Hello folks,

It's been a few years, like maybe 4 or 5, since I put up the Beginner Slack Key Guitar Lesson #1. I put this up because it is the first lesson that I teach anyone who is interested in playing slack-key guitar. It covers the three main skills that you have to learn in order to move forward: alternating bass line played by the thumb, four finger picking assignment, and the different slack key positions up and down the neck.

There have been people asking for a follow up lesson for years, so here it is.

The second thing to learn is playing a Hawaiian vamp, or turnaround. This is a melody and chord movement that is so particular to Hawaiian music that when you hear it you immediately think of palm trees and Diamond Head.

We're going to be in Taro Patch Tuning (Open G). Here's a quick reminder:

6 - E down to D
5 - A down to G
4 - D same D
3 - G same G
2 - B same B
1 - E down to D

Here's some tablature of the melody only. Be able to play this melody first, without any bass notes. This will give your ear and fingers a taste of where you're going. Be sure to start on the "and" of 1.

| 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
|-----------0-4/5-|
|-------0h1-------|
|---2-------------|
|-----------------|
|-----------------|
|-----------------|

Next up we have that same melody with bass notes coming on 1 and 3. Pay particular attention to the fact that you hammer-on with the melody on beat 3 at the same time as a bass note. That can be a little tricky. Be able to play this and keep repeating through the two measures at a steady tempo to get the hang of it.

| 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
|-----------0-4/5-|-----------------|
|-------0h1-------|-----------------|
|---2-------------|-----------------|
|---------0-------|---------0-------|
|-----------------|-0---------------|
|-0---------------|-----------------|

Lastly we have the melody with bass notes on all 4 beats of the measure. This is what we're trying to master. Everything before is just baby steps. Again, pay attention to notes that line up vertically. There are notes happening on a pinch on beats three and four. These can be landmarks for you to make sure you're on the right track.

| 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
|-----------0-4/5-|-----------------|
|-------0h1-------|-----------------|
|---2-------------|-----------------|
|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|
|-----------------|-0-------0-------|
|-0-------0-------|-----------------|

Here's a link to some sheet music for this lesson if you'd like to print it out. Enjoy your slack key playing! Lesson number three coming soon!