Hawaiian Style Playing Seminar at the ISGC by Alan Akaka

[Sandra Scott-Wall]

Alan Akaka from Hawaii will be giving a Hawaiian Seminar on Friday, August 29th from 9:00 am until 2:00 pm. This will be held in the West Tower on the 3rd Floor. The exact room number has not been determined yet. Here is a note from Alan about this seminar:

TOUCH – The Key to Obtaining that Sweet “Hawaiian” Sound on Your Steel Guitar

You donʻt need a Mai Tai to get that truly Hawaiian sound. So how are you supposed to get that Hawaiian tone and feel? In a word, TOUCH!

I watched a number of YouTube videos with steelers playing Hawaiian songs and can place all in one of two categories: 1) plays with Hawaiian touch and 2) does not play with Hawaiian touch.

From those two categories there are three subcategories: 1) displays mastery of the steel guitar, 2) technique is good, but plays notes rather than music and 3) needs improvement on basic fundamentals on technique and musicality.

This seminar is geared for everyone who has a passion to play the lap steel in the Hawaiian style. In this seminar, I’ll share with you some of my ideas on how to create that sweet “Hawaiian” sound on your steel guitar.

Here’s what I’ll cover:
1. Brief history of the Hawaiian steel guitar
2. Describe and demonstrate playing the “Hawaiian style” with emphasis on touch
3. How to transform notes to music (playing technique)
4. Tips to improve palm and finger harmonics
5. How to play background fills and Hawaiian vamps (aka turnarounds)
6. Practice tips that work

For demonstration purposes I will select volunteers to teach on the spot, but you must have your own lap steel and a portable amp or acoustic lap steel.

When the seminar is done you will be thinking of sunny blue skies, cool tradewinds, swaying coco palms, azure seas, and a yummy Mai Tai.

See you all at my Hawaiian Style Playing seminar!

Aloha