com/acattaneo/sets/hawaiian-steel-guitar
Also, if anyone has some suggestions in terms of repertoire, I'm always looking for some more material to add to my set. I think Sweet Lei Lehua is next on my list, along with Jeremy Wakefield's Hawaiian Creeper, which I've played before but never recorded. |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 20 Feb 2014 1:10 pm
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I think your intonation is great and your tone is really good. What tuning are you using?
If I had to criticize anything it would be the overall feel of your playing. There's a certain type of Hawaiian rhythm or pulse missing from your playing, in my opinion.
Do you listen to a lot of different Hawaiian steel guitarists? Slow down your playing a bit, try to relax your approach to the songs. "Lovely Hula Hands" sounds more country than Hawaiian to me.
Keep it up, though!
In terms of additional songs, think of songs like "Hawaiian Hospitality", "Little Brown Gal", etc.
Here are a couple of CDs I'd recommend based on what you have played so far:
Hukilau Hulas
Lei of Stars
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
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Alex Cattaneo
From:
Quebec, Canada
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Posted 20 Feb 2014 2:10 pm
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Thanks Brad, this is super helpful, as always. I'm using... an E9 pedal steel. Oops, the cat is out of the bag now! I just don't have anything C6 at my disposal though hopefully I will come across a nice 8-string lap to remedy that soon (hint hint).
I admit I am shamefully ignorant as far as Hawaiian steel players go. I really want to check out Sol Hoopi and others, just haven't got around to do it yet. For example, on Hawaiian Wedding Song, I just tried to emulate the vocals from a recording I really like. I don't even think there was any steel on the track.
Thanks again, and please guys, don't be shy if you have any advice, tips or constructive criticism. It's all welcomed. |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 20 Feb 2014 2:56 pm
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| Quote: |
| I'm using... an E9 pedal steel. |
Ah!... I thought I heard a couple of pedal steel licks in there! 
It sounds good, but IMO for a Hawaiian sound you should play a stronger vibrato (bar vibrato) and add more reverb. Your steel sound is a little dry to my ears, and there is not quite enough bar motion. It's fine for Country, but not quite the right feel for Hawaiian. And, as you probably know, avoid using the pedals, for a Hawaiian sound. I know it's very tempting to use the pedals for licks and chords, but try to avoid them. Except.. if you stomp down on pedals A&B and hold them down your open tuning will be A6... good intervals for Hawaiian sounds. But I wouldn't use the pedals to play licks. Just my opinion. Overall, you're a good player and you can do it!
Here's some nice Hawaiian 'pedal steel' playing by forum member Basil Henriques ---> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hj93ZxtRyTQ&t=1m19s
Notice that Basil says "no pedals!" as he is playing his pedal steel. 
_________________
My Site / My YouTube Channel
25 Songs C6 Lap Steel / 25 MORE Songs C6 Lap Steel / 16 Songs, C6, A6, B11 / 60 Popular Melodies E9 Pedal Steel |
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David Matzenik
From:
Cairns, on the Coral Sea
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Posted 20 Feb 2014 4:09 pm
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It seems to me musicians who venture into playing steel guitar pieces from the great Hawaiian era, do so more often than not from the perspective of late electric guitarists. Most commonly, they have played R and R, Blues, American country music, Western Swing, and occasionally some Jazz or its derivatives. It is inevitable that these genres and styles will colour their playing.
Because Hawaiian music is part of the Pantheon of American popular music, it seems accessible from those perspectives in the same way that Cajun music is accessible.
However, this kind of access is backwards. Hawaiian steel guitar was an evolution and if earlier stages are ignored it will be hard to avoid losing any ethnicity the music had left by the time of the ascendance and ubiquitous presence of the above mentioned styles.
That being said, the four recordings would easily fit into the 1960s style of commercial bands like The Waikiki Beach Boys, which can be quite amusing depending how importantly any of this is taken.
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Don't go in the water after lunch. You'll get a cramp and drown. - Mother. |
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Alex Cattaneo
From:
Quebec, Canada
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Posted 20 Feb 2014 4:47 pm
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Thanks Doug! I know about the vibrato, I just keep forgetting as it's not something that I do naturally, I'll have to focus on that when I practice.
David, I understand your point. Thing is, you have to start somewhere, and backwards or forwards is no big deal, although I think it's important to eventually get the whole picture. For example, when I was learning country guitar playing, I started with Pete Anderson, Albert Lee and Junior Brown as my main influences. Later, I went back to the musicians that influenced them, and found out about Don Rich, Jimmy Bryant, Leon Rhodes and others. Now I can make sense of the whole picture, how playing styles have evolved from Luther Perkins to Brad Paisley. And that's just one example, as I have studied several musical traditions in the past, such as Bebop, classical Indian (North and South) and Turkish. I'm definitely hoping to do the same with Hawaiian, if I can find the time. As a working musician, I have to learn and perform a zillion songs on a half-dozen instruments every month just to make a living, so it's a challenge to start something from scratch.
It would be nice of you, however, to point out what you consider the "early stages" and how I should go about accessing them. Thanks! |
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David Matzenik
From:
Cairns, on the Coral Sea
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Posted 20 Feb 2014 7:21 pm
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Hi Alex, without bombarding you, I would suggest a few important early records. Brad has already listed Lei of Stars (Cord International CD 31000) This is one of the best compilations of Hawaiian records from the 30s and 40s which was an important time in popular music as you know. There was a dynamic shift in instrumentation and song writing style.
I would also suggest going back further to Kalama’s Quartet 1927-1932 (Folklyric CD 7028) I think Bob Matsu and Mike Hanapi’s steel work was probably influential on all the players who made the electric sound their own in the later era. You can’t go wrong listening to Sol Ho’opi’i and Benny Nawahi as long as you bear in mind that they were Vaudeville performers most of the time.
In the 1950s Benny Rogers put out a ton of stuff on electric guitar which sounds very Hawaiian to me, but I’m no expert. You can download his LPs from Cord International. Unfortunately, Benny put a bit too much stuff out. None the less, his version of My Yellow Ginger Lei is a stand out arrangement, and there are many other gems by him.
Those records mentioned so far are a fair description of the evolution. It was a series of stepping stones. If you listen to Jules Ah See doing The Hula Blues on the electric guitar, you can hear the influence of the earlier acoustic versions.
When I play, I don’t consciously try to sound Hawaiian. Anyway, I don’t think I have snowball’s chance on the beach at Waikiki.
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Don't go in the water after lunch. You'll get a cramp and drown. - Mother.
Last edited by David Matzenik on 20 Feb 2014 7:40 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Alex Cattaneo
From:
Quebec, Canada
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Dana Blodgett
From:
California, USA
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Posted 20 Feb 2014 9:00 pm Hawaiian demo
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Hey Alex, I think all the cuts sound good to me,if anything maybe some of the tunes are just a hair too fast.Better than I can do though!
If you get a chance,check out some of the current Hawaiians that are tops are Casey Olson,Greg Sardinha, Alan Akaka, Bobby Inguano, and of course the late great Jerry Byrd. Most of those guys use 8 string non pedals C6th or C13th tuning.
If you get the opportunity there will be a steel guitar festival at the Ka'anapali Beach Hotel on Maui the weekend of April 11-13, should be pretty good. Most of those I mentioned will be there too.
Keep up the good work.I've been workin' on "Beyond the Reef", "Harbor lights", and "Sweet Leilani" recently.All I've got is E9th also. Just think coconut trees ,surf,maitai's , pineapples balmy weather... 
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Dana Blodgett
From Los Osos,Ca.
'74 ShoBud 6140 3+4, Martins HD28,D-12-28, D-15,'65 Gibson LG-1, '77 Gibson Les Paul special dbl cut p-90's, Les Paul Special p-100's,Les paul Special Hybrid(maple top) hbkr's,'68 Fender Strat reissue, Fender Squire Jazz bass,Epi mandolin,Epi Wilshire '66 reissue, Kamaka Concert uke, 70's Kamaka Soprano Uke, Fender Super amp, Ampeg ba112 bass amp,60's harmony banjo,'00 Gibson SG Supreme |
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David Matzenik
From:
Cairns, on the Coral Sea
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Posted 21 Feb 2014 12:05 am
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Just to clarify my suggestion of Benny Rogers recordings. HI FI LP 3405 Enchanting Hawaiian Holiday is one of his best. Its available for download here:
http://www.cordinternational.com/49tstate.htm
_________________
Don't go in the water after lunch. You'll get a cramp and drown. - Mother. |
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Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 21 Feb 2014 11:45 am Re: Hawaiian demo
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Of course that's Bobby Ingano.
But also as Dana say's, it sounds good as is, and I'd too like to hear your slower takes on some of these. But you have a good/rare vintage style that resonates of the best bouncy '60s country/Euro/pop players, and your minimal vibrato works well in this context. That you like Hawaiian will almost force your playing to expand in technique, warmth, and texturing.
Here's a blast of great (mostly) old Hawaiian tunes to explore;
Holo Holo Kaa, King Kamehameha, E Liliu E, Mauna Kea, Paradise Island, Sanoe, Paradise Isle, Hula Blues, Kawohikukapulani, Kaulana O Hilo Hanakahi, Kauai Beauty, Akaka Falls, Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground, , Manuwela Boy, Palolo, Kolopa, Ua Like No Like, That's Amore, Across The Sea, Rose City Chimes, Yellow Rose, My Tani, Kalama Ula, La Rosita, Koni Au, Here, There's No Place Like Hawaii, Auhea Oe, Ho'o Mali Mali, My Isle of Golden Dreams, Lovely Hula Girl, Kona Love, Nani Waimea, Kalapana, We're At A Luau Now, Hawaiian Hula Eyes, Estralita, There's No Place Like Hawaii, Kaula Ili, White Sandy Beach, Crushed Flowers, Train Song, Waikiki, Hula Town, Kuhio Beach, Crusin' On Hawaiian Time (by Keola Beamer), Pikake, Hame Pila, Kuu Ipo I Ka Hee Pue One, Wailana, Kanaka Wai Wai, Kaleohano, Pua Lilia, Pu'uana hulu, Sweet Lei Mamo, Sweet Lei Mane, He Wahine U'i, Alekoki, Echos Of The South Pacific, Offshore, Hawaiian Shores medley, On A Tropic Night, Sea And Sand, Twilight In Hawaii, Seven Day's In Waikiki, Lei Pakalana, Green Carnation, Pua Lilia, He'eia, Nohea, Kalapana, Kaulana O Hilo Hanakahi, When Hawaii Sang Me To Sleep, Blue Hawaiian Moonlight, Na Pua Lei 'Ilima, Kona Kahi, Ku' Lei Awapuhi, O'laa Beauty, Paoakalani, Honolulu Eyes, Blue Lei, Kamalani, South Sea Island Magic, My Island Love Song, E kala mai ia'u, For You A Lei, I'll Weave A Lei Of Stars For You, Palama Shuffle, Lehua Lani, Kipahulu, Mahealani Moon, That's What The Lei Said To Me, Mi Nei, Floating Leis, Duke Kahanamoku, Kuu Home/Old Plantation, E Mama E. |
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Jean-Sebastien Gauthier
From:
Quebec, Canada
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Posted 21 Feb 2014 1:23 pm
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| Hi Alex, if I can suggest one thing is to try to pick lighter, I think that hard picking is ok for country but Hawaiian music need a softer attack, you will get a rounder sound and more fluid. |
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Norman Markowitz
From:
Santa Cruz, California
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Posted 21 Feb 2014 11:05 pm
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Kudos to you for asking this question. As a non musician, but an avid fan of Hawaiian music (I have about 3000 CDs, cassettes, LPs 45s and 78s) your playing is technically very, very good, but to my ear it is not Hawaiian. It's Hawaiian songs played "Country Music Style". If you are truly sincere about this, and want to honor the music and the culture my best advice is to spend as much time as possible listening to many of the music suggestions made above.
Also seek out youtube videos by Alan Akaka, Bobby Ingano, Greg Sardinha, Timi Abrigo, Jeff Au Hoy, Casey Olsen, Isaac Akuna, Paul Kim just to name a few.
Get some CDs by the Sons Of Hawai'i that has the steel guitar of David "Feet" Rogers. That will be an ear opening experience for you I guarantee it.
For the Sons Of Hawai'i this would be a good place to start.
http://www.mele.com/music/artist/sons+of+hawai%60i/the+folk+music+of+hawai%60i/
See how the Hawaiian steel guitar fits in with the vocal music of Hawai'i, not just as a solo instrument, and you will begin to get a better sense of what makes the Hawaiian steel guitar sound Hawaiian.
Good luck to you. Your desire to be more authentic does you credit. |
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Alex Cattaneo
From:
Quebec, Canada
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Posted 22 Feb 2014 8:51 am
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| Looks like I got my work cut out for me! Thanks everyone for your input and for taking the time to write out all these great references. I will honor them as best I can. |
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Rick Barnhart
From:
Arizona, USA
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Posted 22 Feb 2014 9:56 am
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Alex, I particularly liked your chimed passages in Aloha Oe 
_________________
Clinesmith consoles D-8/6 5 pedal, D-8 3 pedal & A25 Frypan, Pettingill Teardrop, & P8 Deluxe. |
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Alex Cattaneo
From:
Quebec, Canada
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Posted 22 Feb 2014 10:00 am
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| Yes, these came out pretty well didn't they? Hard to beat a Lawrence 705 for chimes. |
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Paul Honeycutt
From:
Colorado, USA
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Posted 22 Feb 2014 3:46 pm
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| To me ear, there's something that's relaxed and peaceful about Hawaiian music. Some is almost like tropical meditation music. Try to get your head there and let the notes breath. That's my take for what it's worth. |
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