Deborah Chan
The Hawaiian Wedding Song, made popular by Elvis in Blue Hawaii, is a popular choice for weddings. The original song, Ke Kali Nei Aua (Waiting There for Thee), was written by Charles E. King and recorded in Hawaiian by Helen Desha Beamer in 1926. The ukulele chords used in the song are G, C, A7, D, A, D7, Am, and E. To play the song on the ukulele, you will need to use rubato (a free flow of rhythm and tempo) while also ensuring you don't sound off-beat.
Characteristics and their values for playing the Hawaiian Wedding Song on the ukulele
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Chords | G, C, A7, D, A, D7, Am, E |
| Tempo | Use rubato (free flow of rhythm and tempo) without sounding off-beat |
| Song suggestions | "White Sandy Beach", "Somewhere Over The Rainbow", "A River Runs Through It", "Can't Help Falling in Love" |
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What You'll Learn
Chords: G, C, A7, D, A, D7, Am, E
To play the Hawaiian Wedding Song on a ukulele, you'll need to know a few chords: G, C, A7, D, A, D7, Am, and E. These chords will be used throughout the song to create a beautiful and romantic melody.
Let's start with the G chord, which is a basic chord that you'll often use in many ukulele songs. To play a G chord, place your middle finger on the 3rd fret of the C string and your ring finger on the 3rd fret of the E string. Strum all four strings gently to sound out the chord.
Next, we have the C chord, which is another essential chord in ukulele playing. For this chord, you'll place your ring finger on the 3rd fret of the A string and strum all four strings.
The A7 chord is a great-sounding chord that adds a bit of flavour to your playing. You can play it by placing your middle finger on the 2nd fret of the A string and your ring finger on the 2nd fret of the E string. Strum all four strings to hear the chord.
Moving on, the D chord is a simple one—just place your middle finger on the 2nd fret of the G string and strum all four strings.
Now, for the D7 chord, which is a variation of the D chord and is known as a "Hawaiian D7." It's a bit different from a standard D7 chord, as it doesn't include the root note (D). To play it, place your middle finger on the 2nd fret of the G string and your ring finger on the 3rd fret of the C string. You'll strum only the G, C, and E strings for this chord.
For the Am chord, you'll want to place your middle finger on the 2nd fret of the A string, your ring finger on the 2nd fret of the E string, and strum all four strings.
Finally, the E chord—simply place your middle and ring fingers on the 2nd and 3rd frets of the A string, respectively, and strum all four strings.
With these chords under your belt, you'll be well on your way to playing the Hawaiian Wedding Song on your ukulele. Remember to practice switching between these chords smoothly and to maintain a steady rhythm as you play.
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Rubato: free flow of rhythm and tempo
To play the Hawaiian Wedding Song on the ukulele, you'll need to use rubato (free flow of rhythm and tempo) without sounding like you're off-beat. This means you'll need to know where the phrases are and lead your chord resolutions properly.
Rubato is a musical term that refers to the slight adjustment of the speed of the music and the placement of the notes within a measure or phrase. It comes from the Italian word for "stolen", and it allows for personal expression and a wider emotional range in music. In the 18th century, rubato meant expressing rhythm spontaneously and freely, which was often achieved by playing uneven notes. By the 19th century, rubato had evolved to become a way to make a melody more emotional through changing the tempo, such as through accelerando, ritenuto, and syncopations.
When using rubato, the underlying pulse of the music stays steady, and the "big beats" remain in time while the in-between notes may adjust. For example, if you have bars of quarter notes marked 1, 2, 3, and 4, with rhythmic freedom, beat one will fall with the metronome, or in perfect time. This creates a system of checks and balances, where any push is balanced by a pull, and any debit is balanced by a credit.
To practice rubato, you can use a metronome and try different exercises. For instance, you can half the tempo on the metronome and play at the same speed as before, but with more time between clicks. You can also practice speeding up and slowing down progressively between the metronome clicks, ensuring that each click synchronizes with the same note as when played with a steady rhythm.
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Chord resolutions: know where the phrases are
Chord resolutions are essential in playing the ukulele, and knowing where the phrases are is a crucial skill. Here are some tips to help you master this:
First, familiarize yourself with the ukulele fretboard. It's important to learn all the notes on your fretboard, as this will help you understand which notes and chords work together. Knowing the notes will enable you to play by ear and identify the chords used in a song. You only need to know the notes up to the 11th fret, as the 12th fret and beyond are a repetition of the same notes an octave higher.
Next, understand how to read ukulele tabs. Tabs are a popular way to learn the ukulele, as they show you where to place your fingers on the fretboard. Each tab has four horizontal lines representing the four strings of the ukulele, typically labelled G, C, E, and A from left to right. Numbers on the tab indicate which fret to press on the corresponding string. For example, if you see "3" on the A string line, you would press the 3rd fret on that string.
Additionally, pay attention to the rhythm and tempo of the song. Ukulele music is often written in 4/4 time, with four quarter notes per measure. The top number in a time signature tells you how many beats are in each measure, while the bottom number indicates the rhythmic value of each beat. For instance, 4/4 time means each beat is a quarter note.
Finally, practice is key. Start with simple songs you know well and gradually work your way up. With consistent practice, you'll develop a better understanding of chord resolutions and be able to identify them in different songs.
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Popular Hawaiian songs: 'White Sandy Beach' and 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow'
The ukulele is a great instrument to play popular Hawaiian songs like "White Sandy Beach" and "Somewhere Over The Rainbow". Here is a look at how to play these songs, along with some background information.
"White Sandy Beach" is a popular Hawaiian song often associated with the beach and Hawaiian culture. While there are no specific tutorials on how to play this song on the ukulele, learning the chords and structure of similar songs like "Hawaiian Wedding Song" can help you get started. The "Hawaiian Wedding Song", also known as "Ke Kali Nei Au" (Waiting There for Thee) , has been recorded by several artists, including Elvis Presley, Andy Williams, and Pat Boone. To play this song on the ukulele, you'll use a combination of chords, including G, C, A7, D, A, D7, Am, and E.
Now, let's turn our attention to "Somewhere Over The Rainbow", made popular by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, whose voice became famous outside of Hawaii with the release of his album "Facing Future" in 1993. This album included a medley of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" and "What a Wonderful World". To play this song on the ukulele, you'll need to familiarize yourself with the chords and tabs. UkuTabs is a great resource for this, providing free and curated chord diagrams, a transposer, and an auto-scroller to help you learn the song. The song includes chords like C, G, Am, F, and Em, and there are also some challenging chord voicings and slides to master.
"Somewhere Over The Rainbow" is considered a milestone for ukulele players, and learning it will definitely elevate your skills. It's a beautiful song that has been featured in films, television programs, and commercials, so it's definitely worth adding to your repertoire.
By learning these two popular Hawaiian songs, you'll not only improve your ukulele skills but also connect with the rich cultural heritage of Hawaii and share its joy and beauty with your audience.
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Other wedding songs: 'Can't Help Falling in Love' and 'Everything' by Michael Bublé
"Can't Help Falling in Love" is a popular choice for ukulele players around the world. The song features a beautiful melody with a nice set of chord changes and romantic lyrics. The harmony in the song features seven chords, and almost all of these chords are very simple. They are C, Em, Am, F, G, B7 and A7. The first four chords feature triads, and the last ones are dominant seventh chords. The song has a simple verse-chorus structure that is easy to follow. The verse features the chords in this order: C, Em, Am, Am, F, C, G, G. The second line goes to F, G, Am, F, C, G, C. We then move on to the chorus where the chords are: Em and B7 (repeated twice) to A7, A7 F, G.
"Everything" by Michael Bublé is another great choice for a wedding song on the ukulele. The song features a key change at the end, which can be made easier by playing the "root" chord instead of the 7th (e.g. F# instead of F#7). The chords for the song are D, Bm7, E7, G, A7. For example, the chorus goes: "And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times / It's you, it's you, you make me sing / E7 G A7 D / You're every line, you're every word, you're everything".
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Frequently asked questions
The chords for the Hawaiian Wedding Song are G, C, A7, D, A, D7, Am, and E.
For this beginner fingerstyle version, you will need to use rubato (free flow of rhythm and tempo) without sounding like you’re off-beat. You will need to know where the phrases are and lead your chord resolutions properly.
Some popular Hawaiian songs that can be played on the ukulele include White Sandy Beach, Somewhere Over The Rainbow, and Ukulele(Gitara).
Yes, there have been several famous covers of the Hawaiian Wedding Song over the years, including by Elvis Presley in his 1961 movie Blue Hawaii, Andy Williams in 1958, Pat Boone, Perry Como, and Donny Osmond.
