Category Archives: Live

LIVE 035 • Glass Ball Slack Key / Chicken in the Straw

Live, Slack Key2008, brittni paiva, chicken in the straw, dancing cat, fingerstyle guitar, fingerstyle ukulele, glass ball slack key, Hawaii, Holualoa, ka’apana, Koaloha Pineapple Soprano Uke, kona coffee, kona hawaii, led kaapana, led live, ledward, Pineapple Sunday, slack key guitar, turkey in the straw

From the vaults, Glass Ball Slack Key is a favorite chestnut (or kukui nut) of uke players throughout the islands. Also known as “Chicken in the Straw” or “Turkey in the Straw” in Hawai’i (though different from the Bluegrass / fiddle song), this is a fun little ditty that is sure to please aunty or uncle. I learned this song watching and listening to the great Led Ka’apana (it’s also on the classic Led Live CD). Many other ukulele players have covered the song over the years as well. Hope you enjoy.

Recorded with a Koaloha Pineapple Soprano ukulele and a matched stereo pair of Shure KSM 141 microphones in Holualoa, Hawai’i, 3/6/08.

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Something – Ukulele Cover

Pua Lililehua – Slack Key Guitar

LIVE 034 • Holualoa Blues

Fingerstyle, Live, Slack Keyblues guitar, fingerstyle guitar, Holualoa, kona coffee, kona hawaii, open g tuning, slack key guitar, Taro Patch, Taylor 310, taylor 310ce, Taylor 310e, Taylor Dreadnaught guitar, Taylor guitars

From the vaults, here is a demo version of my tune Holualoa Blues. This song is primarily a blues piece, but with some slack key influence as well. Done in open G / taro patch tuning. Hope you enjoy.

Recorded with a Taylor 310ce (Elixir Polyweb 80/20 Bronze) and a matched stereo pair of Shure KSM 141 microphones in Holualoa, Hawai’i, 10/11/07.

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Tranquility – fingerstyle on nylon string guitar

Pua Lililehua – Slack Key Guitar

LIVE 033 • Banks of the Ohio (+ Neumann TLM 102 & Ear Trumpet Edwina Comparison)

Acoustic, Gear, Liveacoustic guitar, banks of the ohio, berlin, Bill Monroe, Bluegrass, boutique mics, darlin’ say that you’ll be mine, ear trumpet labs, edwina, Elixir HD Light, Fingerstyle, fingerstyle guitar, Fred Kelly, grand concert, guitar, large diaphragm condenser microphone, Malachi Graham, Neumann TLM 102, oregon, portland, Taylor 412ce-R, Taylor guitars, thumbpicks

Here is my Clarence White inspired arrangement of the Bluegrass classic, “Banks of the Ohio,” played fingerstyle with a thumbpick (rather than flatpicked or cross-picked). I’ve uploaded two versions of this song: one was recorded with the Neumann TLM 102 microphone that I have been using for a while; the other features my new Ear Trumpet Labs Edwina mic. So if you’re interested in how these two mics sound, this provides a comparison. The Neumann is a little bit smoother to my ear, while the Edwina has a little more clarity with a slight top end boost (though not too hyped). Both are fine microphones and I look forward to continuing to record with them both.

Using the Ear Trumpet Labs Edwina microphone:

Using the Neumann TLM 102 microphone:

Both recorded with a Taylor 412ce LTD (Rosewood/Spruce, Gotoh 510 tuners, strings are Elixir Nanoweb Phosphor Bronze HD gauge set) and a Fred Kelly thumbpick.

LIVE 032 • Cannonball Rag on Ukulele

Fingerstyle, Live2009, Cannonball Rag, fingerstyle guitar, fingerstyle ukulele, Hawaii, Holualoa, Koaloha Conert Uke, Merle Travis, ukulele

From the vaults, here is a version of Cannonball Rag I improvised on the uke one day back in ’09. The uke is a little out of tune, but sometimes it’s hard to get those friction pegs to stick. Hope you enjoy.

Recorded with a Koaloha concert ukulele and a matched stereo pair of Shure KSM 141 microphones in Holualoa, Hawai’i, 2/3/09.

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Pua Lililehua – Slack Key Guitar

LIVE 031 • In a Little While – U2

Classic Rock, Fingerstyle, Live2000, All That You Can’t Leave Behind, Bono, classic rock, fingerstyle guitar, instrumental guitar cover, Larry Mullen Jr, relaxing guitar. Rode nt-5, Taylor 310, Taylor 310e, Taylor Dreadnaught guitar, Taylor guitars, The Edge, US

Here is a demo version of my arrangement of the U2 song “In a Little While,” from 2000’s All That You Can’t Leave Behind. This was recorded a few years back when I was using dreadnaught size Taylors, before I got hip to their smaller, more comfortable guitars. The mix is a bit more compressed than what I’ve been doing lately, but it gets the job done. Hope you enjoy.

Recorded at Goldsmith Studios in October, 2011, with a Taylor 310 (Elixir Polyweb medium gauge set) and a pair of Rode NT-5 microphones.

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Every Breath You Take – The Police / Sting

LIVE 030 • Every Breath You Take – The Police / Sting

Classic Rock, Fingerstyle, Live1983, andy summers, classic rock, every breath you take, every move you make, fingerstyle guitar, instrumental guitar cover, relaxing guitar. Rode nt-5, sting, Taylor 310, Taylor 310e, Taylor Dreadnaught guitar, Taylor guitars, the police

Here is a demo version of my arrangement of The Police song “Every Breath You Take” I recorded a few years back. I was using dreadnaught size Taylors back then and the mix is a bit more compressed than what I’ve been doing lately, but I think it works for this song. Weren’t The Police great? Hope you enjoy.

Recorded at Goldsmith Studios in October, 2011, with a Taylor 310 (Elixir Polyweb medium gauge set) and a pair of Rode NT-5 microphones.

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Something – Ukulele Cover – Beatles / George Harrison

LIVE 028 • Take Me Out to the Ball Game – Cubs Tribute

Acoustic, Fingerstyle, Live2016 Cubs, 2016 World Series, acoustic guitar, Chicago Cubs, classic rock, finerstyle ball game, fingerstyle guitar, peanuts and cracker jacks, take me out to the ball game, Taylor 412ce-R

This fingerstyle acoustic guitar version of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” is posted as a tribute to the World Series winning Chicago Cubs. I’m not a huge baseball fan – I don’t really have time to keep up with sports in general – but the Cubs wining the World Series and breaking one of the longest droughts around was a great excuse to dust off and play this song. This version is based on one I heard in a TV commercial five or more years ago. Anyway, it’s a fun little song to play; hope you enjoy. Play ball.

Recorded with a Taylor 412ce LTD (Rosewood/Spruce, Gotoh 510 tuners, strings are Elixir Nanoweb Phosphor Bronze HD gauge set) and a Neumann TLM 102 microphone.

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Here Comes the Sun fingerstyle guitar arrangement

Is There Anybody Out There? Pink Floyd cover

LIVE 027 • Banyan

Acoustic, Fingerstyle, Live, Open Tunings, Slack Keyacoustic guitar, altered tuning, banyan, banyans surf spot, classical guitar, fingerstyle guitar, kailua kona, Ki Ho'alu, kona, mauna loa tuning, open tunings, relaxing music, Slack Key, taylor 414ce-NR, taylor classical guitar, taylor nylon guitar, tranquil song

Banyan (a/k/a “Banyans,” or “Banyan Tree Slack Key”) is a slack key style song I wrote about 10 or 12 years ago on nylon string guitar. I used to play my gut string ‘beach’ guitar around beaches and surf spots in Kona like Magic Sands, Banyans, and Old Airport. For one, the nylon strings aren’t as affected by the salt air, and for two, it was less expensive than my other guitar at the time, a Taylor 310ce that I didn’t want to take to the beach. So I guess this song is partially named after the surf spot, but also after some banyan trees near Magic Sands – some of which have since been cut down – or even those mystical banyan trees in general. Shortly after writing this song, I sold that nylon – an Ibanez, sort of crossover model – though I continued to rotate this and a few other related songs in and out of my set. Until recently though, it had really been a while since I played this song. Once more, owning a nylon string guitar again inspired me to go back and revisit some older material. Hope you enjoy.

Recorded with a Taylor 414ce-NR (Rosewood/Spruce nylon string) and a Neumann TLM 102 microphone.)

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Magic Sands

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LIVE 026 • Keiki Slack Key on Nylon String Guitar

Acoustic, Fingerstyle, Live, Open Tunings, Slack Keyacoustic guitar, altered tuning, classical guitar, fingerstyle guitar, keiki slack key, Ki Ho'alu, open G, open tunings, Ray Kane, relaxing music, Slack Key, Taro Patch, taylor 414ce-NR, taylor classical guitar, taylor nylon guitar, tranquil song

Today’s song is a cover of the Ray Kane classic “Keiki Slack Key” (not to be confused with the Sonny Chillingworth song of the same name). To me, Ray Kane is probably the best example of an ‘old style’ slack key player, and his tracks are always nahenahe. I never got to take a lesson from Ray, though I did get to speak to him and his wife Elodia on the phone once, not long before he passed – a cherished memory. Keiki Slack Key is one of the first slack key songs I transcribed, and has stayed on my setlists ever since. This arrangement was inspired by my recent purchase of a nylon string guitar; I really think this song works well on nylon for a number of reasons. Hope you enjoy.

Recorded with a Taylor 414ce-NR (Rosewood/Spruce nylon string) and a Neumann TLM 102 microphone.

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Pua Lililehua – Slack Key Guitar

Magic Sands

LIVE 025 • Is There Anybody Out There? by Pink Floyd

Acoustic, Classic Rock, Fingerstyle, Liveacoustic guitar, classic rock, David Gilmour, fingerstyle guitar, Pink Floyd, relaxing music, Roger Waters, Taylor 412ce-R, The Wall, tranquil song

Appearing as an interlude on The Wall, here is the guitar part from the end of Is There Anybody Out There? Originally done on a nylon string guitar, I think this song works well (and like it a little better) on steel string. This is one of the first songs I learned on guitar from one of my first guitar teachers. Years later, I taught the arrangement to some of my students – both using a pick and fingerstyle. It’s a great moody instrumental, and an arguably underappreciated acoustic piece from the classic rock canon. Hope you enjoy.

Recorded with a Taylor 412ce LTD (Rosewood/Spruce, Gotoh 510 tuners, strings are Elixir Nanoweb Phosphor Bronze HD gauge set) and a Neumann TLM 102 microphone.

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Bron Yr Aur – Jimmy Page Led Zeppelin – Fingerstyle Guitar

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BlueSkyGuitar.com

Slack Key and Fingerstyle Guitar

Category Archives: Live

LIVE 035 • Glass Ball Slack Key / Chicken in the Straw

LIVE 034 • Holualoa Blues

LIVE 033 • Banks of the Ohio (+ Neumann TLM 102 & Ear Trumpet Edwina Comparison)

LIVE 032 • Cannonball Rag on Ukulele

LIVE 031 • In a Little While – U2

LIVE 030 • Every Breath You Take – The Police / Sting

LIVE 028 • Take Me Out to the Ball Game – Cubs Tribute

LIVE 027 • Banyan

LIVE 026 • Keiki Slack Key on Nylon String Guitar

LIVE 025 • Is There Anybody Out There? by Pink Floyd