Slack Key Guitar

The G Kilauea Tuning

By Daniel Ho

In 1832, the first vaqueros, cowboys from Mexico, arrived on the Big Island of Hawai i. They were invited by King Kamehameha III to teach Hawaiians how to manage their cattle. The vaqueros brought guitars with them and taught the paniolo, Hawaiian cowboys, how to play.

These paniolo eventually developed their own unique tunings and music style known today as ki ho