Today you'll learn Pūpū Hinuhinu, a beloved melody from the Hawaiian islands.
Shark's Cove | Nature is often a source of inspiration for composers.
Pūpū Hinuhinu Musings
Pūpū Hinuhinu is a lullaby written about the cowrie shell, composed in1950 by Nona Beamer. This song is said to have been inspired by the black sand beach of Punaluʻu on Hawaiʻi island.
Listen to the Track
Listen to the track to help absorb the feel of Pūpū Hinuhinu.
Shiny shell
My shiny little shell
Found at the seashore
My shell, shiny shell
Shiny shell
My shiny little shell
We all listen
My shell, shiny shell
Shiny shell
My shiny little shell
To sleep, now to sleep
To sleep, to sleep
Study Tips
Melody
Babies need to be lulled to sleep, not simulated with a pulsing presto. Thus, lullabies feature a gently flowing melody set within a slow tempo. For Pūpū Hinuhinu, use a slow tempo (largo to adagio) and strive for a smooth and connected melody.
Sharp | Raises Pitch
Measure 16 uses a new symbol (), the sharp. The sharp symbol raises a note's pitch by a half step—a shift of one fret higher (shift towards the body of the instrument). In the example below, the second note, C, is normally played on the third fret of the first string. With the sharp placed in front of it, the C-sharp moves a half step higher in pitch—one fret—and thus played on the fourth fret of the first string.
Sharp | The sharp symbol raises the pitch of C by one fret. Thus, C-sharp is played on the forth fret of the first string.
Vamp
Like Betty Lou of ʻ52, Pūpū Hinuhinu begins with a 2-bar introduction or vamp. Count 1-2-3-4 1-2-3 and pluck the quarter note pickup note on beat 4.
First and Second Endings
Up to this point, you've used the double bar repeat sign in almost every song. The bracketed measures at the end of Pūpū Hinuhinu, called first and second endings, are repeat signs that allow for differences in the final measure of the song. Here's how to play them:
First time through the song, play the first ending and repeat back—don't play the second ending—to the repeat sign at measure 3 after the vamp.
Second time through the song, play the second ending, skipping the first ending.
First and Second Endings | Repeat symbols with varied endings.
Play the Melody
Practice the melody until smooth and aligned with the beat. Play along with the audio track to check rhythmic accuracy.
Pūpū Hinuhinu | Peter Kun Frary, ʻukulele. Play along with me!
Once the melody is beneath your fingertips, begin working on the chords.
Chords
The chords for Pūpū Hinuhinu are straightforward and few. However, there are two new chords, F7 and B (B-flat). F7 is fingered similarly to the F chord but adds an additional note on the third fret of the third string. Use your fourth finger, i.e., pinkie, for that note:
New Chords | The F7 and B-flat chords will require some spot practice.
The B-flat chord uses the bar or barré technique you learned earlier in God is so Good. In this case, the bar involves fretting both the first and second strings with the first finger. For a clear sound, keep the bar finger parallel to the fret and press evenly and as closely to the fret as possible.
The main challenge for Pūpū Hinuhinu is maintaining the lullaby tempo without speeding up. I recommend the Flat-Four Strum: strum downwards on every beat with the thumb. The P-i-m-a 2X arpeggio pattern also works well for Pūpū Hinuhinu.
Flat-Four Strum | Strum down 4 times per measure (once on every beat).
•••
Pūpū Hinuhinu Musings
Listen to the Track
Study Tips
Melody
Sharp | Raises Pitch
Vamp
Play the Melody
(B-flat). F7 is fingered similarly to the F chord but adds an additional note on the third fret of the third string. Use your fourth finger, i.e., pinkie, for that note: 
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