When Hilo Hattie Does the
Hilo Hop
(in C6th tuning)
Tabbed by David J. Stewart
This is one of my favorite songs by Jerry Byrd, from his "Pagan Paradise" album. I listened to the song very carefully and tried to tab it out the best I can. I'm sure it's not exactly what Jerry Played, but I did my best. I particularly chose this song to tab out because it shows the importance of TIMING. You'll never excel as a steel guitar player until you get your timing down pat. I'm always working at it.
Here's me playing Hilo Hattie on my AIRLINE lap steel with some BOSS Fender reverb
Here's another recording using my 1953 Rickenbacker (dry, no effects)
They're so so, nothing superb; but at least you get the idea of what the song should sound like. I threw in a few ideas of my own. I hope you enjoy them.
If you can learn to play this song, then you can learn to play just about anything. Some rhythm tracks are provided at various speeds. Start slow and work up your speed. I recorded with THIS TRACK, which has a solo guitar in the middle. The following tabs are for Jerry Byrd's version, which I followed for the first part only. Then I added some of my own stuff. Let's get started!
E__7_8_8_________8_8_______7_8_6_______________7_8_9_10_7_________C________9___________9__________7~________________________7_______A__________8___________9__________7_6_5_5_6_7_______________8~7___G______________5__________________________________________________E_________________________________________________________________C#________________________________________________________________E________~10_8___4_5___________3________5_6_7_8~7_8~7_____________C______7_____________________4___5~4~5________________9________~9_A__6_7_____________________3____________________________8_9~8_9___G____________________5_4_3________________________________________E_________________________________________________________________C#________________________________________________________________E__7_8_6_____________7_8_9_10___________________10_8__4_5_________C________7_6_5_6_7____________11-10_______________________5_______A__________________________________10_________10__________________G____________________________________10-9_8_9_______________5_4_3_E_________________________________________________________________C#________________________________________________________________E______3________|__________5_4_3_________________________________|C____4___5~4~5__|__Fill____5_4_3_5__4_3________5-4-3-2___0_______|A__3____________|__chords________5__4_3__0-1___5-4-3-2___________|G_______________|__used__________________________________0_______|E_______________|__behind________________0-1___4-3-2-1___0_______|C#______________|__vocals________________0-1_____________________|E__8_8_____________________5_____5_6_7_8___6_____________9_10~____C______9~___________6____6_____6_____________7________________11~_A_______________5_6____6_______________________7_6_5_6_7~_________G________5__5_5___________________________________________________E_________________________________________________________________C#________________________________________________________________E____________10_8___4_5____5_3_____3_______5_6_7_8________________C______________________________5_4___5~4~5________________________A__10~_____10_____________________________________________________G_____10__9____________5_5________________________________________E_________________________________________________________________C#________________________________________________________________E_________________________________________________________________C__Fill_____14-16-19_____16_17_17_17__17_18_18_18__18_19_19_19____A__chords___14-15-19_____16_17_17_17__17_18_18_18__18_19_19_19____G__behind_________________________________________________________E__vibes_________________16_17_17_17__15_16_16_16__14_15_15_15____C#________________________________________________________________E____The last part of the song ___________________________________C____is very close to the beginning.______________________________A_________________________________________________________________G_________________________________________________________________E_________________________________________________________________C#________________________________________________________________E___________~4-5__~5_____________________________________________C__Ending___~4-5__~4_____*17_____________________________________A_________________~3____*17______________________________________G___________~3-4_______*17_______________________________________E________________________________________________________________C#___________*Finger harmonics (bar is on 5th fret)______________E__7_8_9_10__7~____________10_8____4_5___5__3_____3______________C_____________~7_________10_____________5_____5_4___5____________A_______________~8_____10________________________________________G__________________8_9_________________5____________5____________E___________________________________________________5____________C#_____Alternate way to play_____________________________________E________________________________________________________________C________________________________________________________________A________________________________________________________________G________________________________________________________________E________________________________________________________________C#_______________________________________________________________I tried to break the tabs where I felt Jerry Byrd was breaking his phrases in the music.If there is a "trick to playing great steel guitar (and I think there are a few),it is learning to play seamlessly. By that I mean a continual stream of notes. WhenJerry Byrd is playing, you don't hear it, but he is putting together short phrasesof music and it all sounds like one long performance. I learned that years ago from JeffNewman. I like Jerry Byrd's seamless style of playing the steel guitar. So the trick isto take all the different things you have learned and put them together.I am speaking primarily about scales here and playing in and out of the scales. Anyonecan just play a melody, but learn to go back and learn to weave through your chords anda whole new world opens up to you. Here's one example of what I mean, taken from myrecording of the Hukilau Song. You'll hear it right after the clip starts playing.Here's the tabs for what I'm playing that I want you to see and learn.E_________________________________________________________________C_________________________________6__7__8_________________________A_____________________5__6__7__8________8_________________________G_________3__4__5__6____________________8_________________________E___4__5________________________________8_________________________C_________________________________________________________________If you'll learn to look for opportunities in your music to make use of chord runs likethat, it'll greatly enhance your songs. There's a really nice run in this song byJerry Byrd, When Hilo Hattie Does the Hilo Hop. Here's the same tabs that I gave youearlier for it. This is a beautifully thought out work of music by Jerry...E__8_8_____________________5_____5_6_7_8___6_____________9_10~____C______9~___________6____6_____6_____________7________________11~_A_______________5_6____6_______________________7_6_5_6_7~_________G________5__5_5___________________________________________________E_________________________________________________________________C#________________________________________________________________Here's another great run by Jerry Byrd in "Song of the Islands"...E________5__~8____________~6__5__3_____________________3__5__~8___C______5_________12__~12____________2__4___5_______4_5____________A___________~8___12__~12____________2____________5________________G__5_5___________11__~12_______________3___5___5__________________E____________________~12___________________5______________________C#________________________________________________________________The following (continued) is genius and what I wanted you to see and learn...E___8______________5____________________________5~7~12~11~10______C______9__8__7__6_____6__5__4_________________5___________________A______________________________5~4~3_____4~5______________________G_____________________________________4___________________________E_________________________________________________________________C#________________________________________________________________E___9__10__11__12~~10_______________________5_____________________C___9__10__11__12~~10__12~10~9~10___4___5___5__6~7~8~9~12_________A______________________12~10~9~10_______5______6~7~8~9~12___5__4__G___________________________________3___5_________________________E_______________________________________5_________________________C#________________________________________________________________
Here are a few different Band-in-a-Box Rhythm Track versions for
When Hilo Hattie Does the Hilo Hop. They sound pretty nice. You're welcome do use them as you wish, even record your own album. Enjoy!
When Hilo Hattie Does the Hilo Hop | WMA (I think this is the nicest track, nice and slow, and bouncy the way a Hawaiian song like this should be. The next track is just as nice, just slightly faster. It's the key of F (fret 5 on C6th neck), uses a laidback 100 tempo. I used the Pop Bouncy style real drums if you like more of a Nashville sound. It has that "band sound" that I like. Some people prefer tapping on 5 gallon buckets for their percussion, hey, to each their own)
When Hilo Hattie Does the Hilo Hop MP3 |WMA (standard Key of F, 110 tempo, ukulele intro, no solo. I used real BB instruments, Pop Bouncy style drums, 2 ukuleles in place of the piano and guitar, and an acoustic bass.)
When Hilo Hattie Does the Hilo Hop | WMA (same as above, but key of Eb, 110 tempo)
When Hilo Hattie Does the Hilo Hop (same as first, but a faster 120 tempo, key of F)
When Hilo Hattie Does the Hilo Hop (same as first, key of F, slower 100 tempo. I used BossaBrushesSwingPerc BB drums for more of an islandy sound)
When Hilo Hattie Does the Hilo Hop (standard Key of F, 110 tempo, ukulele intro, no solo. Here I used some Monday Blues Drums style from BB that sounds pretty nice.)
When Hilo Hattie Does the Hilo Hop (standard Key of F, 130 tempo for practice)
Here are Band-in-a-Box Song Files That You Can Download and Work With
Same Song, More Information
Here's my humble attempt to play When Hilo Hattie Does the Hilo Hop (MP3). HERE'S THE TABS AND NUMEROUS RHYTHM TRACKS FOR "WHEN HILO HATTIE DOES THE HILO HOP." It's crude for having spent one day on the song. I wouldn't put this on an album, but I made it just for the tabs and this article. I tried to record it the next day again with my 1953 S-6 Bakelite Rickenbacker and here's what I got. I'm using the exact same BB rhythm track I've provided to you above. Here it is again. I used one of BB's real instruments, an electric guitar, for the solo. I like how the Ukelele descends in chord progression for the intro. I tried to follow the original song on Jerry's album as much as possible. Here's the BB file if you have Band-in-a-Box on your computer, so you can mess with it if you'd like. The file won't open without a recent version of BB and the latest styles disks (as of 2010).
I recorded directly into a BOSS BR-600 recording unit, playing the song on my AIRLINE S-6 steel guitar (Sears and Roebuck used to sell them decades ago. I paid $75 for it 15 years ago in the Trading Times). I'm using only a BOSS 63 Reverb pedal for effects. I also used a volume pedal in an attempt to sound a little like Jerry Byrd. Jerry used a volume pedal on his recordings, which you MUST have if you want to recreate some of his beautiful sounds. Just a standard volume pedal is fine. Use of the volume pedal is an art and requires good technique in itself.
Here's the tabs for some other interesting things I play in the song, which I made up. This is a great scale exercise. I learned this simply from messing around with scales. This is so important to learning to be a great musician...
E________________________________________________________________________C________________________________________________________________________A__3_______3____________________6__7_6_7__6__5_4_5__4____________________G______2_3_____5_4_5__6__7_6_7_________________________5_4_5__6__7_6_7___E____3___________________________________________________________________C#_______________________________________________________________________Good luck and take someone to the islands today with your music!
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