slack-key

American  

[slak-kee] / ˈslækˌki /

noun

1. a style of Hawaiian popular music played on an acoustic guitar with strings tuned to notes lower than standard guitar tuning for more bass resonance.

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adjective

1. noting or pertaining to this style of music.

Etymology

Origin of slack-key

First recorded in 1975–80; slack ¹ ( def. ) (in the sense “loose, not taut”) + key ¹ ( def. ); translation of Hawaiian kī hō‘alu, equivalent to kī “key” + hō‘alu “slack”

Example Sentences

Hawaiian Music Festival Feel the vibes with this family-friendly outdoor show featuring vocalist Aolani Kaeka-Preuss and Grammy-winning slack-key guitarist Jim “Kimo” West.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 1, 2021

Both movies involve issues of land and legacy, and both attempt to address complex issues while plainly luxuriating in lush landscapes and lilting slack-key guitars.

From Slate • Jun. 1, 2015

Hawaiian slack-key fests are an annual affair in Seattle, but before you go all ho-hum, note that both Cyril Pahinui and Ledward Kaapana are on the bill this year.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 6, 2014

Nate Chinen explains the controversies behind the Hawaiian music category, which in its seven years of existence has been dominated by one man, Daniel Ho, and his albums of slack-key guitar.

From New York Times • Feb. 10, 2011

The most common tuning is C – so the strings are tuned G, C, E, A – although the slack-key open tunings particular to Hawaiian music are sometimes also used.

From The Guardian • Aug. 17, 2010