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Topic: Hawaiian Resonator Guitar |
Tim Toberer
From:
Nebraska, USA
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Posted 15 Oct 2024 5:13 am |
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I know this album has been talked about a lot before, but I just really started getting into the Barney Isaacs, George Kuo album Hawaiian Touch. I have to say the playing on this album is on a whole other level. Barney's style is just so complete and effortless it pretty much takes the breath away. His C6 tuned guitar sounds full deep and bright and his style just brings a whole new dimension to that instrument in my opinion. If you haven't listened lately here is one of my favorite tunes on the album. It is astounding how he mimics the human voice. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?app=desktop&list=OLAK5uy_kXYwDfVf23ScSPlsy6My8RUwcQF8KmNbM
This is really where it is at for me I think. I want more! Unfortunately this seems to be kind of a one off thing. If there are more recordings like this I would love to know. I did find this link to a recording of Barney apparently playing a pedal steel, which is another rarity for Hawaiian music. http://www.waikiki-islanders.com/assets/Steel%20Guitar%20Magic/ |
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Nic Neufeld
From:
Kansas City, Missouri
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Posted 15 Oct 2024 9:34 am
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Steel Guitar Magic is a classic duet album. It's a good study in contrasts between Barney Isaacs and Billy Hew Len. Billy used a pedal steel a lot, as did Jules Ah See at the end of his life...its used very subtly...usually only noticeable when you think...wait, how could he do that with a straight bar?
Another great duet album with Barney is Maile Serenaders - Evening in the Islands. My teacher actually prefers this one over Steel Guitar Magic because they blend more naturally together.
If you are looking for more specifically in the Hawaiian Touch vein...kind of softer, acoustic, with good steel guitar...well, there's not much more that has Barney's Waikiki style playing but Feet Rogers on the Sons of Hawaii kind of has a similar overall feel, like you're in a backyard in Waimanalo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8R4qpypaBco
_________________
Waikīkī, at night when the shadows are falling
I hear the rolling surf calling
Calling and calling to me |
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Tim Toberer
From:
Nebraska, USA
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Posted 16 Oct 2024 7:15 am
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| Nic Neufeld wrote: |
Steel Guitar Magic is a classic duet album. It's a good study in contrasts between Barney Isaacs and Billy Hew Len. Billy used a pedal steel a lot, as did Jules Ah See at the end of his life...its used very subtly...usually only noticeable when you think...wait, how could he do that with a straight bar?
Another great duet album with Barney is Maile Serenaders - Evening in the Islands. My teacher actually prefers this one over Steel Guitar Magic because they blend more naturally together.
If you are looking for more specifically in the Hawaiian Touch vein...kind of softer, acoustic, with good steel guitar...well, there's not much more that has Barney's Waikiki style playing but Feet Rogers on the Sons of Hawaii kind of has a similar overall feel, like you're in a backyard in Waimanalo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8R4qpypaBco |
Thanks for the info! Those are some great links. Are there any recordings Jules on acoustic? I have been unsuccessful at finding much from him at all. I know many say he was the greatest... I think more specifically what charms me so much about the Hawaiian Touch album is the C6 tuned "Dobro". I know there are plenty of recordings and more modern players using a Tricone with a High A tuning, but there is really something special about Barneys style combined with the acoustic guitar. I can't think of a more appropriate setup for a duet album with such a fine Slack Key player, and the backyard Luau is definitely the right setting for Hawaiian music in general.
Yesterday I found the Bob Brozman Kika Kila album on Spotify. The context is completely spoiled by the horrible, probably true, allegations about Bob, but it is probably the closest thing I can find. Bob's playing is technically astounding, but I don't like it nearly as much as say Barney or Billy etc. Not sure about Bob's tuning, doesn't sound like a 6th. Bob's playing comes across as very histrionic, maybe closer to Smeck and just more isn't always better, but astounding none the less. |
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Nic Neufeld
From:
Kansas City, Missouri
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Posted 17 Oct 2024 3:53 am
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I don't think I've ever heard Jules on acoustic. I'm sure, maybe when he was a kid starting out, he played acoustic, but he seemed to be at the forefront of technological change (adopting pedal steel in 1959) and during the 30s and 40s people were shifting over to lap steels from acoustics pretty quickly, like Sol Hoopii did. The electrified instruments just gave so many advantages over the resonators, and sustain in particular is so important in Hawaiian steel, gives it that singing sound. Jules died in 1960 in his late 30s, alas, so he didn't live long enough to see acoustic playing come back into style (eg Barney's late in life dabbling on the Hawaiian Touch album).
And part of the reason that album is so unique is that it is essentially fusion...the styles mashed together aren't normally together. Modern-ish, folky slack key "Hawaiian renaissance" from George on guitar, and Barney Isaacs who was kind of the classic, bright chordal Hawaii Calls sound (very "Waikiki in the 50s and 60s"). Think like putting BB King on a dreadnought acoustic. He will still sound like him, and sound good, but it will be kind of unique.
Both my resos are in C6, and I think my teacher (Alan Akaka) keeps his National in C6 too, but you'll find more players keeping to open A and similar tunings because those were the tunings more commonly used during the golden ages of acoustic Hawaiian music...think like Sol Hoopii, and by extension, Bob Brozman. (For a modern example, recommend Sebastian Mueller's fantastic youtube videos!) The one example other than Barney's album of C6 on a resonator that really stands out to me...Waikiki Chickadee by Jerry Byrd. I actually prefer Jerry on acoustic (he is usually in C6, or C6/A7) because I am kind of less enamoured of his volume pedal usage on electric. He sounds great, its just not a sound I prefer in Hawaiian music.
Here's that tune...I actually was given a copy of his handwritten tab for it, which is hard to decipher given his odd method of notation, but harder to play well!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nudiAFnbYg0
That one is in C6/A7 (C6 with low C sharped to C#). Actually there are more by him now that I think of it. Here is his version of Hilo March. It sounds exactly like how Alan taught it to me (I'm guessing Jerry taught it to him, as he was his student). It is in C6:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuLr487shsc
That whole album, which I don't own, may be acoustic reso in C6 or similar, paired with slack key, so maybe more of what you are looking for. I found it on the Apple store (I don't use itunes), not sure what else is on it:
https://music.apple.com/us/album/hawaiian-style-guitars/269918611
Listening to a few previews I don't think it is all acoustic, definitely some electric on there. Maybe mostly actually just going by the previews. But might still be a nice one to check out.
_________________
Waikīkī, at night when the shadows are falling
I hear the rolling surf calling
Calling and calling to me |
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Tim Toberer
From:
Nebraska, USA
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Posted 17 Oct 2024 5:28 am
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| Nic Neufeld wrote: |
Jules died in 1960 in his late 30s, alas, so he didn't live long enough to see acoustic playing come back into style (eg Barney's late in life dabbling on the Hawaiian Touch album).
And part of the reason that album is so unique is that it is essentially fusion...the styles mashed together aren't normally together. Modern-ish, folky slack key "Hawaiian renaissance" from George on guitar, and Barney Isaacs who was kind of the classic, bright chordal Hawaii Calls sound (very "Waikiki in the 50s and 60s"). Think like putting BB King on a dreadnought acoustic. He will still sound like him, and sound good, but it will be kind of unique.
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That is a great observation. I don't have the background to make that one. It makes sense! At some point it seems most music-musicians will return to their roots and the result is usually something completely new. Another thing I was thinking about is how playing an acoustic is so different than electric. It is the same notes, but the tone comes through so differently and obviously no volume pedal. It really takes a whole other set of skills. So many subtleties. Listening to Barney on this album makes me think he played acoustic a lot. Sadly not much was captured on record.
I had forgotten about that Little Chickadee clip. I really prefer Jerry on acoustic as well. Just gorgeous playing. The only other recordings I can think of is him with Marty Robbins.
Thanks again, I guess I will have to extract all the DNA I can out of that one album. |
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Nic Neufeld
From:
Kansas City, Missouri
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Posted 17 Oct 2024 2:18 pm
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Also forgot to mention...check out Andy Volk's transcriptions of a few of those (really nice) intros from the album:
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=345388
_________________
Waikīkī, at night when the shadows are falling
I hear the rolling surf calling
Calling and calling to me |
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