slack-key en · ADJ
Etymology
From a translation of the Hawaiian kī hōʻalu (“loosen the [tuning] key”).
Meanings
-
(not-comparable) (of a string instrument or a manner of playing one) Performed with loosened strings, such that all of the strings play in the same key (most often G major).
Spanish-style guitars played in the standard position, though probably in altered tunings slack-key fashion.
2007, Tim Brookes, Guitar: An American Life, page 56:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| slack key | alternative | lexicographic |