The resulting style of play evolved into slack key—a distinctly Hawaiian sound with complex patterns of rhythm, bass, and a leading melody all handled by one player on an acoustic guitar.

In a small extra room of their house, Judy and Ralph Sharp stand near microphones with a flute and a 12-string guitar in front of a cell phone to record a hymn almost every day for their "Key of D ...

The closest thing to flying to Hawaii for a night may be getting a seat to see Makana play at The Neptune Theatre Friday, Sept. 29. Makana, 39, has been called the master of the slack-key guitar ...