Hybrid Picking
Slack key guitar playing is one of the many hybrid picking styles of playing guitar created over the years. Developed in Hawaii, the style finds its origins in (post European contact) traditional songs and dances of the Islands. However, it’s structure began to expand most noticably after World War II. In fact, the first commercial recording using the slack-key method were made in 1946.
Although the basic principle is similar to (mainland) folk-based fingerpicking in that the alternating bass pattern is picked on the lower strings with the thumb while employing the index and middle fingers to pluck out the melody on the upper strings, this kind of fingerstyle also employs several “open tunings” such as the “taropatch” (or G-major). While “taropatch” is the most common method used, some guitarists there alternate it with a group of major-seventh tunings referred to as the “wahine,” in addition to several other variations depending on the effect desired.