Play Guitar The Hawaiian Way (Feb, 1940)
Just what I’ve been looking for. A way to play without any of that tedious practice stuff. And who would have guessed the Oahu School of Music would be located in Cleveland?
HOW TO PLAY THE HAWAIIAN WAY
HAWAIIAN GUITAR- Learn to play this EASY. SHORT CUT WAY, right in your own home. No tedious practicing. No special talent necessary. Have fun. Be popular. Surprise your friends. Get “on the air.” Make money teaching others. Hundreds of our students now successful in orchestras teaching, radio. You can do the same.
FREE ILLUSTRATED BOOKLET
“How to play the Hawaiian way” tells all about this quick,
fascinating method. Write today. OAHU SCHOOL OF MUSIC, 2114 Payne Ave., Cleveland, Ohio





The full story of the Oahu Publishing Company of Cleveland, Ohio, may be found in “The Hawaiian Steel Guitar and Its Great Hawaiian Musicians” edited by Lorene Ruymar and published by Centerstream Press. Oahu sold music lessons and guitars from 1926 on; the company was closed in 1985.
Comment by Brad Bechtel — July 18, 2006 @ 2:19 pm
Der Sir, My mother learned to play the Hawaiian electric guitar back in 1939 by an old Hawaiian named Kilani. She did not know music notes and he taught the Oahu numbers method. Her guitar was named “Old Kraftsman”, and I think it was sold by Sears and Roebucks. She used 2 finger picks and a thumb pick, and a metal bar.
I still member how beautiful she could play. By the way, she played by ear before the lessons.
Anita Knight
Comment by Anita Knight — March 7, 2008 @ 10:22 pm
I am 62 years old. As a teenager. I learned to play Hawaiian guitar using the Oahu publishing company method. I put the guitar aside for over 40 years. I am in the process of re learning what I had let lapse. I am using the Oahu lessons that I kept. I have tham all in good condition and they are once again my learining tools. I have found a teacher who knows the guitar and is helping me with the theory. he was amzed to see that I had kept everything. His first comment to me was that he could help me but I would have to find an instruciton book and music. WHen I advised thaa tI had everything , he was amazed. The Oahu Publishing cOmpnay msuic and instructions are once again teaching me the art I thought I had lost. I am grateful.
Comment by Hazel Bentley — May 26, 2008 @ 4:06 pm
I have inherited my Fathers Hawaiian guitar. It is an electric double head with legs. It has Oahu, tolano console on it. Its body is a white pearl. I know my Father owned this around 1960 or 1961, and he bought it used. I haven’t been able to locate any information on this guitar. I have a lot of music, and lessons from the U.S. School of music copyright 1955. Please let me know any information you have, or where I can find it. Also, I was taught to play by my Father years ago, and would love to play again, but I am getting a light shock off the strings. My husband is not? The amp is a Valco tube, that is probably as old as the guitar. Do I need to replace the amp?
Any help you can give me is most greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance,
Linda Krolik
Comment by Linda Krolik — July 14, 2008 @ 8:36 pm
I have an old Oahu “Parlor” square neck guitar that needs an Oahu pyramid bridge and an Oahu pair of tuners. Anyone know where I might find these?
Comment by Rod Whitlock — August 20, 2008 @ 2:35 pm
I am 81 years old and recently I started to play my steel guitar from the OAHU guitar course I studied back in the late 40’s I am suprised at how much I remember. It’s a lot of fun, I’m glad I saved the lessons.
Comment by Harold Masten — October 4, 2008 @ 7:11 pm