Tip From Mark – ‘Slap’ Harmonics I had a question from a client recently about making harmonics sound properly. In particular, he asked about picking-hand ‘slap’ harmonics in my arrangement of “Moonshadow” in Travis Pick the Hits! I will discuss technique using that example. If you need more information about playing harmonics successfully, I’ve written an extensive article that you can read here. At measure 60 in “Moonshadow” (shown below), I barre the four treble strings at the 2nd fret, an Amajor chord. This must happen quickly, as I have just fretted two individual strings with fingertips, and pulled off […]
Guitar Harmonics – Make Them Chime! I occasionally receive questions from clients about harmonics on the guitar: what they are and how to produce them. Guitar players love harmonics for their high-pitched ringing tone (Hawaiian slack key players call them “chimes”), and for the fact they allow a note (or more) to sustain as the fretting hand moves laterally on the guitar neck – not possible when you have to sustain a fretted a note. High-pitched guitar harmonics occur when a player creates a ‘nodal point’ (a non-vibrating ‘dead’ spot) on a vibrating string. Nodal points occur at the mathematical dividing points on […]
Mark & Greta in Los Altos, California
Mark Teaches ‘Fingerpicking Ukulele’ in Palo Alto, California
Mark covers fingerpicking in Taro Patch and C Mauna Loa tunings.
Mark plays this thrilling and beautiful fingerstyle guitar solos for three hours in the tasting room during Holloran Vineyards Memorial Day open house. Come join us!
WORKSHOP #1 (To register, call Gryphon at 650-493-2131) 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Introduction to Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar! Gryphon’s old friend Mark Hanson – longtime Gryphon instructor, Grammy winner, Frets editor, and author of “Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar” – will introduce you to the beautiful world of Hawaiian slack key guitar. The essence of slack key is fingerpicking in alternate tunings. In this workshop Mark will concentrate on two tunings: “Taro Patch” (Open-G) and “C-Wahine” (C G D G B E, low to high). You’ll learn the necessary fingerpicking patterns (alternating bass), the common chord shapes, parallel-sixth […]
Acoustic Guitar Summit returns to the Lake Theater Monday Night Music Series in Lake Oswego, Oregon, for their annual holiday concert on December 11. This is a fantastic, but small venue. Seating is limited to 100. Food and beverage are available. Tickets.
Acoustic Guitar Summit returns to the Lake Theater Monday Night Music Series in Lake Oswego, Oregon, on June 12. This is a fantastic, but small venue. Seating is limited to 100. Food and beverage are available. Tickets.
