Hawai’i-born guitarist Chris Yeaton will bring the sounds of the islands to Benicia Friday in a concert at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

He’ll be joined by Adam Werner of Southern California, another guitarist who will bring a completely different style of fingerstyle guitar playing to the program.

Yeaton’s music style is called slack-key, which refers to a style in which musicians loosen their strings to tune the guitar to a single chord.

While he’s been influenced by such noted island slack-key artists as Keola Beamer and John Keawe, the Kona resident also spent time with internationally acclaimed guitarist Peppino D’Agostino, a Benicia resident.

Yeaton, 45, who was born in Honolulu, had owned a guitar and played casually for years, but he didn’t pursue music seriously until 1997, when his father gave him a copy of “White Mountain Journal,” one of Beamer’s CDs. That ignited his passion for the slack-key genre.

His musicianship progressed to the point he has been able to collaborate with both Beamer and Keawe. “It was like going to music school,” he said. “They are fine musicians and wonderful human beings.”

At tonight’s concert, Yeaton will play both original and traditional slack-key music — and with each song comes a story.

One song concert-goers may hear is his original “Aloha o Kona,” which means “Love for Kona.” In it, Yeaton describes his affection for the place that has been his home for the past 25 years.

Another song, “Wahine ‘Ilikea,” by Dennis Kamakahi, describes Moloka’i waterfalls that appear to display the image of the “fair-skinned woman” that is the translation of the song’s name.

Joining Yeaton is Werner, whose music has been heavily inspired by the late Michael Hedges, the Windham Hill artist who favored playing high notes on his guitar.

Werner began playing rock music in the 1990s, incorporating intricate techniques and unusual key changes into his compositions. Once he heard William Ackerman and Hedges, he began exploring acoustic guitar.

Like Yeaton, he also has played with Keawe.

Werner and Yeaton have been touring for several months. Benicia’s concert tonight and a Saturday show at Sutter Creek Theater, Sutter Creek, are the final dates of the tour.

“We have a lot of fun with this,” Yeaton said about presenting contrasting music styles.

“We’re looking to share our expression and experience.”

Doors open for the concert, part of the Spectacular Music Friday Concert Series, at 7 Friday night at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 120 East J St. The concert starts at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $15, and are available at Good Stuff Music Store, 511 Main St., Martinez, and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday at St. Paul’s.