Steel Guitar Symposium Slated for Northern California

July 20, 2023 • Addison Ching • Education and Training

The popular Hawaiian Steel Guitar Symposium will return to Northern Califronia on September 24, 2023. The one-day event will again be held at the Odd Fellows Hall in Cupertino.

The 2023 Northern California Hawaiian Steel Guitar Symposium comprises two workshops, one for beginners and one for steel guitarists who want to improve their playing.

The morning Starter Class is for people with no prior steel guitar experience. Students will will work on basic technique (straight bar, forward and reverse slants), blocking, p-tahs, and production of better tone. In this class, the fundamentals of instrument technique and TAB reading will be introduced. Students simply need to bring a steel guitar and mini amp even if they don't know how to play it.

The afternoon Symposium Class will focus on pa‘ani and fills and how to develop background fills and pa‘ani melodies for songs ideal for jamming anywhere.

Students from the 2022 Northern California Steel Guitar Symposium. PC-Alan Akaka

The workshops will be held at the Odd Fellow Hall, site of the 2022 Northern California Hawaiian Steel Guitar Symposium. All workshop attendees must supply their own instrument, portable amplifier and music stand. Symposium Class and Kani Ka Pila participants are advised to bring a He Mele Aloha Hawaiian songbook.

For additional workshop information including workshop schedule and cost, please visit the Symposium Site. A workshop brochure is available for downloading.

Participants can register for the symposium online by compleing the fillable Symposium Registration form available on the Symposium page and sending the completed form to info@kekulamele.com.