“`Imi Au Ia `Oe” (King’s Serenade) – Charles E. King & Queen Liliʻuokalani

Below is the lesson for “`Imi Au Ia `Oe” (King’s Serenade) by Charles E. King & Queen Liliʻuokalani.

Helpful Tips

Learn a relaxing Hawaiian waltz for High G ukulele. This song has quite an interesting history. The lyrics were written in 1874 by Queen Liliʻuokalani, the last sovereign monarch of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Decades later, Charles E. King (a Hawaiian songwriter, educator, and legislator) composed a melody and harmony around them. The song gained popularity after it was featured in his 1925 opera, Prince of Hawaii, where it became known as the “King’s Serenade.”

From a lesson standpoint, this fingerstyle piece is perfect for the budding intermediate player. The first half of the song has a spartan sound due to its use of double stops. A double stop refers to playing two notes simultaneously. In the context of this song, one note is the melody, the other the harmony.

The second half of the song builds upon the harmony by layering in chords to create a robust and full sound.

P.S. Click HERE to learn Queen Liliʻuokalani’s most famous composition.

Part 1 – Performance & Free Lesson


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