Hapa haole classic · Free song lesson
How to play On the Beach at Waikiki on Ukulele or Guitar
Henry Kailimai and G. H. Stover, 1915
Henry Kailimai wrote the melody and G. H. Stover set the words, and in 1915 Kailimai's Hawaiian Quintet played it daily at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, the fair that introduced much of the mainland to the ukulele. Henry Ford loved the band so much he hired them to Detroit as Ford Motor Company's official musicians. The song became the first Hawaiian tune to break big on the mainland, and it still bounces a century later.
Key of F on ukulele, C on guitar · 4/4 time · Level 2 · Medium · 4 chords
The chords you need
Tap any chord to open its diagram in the chord library, where you can see the fingering and hear how it should sound.
On the ukulele · key of F
On the guitar · key of C
The progression
One box is one measure of 4/4. Strum through each box, change chords at the start of the next, and you are playing the song. Start way slower than feels cool.
Ukulele · key of F
Vamp
The Hawaiian vamp, moved to F: two seventh chords walking you home. Use it as the intro, between verses, and twice at the end.
Chorus
One lap around the circle: F to D7 to G7 to C7 and home again. The second half doubles the pace of the changes right at the end, so count your way in.
Guitar · key of C
Vamp
The same Hawaiian vamp in guitar-friendly C: D7 to G7 to C. Intro, turnarounds, and twice to finish.
Chorus
Same lap around the circle, transposed to C: C to A7 to D7 to G7 and home. Every shape stays in first position.
The strum
Bright and bouncy with a little ragtime swing. Let the up-strums skip instead of landing square, and keep your wrist loose.
Full speed sits around 115 to 135 BPM
Start way under that. Speed comes on its own.
Practice setlist
- The whole chorus is a chase home: D7 pulls to G7, G7 pulls to C7, C7 lands on F. Hear that pull and the changes memorize themselves.
- You already know the D7 shape from the Kaimana Hila vamp. Same two fingers, whole new song.
- Measures 13 and 14 change chords every bar instead of every two. Loop just those four measures until the quick lap feels easy.
Ten focused minutes a day beats one heroic hour on Sunday.
Sounding sour? Get in tune first with the free browser tuner.
Sounds better on real strings
Play it on your own ukulele.
A song this good deserves an instrument that fits your hands. Come in and play a few. New and used ukuleles on the wall, and a crew that will help you find yours without any pressure. And when a chord change fights back, teachers run lessons at the shop 7 days a week.
Never played a note before? Start with Play Your First Song Today, our free step-by-step starter for total beginners. Then come back for this one.
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