Never really got into playing slack key myself (though I always tell myself that I should someday soon), but I do remember the first time I heard Makana. I was just getting into playing onstage and was jamming with some guys down at Freeborn Music (no longer there) in Kapaa. Some guy walks in and the owner of the store asks if we mind if he jumps in, too. We all said it was cool, but when he started playing, everyone else stopped playing. We couldn't even comprehend what was happening. Blew all of us away. Since then, I've always been mesmerized by slack key.

I took slack key lessons for 2.5 years, started when I was either 13 or 14. I saw Ikaika Brown on TV and I thought, if this kid can do it, so can I. I took lessons from Hal Kinnaman on Kauai. I don't play slack key much anymore, though, but sometimes I go back to it. It never really leaves you.

I try to learn slack key in taropatch. There are so many tunings to play in, but open G seemed the most common and not so hard. I also play slack key ukulele in open tuning. I think open tunings gives you a better chance to improvise and still land on your feet. Playing guitar in standard tuning is more likely to end in chaos, unless you really knows what you're doing.