Hawaii Part 1
Bellwork: Define Terms
 Pahu—wooden drum used for hula and chants.
 Slack Key Guitar—guitar with lower strings tuned to a major triad.
 King Kamehameha--This King helped Hawaiians increase foreign
trade while maintaining Hawaii’s independence.
 ‘ohe hano ihu-- nose flute
 Ukeke—mouth bow, hardwood, tuned to similar intervals as voice
Announcements
 Test on Hawaii Tuesday February 25
Reading Outline #19 due Thursday
February 20th
Outcomes
 Scholars Will:
 Grammar: Learn basic facts about Hawaiian Music
 Rhetoric: Scholars will write a chant about a
classmate “chief”.
Pre-Knowledge
 List the first five things that come to mind when you think
about Hawaii.
 Name as many Hawaiian islands as possible.
 What instruments are played in Hawaii?
 What foods are enjoyed?
 Describe the topography (the landscape).
 Why is Hawaii such a valuable state to the USA?
Waipio Valley
Pahu
King Kamehameha
‘ohe hano ihu-video
Ukeke-video
Guided Floats
 The first Polynesian peoples were from Asia.
 They first arrived in Tonga in 12th century BC.
 Hawaiian peoples arrived from the Marquesas islands
and Tahiti in 7-13th centuries.
 The social structure is based on genealogy. It is
believed that the chief is a descendant of the gods.
 Chief’s funded music education as part of his retinue,
for their own entertainment, to sing their praises and
for prestige.
Active Listening #1
Chant: Kau ka hali’a I ka manawa
 How many pitches does she sing?
 Is she singing mostly in consonants or vowels?
 How many drums are accompanying her?
Just the facts
Listening #1
Chant: Kau ka hali’a I ka manawa
 Prayers were chanted while making the pahu and
became entrapped in the lashing, the wood, the skin
and remained with the drum always.
 This chant is an example of mele hula-- texts chanted
to the accompaniment of dance and instruments.
 Portamento is when the vocalists falls or slides to the
lower pitch on sustained tones.
Active Listening#4
E Pele, Pele, Pele
 Describe the variations in tempo.
 How many different notes does the chanter sing?
 What type of drum do you think is accompanying her?
Just the facts
Listening #4
E Pele, Pele, Pele
 Pele is the Hawaiian goddess of the volcano .
 Hula dancing imitates the flowing of the lava and the
darting of the flames.
More about chants
 Kepakepa is rhythmic speech (historical, genealogical
recitations) performed on one pitch, without regular
meter.
 Mele inoa were historical/genealogical songs used to
 honor the chiefs and to demonstrate their relationships to
God and nature.
 Sometimes more than 2,000 lines.

 Easy to understand because of clear enunciation and
absence of ‘i’i. usually composed in couplets with an even
number of beats.
Chant and HulaVideo: Ho'opuka I Ka La and No Paha
CFU: Write your own
mele inoa chant.
 Get in groups of 3-4 people
 Choose a person to be “chief”
 Compose a chant about the chief including names of parents,
grandparents, where the chief was born and attributes such as
personality traits, skills and physical characteristics.
 The chant should be at least 2-3 paragraphs long.
 Be sure to incorporate at least two different pitches, drum
accompaniment and portamento as you travel between pitches.
 Choose one person to sing the chant, another to drum and
dancers.
CFU: Song Types Flashcards
 Create your own flashcards to learn the following song types:
 ho’aeae: love chants
 pule: religious chants used to call upon the gods
 kanikau: dirges and laments
 kepakepa: rhythmic speech: historical, genealogical recitations
 Oli: music and poetry not meant for dancing.
 mele hula: poetry for dance accompaniment.
 mele ho’oipoipo: songs of a topical or endearing nature.

mele ho’ala: an awakening song for a chief or favorite child.
Exit Ticket
 What is the ‘ohe hano ihu?
 What is the primary purpose of kepakepa?
 What is the official name of historical/genealogical songs?
 What is the difference between Mele inoa and mele hula?
 Once you have completed the exit ticket, you may begin
working on reading outline #19.