‘Aloha Kakahiaka’ | Learn a Chord-Melody Arrangement of a Classic Hawaiian Tune
BY SARAH MAISEL | FROM THE SUMMER 2025 ISSUE OF UKULELE MAGAZINE
As my husband and musical partner Craig Chee and I explore developing an elementary school ukulele curriculum with our nonprofit, Four Strings at a Time, we have been rediscovering classic Hawaiian children’s songs. “Aloha Kakahiaka” was written by Mahela Awai Rosehill, a Hawaiian language teacher at Kamehameha Schools in the 1940s and ’50s. This is a great two-chord song that showcases the common greetings in the Hawaiian language: aloha kakahiaka (good morning), aloha awake (good day), aloha auinala (good afternoon), and aloha ahiahi (good evening).
The song’s structure, with its repetitive melody and flexible lyrics, makes it an ideal tool for music education. In fact, this song can be modified to embrace diverse languages and doesn’t need to be limited to Hawaiian. Imagine singing, “Aloha, buenos días, means good morning to you,” or “Aloha, bonjour, means good morning to you.”
This arrangement, which depicts the aloha kakahiaka verse, works best in high-G tuning. The alternating eighth notes between the third-fret E string and the open G string in measures 1, 5, and 13 are played quickly, and having that same note in two places is a handy tool commonly found in high-G arrangements.
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Notice how the first chord has all open strings except for the first, where I add the melody note—the seventh-fret E on string 1—while strings 2–4 form a C chord (C E G). In measure 3, there’s a quick shift from the first inversion of G7 to the next. Thanks to the open high G string, I can move the same G7 shape up to the third fret and spread my fingers to create a new inversion at the third and fifth frets. With practice, you should be able to slide this shape without lifting your fingers. Keeping an anchor on the fretboard helps maintain accuracy.
The third system gives a bit more time for chord changes, so I have provided different inversions. For the C chord in measure 11, start with an open G shape but at the seventh fret. Stretch your fourth finger to the tenth fret while holding the shape, and simply remove that finger to play the C chord at the top of the next measure.
Playing through “Aloha Kakahiaka,” it’s easy for me to see why Craig and I have fallen back in love with these classic children’s gems. Amidst the craziness of modern life, the simple joy of simple music offers a way to bridge divides and bring generations together.
Due to copyright restrictions, we are unable to post notation or tablature for this musical work. If you have a digital or physical copy of the Summer 2025 issue of Ukulele magazine you will find the music on page 43.
