![\"music\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/046_Honolulu-March_sm.jpg?resize=900%2C506&ssl=1\" "\\"music\\"")
<\/figure>\n\u201cHonolulu March,\u201d recorded by guitarists\u00a0Pale K. Lua\u00a0and\u00a0David K. Kaili\u00a0around 1914\u201315, reflects the early steel-guitar style that captivated mainland audiences during the first Hawaiian-music craze. Lua was one of the early lap-steel players to record commercially and tour the mainland with Hawaiian troupes at a time when the instrument\u2019s sliding, vocal-like sound was still new to most American listeners. Be sure to click here and listen to the original recording before you dive into the notation<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong>\u00a0On the original recording, Lua plays the steel-guitar melody, while\u00a0Kaili provides the rhythmic accompaniment on standard guitar, a pairing typical of early Hawaiian guitar duets recorded during this period.<\/p>\n The tune unfolds in four main sections. The first two,\u00a0A\u00a0and\u00a0B, are 16-bar strains in A major, each heard twice. The\u00a0C section\u00a0shifts to D major and expands to 32 bars before repeating. Continuing in that key, the\u00a0D section\u00a0returns to a 16-bar strain that closes the piece.<\/p>\n This arrangement, which is inspired by the original recording,\u00a0is for two guitars: one plays lead, with a slide, while the accompanying guitar part keeps the rhythm.<\/p>\n Song of the Month<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0is available to\u00a0Patreon members at the Supporters ($5) tier<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0Once a\u00a0month\u00a0<\/em>Acoustic Guitar\u00a0Editor Adam Perlmutter delivers an expertly transcribed\u00a0song\u00a0to add to your repertoire. Some highlights include\u00a0\u201cHotel California,\u201d<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0\u201cIt Ain\u2019t Me Babe,\u201d<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and a chord-melody arrangement\u00a0of\u00a0\u201cAvalon.\u201d<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>And as\u00a0the\u00a0name indicates, we share a new\u00a0song\u00a0every\u00a0month!<\/em><\/p>\n Lead Guitar:<\/strong> \u00a0The slide melody\u00a0is played in\u00a0open-A tuning\u00a0(lowest note to highest:\u00a0E\u00a0A\u00a0E\u00a0A\u00a0C#\u00a0E).\u00a0To get there from\u00a0standard tuning, raise\u00a0your\u00a0fourth string from\u00a0D to E,\u00a0third\u00a0from\u00a0G to A, and\u00a0second\u00a0from\u00a0B to C#.<\/p>\n Shape the phrases as if you were singing them, using smooth slides and a controlled vibrato. Keep a lively march feel, but let the melody move freely between notes in the characteristic Hawaiian style. Throughout the tune you\u2019ll notice\u00a0open E notes punctuating the melodic line. These are played by briefly lifting the slide before returning to position. At tempo, that motion can feel awkward. Work on those passages slowly at first, focusing on small, economical movements of the bar while keeping the picking hand steady. Once the motion becomes automatic, the phrases will sit much more comfortably in time.<\/p>\n Rhythm Guitar: <\/strong>The\u00a0accompaniment guitar part, modeled on Kaili\u2019s role in the original recording, is shown here in chord frames and is played in standard tuning. The part uses simple open-position shapes but provides the rhythmic backbone of the arrangement. The pattern is essentially a\u00a0boom-chuck\u00a0feel, with bass notes on beats\u00a01 and 3\u00a0and chord strums on\u00a02 and 4, giving the music its sturdy march pulse while leaving room for the steel melody above.<\/p>\n Early Hawaiian guitar recordings like this one rely on a clear division of roles: a lyrical slide melody supported by a steady rhythmic guitar. Keeping those two parts balanced\u2014one singing, the other driving the beat\u2014goes a long way toward capturing the character of the original performance.<\/p>\n The\u00a0TAB and notation for \u201cHonolulu March\u201d<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0are available to members of the\u00a0Acoustic Guitar Patreon<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0page at the Supporters tier or higher. Supporters also get exclusive access to the Acoustic Guitar Teaching Artists,<\/a><\/strong> which features a new video lesson every Wednesday.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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