Hilo March tab?

[Frank James Pracher]

Does anyone know were I might find Tab for Hilo March? I've tried the usual searches and didn't have much luck, but I'm not the most net savvy person so I may have missed something.

I made a list of songs I want to learn this year and I'm having pretty good luck figuring most of them out by ear, but this one is proving a bit tough for me. (it's by far the fastest)

I usually play in C6th and Open E (both 6 string) but if you have something else (I think I read somewhere it's usually played in A major) that's fine too.

Thanks in advance for any help, and thanks for a great forum!

[David Matzenik]

There are two versions in Stacy Phillips book Hawaiian Steel Guitar Volume One. It comes with a CD too. They are very thorough tabs.

[Mike Neer]

I have this tabbed out. In fact, I had Dick McIntire's actual handwritten tab and converted it to Tabledit file. I'll try to look for it tonight.

By the way, most of the great recordings were in C#min7 tuning.

[Eddie Cunningham]

I've found that the Hilo March lay out and plays easiest for me in the A Major hi bass tuning ?? I thought Dick McIntires record was played in A-maj ?? I have been wrong before !!?? olde geeze - AKA Eddie "C"

[Mike Neer]

Eddie, both Dick McIntire and even Jerry Byrd recorded it in C#min7. It can lay out well in A tuning, but nobody was using that tuning by the time they were playing their electric steels. There may be some older recordings by Frank Ferera in that tuning, and Sol Hoopii recorded an early version in A tuning, but later on redid it in C#m7.

[Eddie Cunningham]

Hi Mike , Are you POSITIVE that Byrd and Dick Mc. did the Hilo March in a min 7th tuning ?? I just played both records and to my musically uneducated ears it still sounds like the A maj. tunings on both !! As you know Byrds min 7th tuning is a different voicing than McIntires. I consider McIntires tuning an E-6th !! I couldn't hear any min 7th or 6ths voicings in either record !! They both sounded like open A maj !!!?? Personally I could only play this song in open A maj !!! I'm really confused !! olde geeze - AKA Eddie "C"

[Mike Neer]

Yes, I am positive, Eddie.

[Frank James Pracher]

Mike, If you have tab for it in C#min7 that would be awesome! That's easy to get to from my open E tuning.

The Dick McIntire version is my favorite.

[Jerome Hawkes]

just listened to the Jerry Byrd version & it and it sounds like he did the entire song on the first 2 strings - i only hear a few uses of the 3rd string. so since the only 2 strings used are E & C#...it wouldn't matter if the 3rd was G# or A. I don't think JB ever cut anything in Amaj tuning.
i played the whole thing on 2 strings E & C# to check - worked out for me.

[Mike Neer]

Jerome, you need the 3rd string, too, in a few spots--the first note of the tune is played on string 3. Dick McIntire's tab was clearly marked for F#9 tuning, which is just a variation of C#m7 (the 2 lowest strings only).

Eddie, of course, like Jerome said, you only need 3 strings, so it really doesn't matter much if it is A tuning or C#m7--it's only a few notes on the 3rd string--it's just that neither of those players used A major tuning.

[Doug Beaumier]

Jerry Byrd's handwritten tablature for Hilo March is in A7 tuning. The song is on Scotty's list of Jerry Byrd Pro Arrangements. "Hilo March - A7".

[Mike Neer]

This version by Jerry is a pretty faithful reproduction of Dick McIntire's version, but Jerry goes off script for one brief moment at 1:12 and plays a lick that pretty much convinces me that his 3rd string was tuned to an A, so I stand corrected, as far as JB is concerned! BTW, why would he make the tab/arrangement in A7 tuning? Does he play something different than what is usually played (which is only the top 3 strings)? I've heard the version below and an acoustic version by JB, but don't recall any deviation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tgB_hLaYjA

On Dick's version, though, it is most definitely C#min7.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4f0WbGA1d2Y

I like Dick's version better. What do you think?

[Doug Beaumier]

I too like Dick's version better. It seems to flow more smoothly, not as harsh on the attack.

[Rick Aiello]

It's a 7 pager ... Here's where he uses the 4th string G

[Mike Neer]

So, basically Jerry raises the 2nd string C in C6/A7 up to C# for A7 tuning. Easy enough!

I see how JB used the 4th string to get the 7th chord and the 6ths. With C#m7, it's simply a forward slant on strings 1 and 3, and if you're lucky, you might even squeeze out the note on string 2 for a triad in tune.

[Eddie Cunningham]

There is a lot of tuning & musical knowledge available on the Forum !! I know that Jerry Byrd admired Dick McIntires playing and in Hilo March really copied Dicks record note for note. As far as tunings , if the A note is the root I would call it an "A" tuning !! Jerry on occasion would tune that C note to C# and play in A7th.I believe he did that and played on the top 3 strings . This is also evident on a Kenny Roberts record with Jerry of "River of Tears" , the A7th chord is very hearable !! I am definitely not a music expert and I go by what I can hear !! I will continue to play my version of Hilo March in A Major !! Thanks for all the comments !! olde geeze - AKA Eddie "C"

[Jack Aldrich]

Once again,I'd like to remind folks that C#min7 is also an E6.

[Jerome Hawkes]

i remember stumbling across the A7 tuning when i was busily tuning back and forth between C6 & A6 - i forgot to tune my G to F# and, I'm sure this has happened to everyone - kicking into something going what the h@$1 is going on?
after i looked at it, i thought thats a pretty cool tuning...C6/A7 is what i mainly play...just changing 1 string gives you a whole different palette. i know it has A7 right there in the name, but i never put 1+1 together...

[Sebastian Müller]

I like the Dick McIntire version better as well, just a bit more funky and powerful, but Jerry is playing the harmonics part better in tune. I like the fact that Dicks guitar is more distorted!Both are great versions, though.

[David Matzenik]

The distortion of Dick McIntire’s amp has interested me ever since I first heard that recording. Considering that the record was made in a period when clean notes were revered, and distortion was thought of as an undesirable accident, I have to ask, “Was the distortion intentional?”

My feeling is that Dick liked it that way. It’s an up tempo number and the way he comes out of the cleaner note section into a kind of overload is quite expressive and youthfully exuberant. If it was Dick’s intention, I think he was way ahead of the curve. The first really successful use of that sound on record that I can remember was “Satisfaction” in 1965, and I remember how new, perhaps even anti-establishment, it sounded then. KR called it “fuzz tone.”

Unfortunately, it has become a musical cliché used in TV advertising and crappy Hollywood action movies, but that does not detract from Dick’s great version of Hilo March, even if Rockers in 1965 didn’t know he existed.

[Doug Beaumier]

Dick's version was recorded in 1939. Jerry's was recorded in 1950. In 1939 most amps were about 10 watts, give or take a few. I think that accounts for the slightly overdriven tone we hear in Dick's sound. That's the normal sound for a low power amp of that era. Microphone placement and room sound might have something to do with it too. I don't know what amp Jerry recorded with, but by 1950 many amps were about 15 to 20 watts. More power means a cleaner tone at moderate volume. I've had several 5 watt Oahu amps, Dickersons, and other old amps, and some of them would 'break up' very early, even after my local tube amp tech serviced them. It's part of the 'charm'.

[Sebastian Müller]

I love that slightly distorted tone, in my opinion it is almost impossible to get it from pedals, always a little bit too much. I love sweet hawaiian harmonies with a rough tube amp, gives it a certain edge.

[Ray Montee (RIP)]

Jerry affirmed for me that his earliest recordings were made with his Volu-Tone amp and six string Ric.

All the years I'd admired Jerry's SOUND, after having tried just about every affects box on the market........it wasn't until I went amp searching once again.

The little music shop in a poor part of town where my friend Michael Misetich of Dallas had found my very first Ric was one of my first stops. I checked out several Fenders and a wide assortment of other lesser know brands. Finally the teenage clerk suggested I look at this little old "practice amp" that he had off to the side. It happened to be an older Harmony amp with 8-inch speaker and tubes. I was surprised to hear for the first time in my life, that "OVER-DRIVEN" sound you've been discussing here. That was JERRY BYRD's sound! Finally!

It's my opinion that McIntire's sound was just the state of the art of that day, rather than an intentional effort. Jerry's earlier playing revealed somewhat that same OVER-DRIVEN sound.

I could be wrong but............

[George Rout]

I have it in a Bronson folio of marches. It's in A Major LOW Bass tuning, but in the 4 pages of TAB, none of the notes are below the 3rd string, mostly on the first.

Give me a bit and I'll post the 4 pages in this thread.

Slideguy George!













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[George Rout]

I've posted the A Major LOW Bass TAB for Hilo March in the TABlature section.

Geo