Hawaiian standard · Free song lesson
How to play Aloha ʻOe on Ukulele or Guitar
Queen Liliʻuokalani, 1878
Princess Liliʻuokalani, later the last reigning monarch of the Hawaiian Kingdom, composed Aloha ʻOe in 1878 after witnessing a tender farewell embrace on a trip to Maunawili on Oʻahu. It became Hawaiʻi's most treasured song of parting, sung at graduations, send-offs and memorials across the islands and around the world. Learn it with respect for the queen who wrote it, and let it ring slow and sweet.
Key of C · 4/4 time · Level 1 · Easy · 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.
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.
Verse
The C7 in the last measure is the doorway into the chorus. Let it pull you forward.
Chorus
End the final chorus on C and let it ring all the way out.
The strum
Slow and gentle, around 80 beats per minute. This is a farewell song; give every chord room to breathe.
Full speed sits around 70 to 80 BPM
Start way under that. Speed comes on its own.
Practice setlist
- Drill the C to F change on its own first. It carries most of the song.
- Keep your strumming hand moving in a steady down-up even when you skip a strum; the groove stays honest that way.
- Let the last chord of every line ring out fully before you move. The space between phrases is part of the song.
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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