slack-key
Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
- adjective Of a style of Hawaiian music played by fingerpicking an acoustic guitar that has been tuned to any of various open chords.
Examples
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Andy Summers of the Police, the master of ceremonies, introduces the first contestant -- Makana, who blends country finger-picking with the slack-key style of his native Honolulu.
Jim Fusilli, 'A Guitar Contest With a Winning Surprise,' The Wall Street Journal, September 16, 2008
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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.
Note
This phrase comes from the Hawaiian term ‘ki hoʻalu,’ which translates as ‘loosen the (tuning) key.’
