Slack guitar is music to Hawaii visitors' ears

One of the most distinctive elements of Hawaiian music is the slack-key sound, or ki ho'alu. "It sounds like an orchestra because there is a bass and a melody playing at the same time," says performer John Keawe

From Gail O'Neill

KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii (CNN) -- When they're not fishing, sunbathing or exploring, tourists in Hawaii can learn something about the beautiful islands just by soaking up the native music.

"We're now sharing more of the traditional music because I think that's part of our culture we should share with tourists," said musician Nani Lim Yap.

So what, exactly, is it?

"I think Hawaiian music today is a conglomeration of a lot of different types of influences ranging from country music, bluegrass, all the way down to reggae Caribbean beat," musician Keali'i Reichel said.

One of the most distinctive elements of Hawaiian music is the slack-key sound, or ki ho'alu, which features an alternating bass played with the thumb while melodies are played on the higher strings.

VIDEO/AUDIO Listen to Hawaiian musician John Keawe Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) Listen to Hawaiian musician Keali'i Reichel Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) Listen to Hawaiian music performed by Nani Lim Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)     RESOURCE Learn the history of the slack guitar     RELATED STORY Go with the flow on Hawaii's volcanic 'Big Island'

"It sounds like an orchestra because there is a bass and a melody playing at the same time," said John Keawe, a well-known performer and Hawaii native.

Keawe grew up listening to rock 'n' roll in the 1960s and '70s. But then he started getting into the distinctive sounds of Hawaii.

"I traded in my electric guitar and bought an acoustic and started to watch everybody or anybody who could play slack key," said Keawe, a performer and Hawaii native.

Cowboys credited

The popular sound arrived in Hawaii in the 1830s with the Spanish and Mexican cowboys, who are believed to have introduced guitars to the islands, Keawe said.

"And the Hawaiians, they picked it up and didn't know what to do with it. It didn't sound right so they slackened certain strings," he said.

These days, Hawaiian music has a big following on the islands, as evidenced by the stock at local music stores.

"We make up 25 percent of Hawaiian music compared to pop, rock and R&B," said Amador Joaquin of Borders, which has two stores on the Big Island.

Reichel says the compositions they perform and songs they write are filled with a poetic technique called kauna.

"You never come out to the point with what you're thinking," he explained. "You can see a beautiful woman walking down the street or passing you by. You never say, 'Oh, look at that beautiful woman.' That's rude. You say, 'The flowers are marching in the sun today' or something like that."