Below is the lesson for “Hone A Ka Wai” by Ernest Ka’ai.

Helpful Tips

A beautiful Hawaiian melody set to the rhythm of a waltz. A waltz is a piece of music with a rhythm of three beats per measure. This creates a feel that is quite different from common time (4/4). Therefore, we want to count each measure as:

1, 2, 3 (next measure)
1, 2, 3 (next measure)

And so on…

Let’s talk about how to approach playing this piece. One of the most important elements in performing a waltz is to accent beat one. This is the beat where the melody note occurs. Beat 2 and 3 are the harmony; in this arrangement they are plucked chords.

So what does it mean to “accent” a beat? It means to strike that beat slightly louder than the others. In the case of a waltz, this helps to make the melody note pop and sustain over the chords.

While this arrangement is best suited for the intermediate player, there is one tricky element to it: stretch chords. Therefore, if you are new to tackling stretch chord or licks, then check out this lesson as it has three exercises to help increase your left hand reach.