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Post new topic David Kelii tuning uncovered (How'd Ya Do - Bb D F A C E)
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Author Topic:  David Kelii tuning uncovered (How'd Ya Do - Bb D F A C E)
Andy Costigan


From:
Newcastle, NSW, Australia
Post  Posted 15 Mar 2017 12:33 am    
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I fell in love with David Kelii's playing and spent some time figuring out how to play his rendition of "Mapuana" in the mis-named G11 tuning he came up with. next up I worked on "How'd Ya Do" and the solo starts with a semi-tone slide you can't do in BDFACE but it's there if you lower B to Bb. You can see and hear me playing it here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__Yicr3n8sw

nothing original from me and the harmonic section i got from Jules Ah See transposed from B11 to G11 (thanks to the mighty Amazing Slowdowner). I'm in awe of all the steel improvisers that post on the Forum and i hope to become one one day. in the meantime as thanks for all the wonderful knowledge hidden within the SGF, i'll be posting some of the discoveries i've made in the coming weeks. In particular i'd like to acknowledge Billy Tonnesen. I miss his posts and gentle spirit.
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Roger Shackelton

 

From:
MINNESOTA (deceased)
Post  Posted 15 Mar 2017 9:24 pm    
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HELLO ANDY,

I really enjoyed your version of "How'd Ya Do". Very nice indeed. Cool
In the near future I would like to hear you play "Mauna Kea"

Roger
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Guy Cundell


From:
More idle ramblings from South Australia
Post  Posted 16 Mar 2017 2:01 am    
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Very nice indeed, Andy.

Do you have any details of the original Keli'i recordings? I haven't been able to find ant reference to them in Malcolm Rockwell's discography. (Approximate) date of recording and band leader would be helpful.

Thanks for the post. It is an interesting tuning.
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David M Brown


From:
California, USA
Post  Posted 16 Mar 2017 5:00 am    
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Speaking of "How'd Ya Do", has anyone noticed that the video of Billy Hew Len playing it seems fast and at a raised pitch?
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Andy Costigan


From:
Newcastle, NSW, Australia
Post  Posted 16 Mar 2017 3:07 pm    
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thanks Roger. just listened to Barney & Jules' rendition of "Mauna Kea" on the "Hawaiian Shores" album. it's beautiful. it's on the list of songs to learn!

hi Guy, the 2 tunes i've worked on, "How'd Ya Do" and "Mapuana" are from "Sweet Sweet Steel Guitar Vol 4". there's a photo of the back cover of the record in this post.
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=126876
it's where i got the recording for "educational and research purposes". Someone may know dates.
for "Mapuana" i raised the recording a semitone to match the open sounding strings in the recording to the tuning. (and i raised "How'd Ya Do" 75 cents). here's an old recording of "Mapuana". there's lots of background talking as it was a wine and cheese night.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMx6pQMmV8A
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Guy Cundell


From:
More idle ramblings from South Australia
Post  Posted 16 Mar 2017 3:20 pm    
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Thanks, Andy. That record sleeve is informative. I can't quite see a date but I discovered that Vol 9 in the Sweet Sweet Steel Guitar series by Coy Pereira was released in 1981 which suggests an approximate date. Close enough for me.
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Andy Costigan


From:
Newcastle, NSW, Australia
Post  Posted 16 Mar 2017 6:47 pm    
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hey Guy, here's a link to Sweet Sweet Steel Guitar Series. most have dates beside them but David Kelii's is unknown. however it comes between vol 3 - Rudy Wairata (1974) and vol 5 - Uncle Tom Alexander (1979)
https://www.discogs.com/label/664206-Sweet-Sweet-Steel-Guitar-Series
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Michael Greer


From:
Ontario, Canada
Post  Posted 17 Mar 2017 2:26 am    
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[/img]

Custom guitar apparently built for the great David Kelii.
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Andy Volk


From:
Boston, MA
Post  Posted 17 Mar 2017 6:10 am    
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Here's David's original recording:

https://soundcloud.com/aev/howdja-do
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Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com
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David M Brown


From:
California, USA
Post  Posted 17 Mar 2017 7:24 am    
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Michael Greer wrote:



[/img]

Custom guitar apparently built for the great David Kelii.


2 scale lengths?
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Jeff Au Hoy


From:
Honolulu, Hawai'i
Post  Posted 19 Mar 2017 3:26 pm    
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Sounds to me that while David plays the head in G11, the solo is played on a different neck, in C13.
I don't hear a semi-tone slide at the beginning of David's solo but rather a jump from the low C bass string to the adjacent Bb.
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Peter Garellick

 

From:
California, USA
Post  Posted 19 Mar 2017 5:58 pm    
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Hi Michael, is that the guitar that was in a pawn shop in Las Vegas for a while? I checked it out when it was there but decided to pass. Did you get it all fixed up and running well? It was kind of a mess when i saw it.

And Aloha Jeff. I've seen you play a few times in O'ahu, really enjoyed your style!

Peter
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Bill Creller

 

From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
Post  Posted 19 Mar 2017 8:08 pm    
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Very many years ago, in the 50s I believe, I read in a guitar magazine that David had a new guitar built for him, from Koa wood, but it didn't mention a double neck type...
Is that one made of KOA ??
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David M Brown


From:
California, USA
Post  Posted 20 Mar 2017 7:26 am    
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Jeff Au Hoy wrote:
Sounds to me that while David plays the head in G11, the solo is played on a different neck, in C13.
I don't hear a semi-tone slide at the beginning of David's solo but rather a jump from the low C bass string to the adjacent Bb.


I wouldn't be surprised by that, some of those masters seemed to like switching necks.
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Andy Costigan


From:
Newcastle, NSW, Australia
Post  Posted 20 Mar 2017 9:15 pm    
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hi Jeff,
after listening again it does sound like a jump between strings. it does lay out pretty well though in G11 with B tuned down to Bb and sounds musical to my ear. (i might have to claim the tuning as my own!)

i don't know if you remember meeting me at the Royal Grove in 2013. i played a little for you and was all thumbs. you certainly inspired me to get serious. it's taken me 4 years to figure out how you played the intro to Yellow Roses with no slants which was the main thing i noticed. i got pretty close to Gabby's sound with some slants but was never entirely happy.
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Mitch Drumm

 

From:
Frostbite Falls, hard by Veronica Lake
Post  Posted 21 Mar 2017 5:36 am    
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Bill Creller wrote:
Very many years ago, in the 50s I believe, I read in a guitar magazine that David had a new guitar built for him, from Koa wood, but it didn't mention a double neck type...
Is that one made of KOA ??


Yeah, I think that's it; built as early as 1945.

I think both pix below are of the same guitar and likely the same one pictured earlier in this thread.





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David M Brown


From:
California, USA
Post  Posted 21 Mar 2017 6:43 am    
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Mitch Drumm wrote:


Yeah, I think that's it; built as early as 1945.

I think both pix below are of the same guitar and likely the same one pictured earlier in this thread.



Who made it?

I'm sure it's the same, how many doublenecks with 2 different scale lengths are around?
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Jeff Au Hoy


From:
Honolulu, Hawai'i
Post  Posted 21 Mar 2017 4:06 pm    
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Aloha, Andy! Indeed I remember. Had a great time comparing notes with you at the Royal Grove that warm day.

Peter, mahalo Smile
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Andy Costigan


From:
Newcastle, NSW, Australia
Post  Posted 28 Mar 2017 8:26 pm    
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i've changed the information under the youtube clip to indicate i haven't discovered a new David Kelii tuning. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__Yicr3n8sw
thanks to those who contributed to the post.
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