This section includes a list of the most important (usually) available recordings by Hawaiian slack key guitarists in each of the 51 tunings in the Chart of Recorded Tunings that have had songs recorded in them (the other 10 tunings in the chart that are closely related to another tuning in the chart, bur have not had any songs recorded in them are also listed here, for continuity).
The following information is listed for each tuning (the number of the tuning coincides to its number in the tuning chart on page 34). Here are some particulars about this section:
Artists which have recorded a particular tuning are listed alphabetically under that tuning.
The titles of the recordings are in all capital letters; the record label and number, indication of whether the title is out-of-print (no longer commercially available) and information on whether the slack key artist listed is backing up somebody else are also indicated. If the song has another title, we will indicate this within parentheses.
Song titles are in italics and are separated by a semi-colon. Medleys have slashes between their component songs.
There may be discrepancies in the spellings of some of the song titles. For reference purposes, the titles in this booklet are spelled as printed on the recordings unless there had been an obvious typographic error on the album notes.
If a song is played in a key other than the key of the tuning or if the guitar is tuned noticeably higher or lower than the normal pitch the tuning is in, or if the guitar is capoed to a higher pitch, this will be indicated after the song or songs.
When a song is played in a key other than the key the tuning is in, we will indicate that, and even if the guitar is capoed (tuned up or tuned down in pitch from the normal key the tuning is in) we will indicate the keys played if the tuning was tuned to a normal pitch or not capoed. For example, if a song is in G Major Tuning (Tuning #G1) and is played (fingered) in the keys of G and C in that tuning, but the guitar is tuned down two half steps to sound in the key of F, we will still say, "this song is played in the keys of G and C in this tuning," rather than saying that "the song is played in the keys of F and Bb"; and, for example, if the guitar is capoed up two frets to sound in the key of A, we will also say that "this song is played in the keys of G and C," rather than "played in the keys of A and D."
Sometimes the guitar is capoed up to raise to a higher pitch. Occasionally if the step is one or two steps higher, the guitar may actually be tuned to a higher pitch. If this is known, it will be stated that the guitar is tuned to the higher pitch. If this is unknown, then the concert pitch (i.e., key of G for G Major Tuning, tuning #G1) will be stated and then the capo position will be stated for the raise in pitch (for example, we would day "on this song the guitar is capoed to the 2nd fret to sound in the key of A."
If you want to play along with a song, a good tape recorder to use is the Marantz PMD-201. This recorder can lower the key that the song is played in as low as 3 half steps, as well as raise it as high as 3 half steps. This way, if a song is in a slightly different pitch that your guitar is tuned to, you can change the pitch (and the speed will change as well). This recorder also has half speed capability that makes the song sound in the same key but one octave lower, which is very useful for figuring out fast passages. The speed variatior can be used for the half speed setting as well.
The term "anthology recording" will be used to describe a recording that uses tracks by various artists.
The term "best of" will be used when there is a anthology of a single artist's pieces from just that artist's various recordings.
If the same track appears on two recordings, the information will be given for both recordings, unless some of them are long out of print and hard to find.
Out of print status may change from time to time. Once a recording goes out of print, it often stays that way, but sometimes will come back printed in a new format, such as on compact disc.
Songs to be released on future recordings on Dancing Cat Records, or songs from films, or existing songs in unusual tunings that are unrecorded and that will not be out for a while will generally not be listed unless they are the only songs that illustrate that tuning.
The guitarists are listed alphabetically within each tuning. When listening, keep in mind that sometimes there are instruments other than the slack key guitar. When there are two guitarists playing, often the second guitar is a rhythm guitar part in a standard tuning, and usually the recording has a bass, a 'ukulele, and sometimes other instruments. When there are two guitarists playing slack key they are both noted and cross-referenced, including if they are both in different tunings (most of the tracks on the Dancing Cat releases will be just one solo guitar).
Here are some helpful suggestions for pronouncing Hawaiian words:
a is sounded like the word "ah" i is pronounced like ee in the word "see" o sounds like o in the word "go" e is pronounced two ways - like ay in "bay" or as e in the word "men" u sounds like oo in the word "too"
All syllables are pronounced separately, and basically most Hawaiian words are sounded by pronouncing all the vowels. For example, ka'a is pronounced kah-ah.
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