Guitar lesson for

Havana

by Camila Cabello  •  Lesson #115

Video lesson

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Editor’s notes

In this lesson, I’ll teach you how to play a fingerstyle version of “Havana” by Camila Cabello. This song only uses 3 chords, but has a fantastic Latin sound that is fun to practice on guitar – even if you’ve never heard this song before. I’ll show these chords (with tabs), and break down how to practice things step by step.

Capo 3rd fret

Head’s up, to play this song in the style I demonstrate in my video - you’ll need a capo on the 3rd fret! This lets you use easy chords.

Chords needed

This entire song uses these three chords, in this order, over and over again.

E –––0––––0––––2––––
B –––0––––1––––0––––
G –––0––––0––––2––––
D –––2––––2––––1––––
A –––2––––3––––2––––
E –––0––––––––––––––
     Em   C    B7

Lyrics with chords

Capo 3rd fret

INTRO
    e ––––––––0––x––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
    B ––––––––0––x––––––––1–––––––––––0––––––––0––1––0––––
    G ––––––––0––x––––––––0–––––––––––2–––––––––––––––––––
    D ––2––––––––––––––2–––––––––––1––––––––––––––––––––––
    A ––––––––––––––3––––––––2––––––––––––––2–––––––––––––
    E ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
        Em          C        B7
        1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +  1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +  

CHORUS
      Em           C   B7
    Havana, ooh na-na..... half of my heart is in
      Em           C   B7
    Havana, ooh na-na..... he took me back to
           Em           C   B7
    East Atlanta, na-na-na...... oh, but my heart is in
      Em              C                   B7 (let ring)            (Em)
    Havana... there's something about his manners... Havana, ooh na-na

VERSE
           Em                  C                B7
        He didn't walk up with that "how you doin'?"
           Em                          C         B7
        He said there's a lot of girls I can do with
          Em               C        B7
        I knew him forever in a minute
            Em               C        B7
        And papa says he got malo in him

        Em           C                B7
        Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
                         Em         C                B7
        I knew it when I met him, I loved him when I left him... got me feelin' like
        Em           C                B7
        Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
                          Em          C          B7 (let ring)        
        And then I had to tell him, I had to go..... oh na-na-na-na-na (Woo)

[ Chorus ]

    [ Verse 2: Young Thug rap ]

[ Chorus ]

How to learn the riff step by step

Here’s how to break it down into easy steps, when learning it. See my video for reference!

1. Chords and general timing

First, understand the 3 chords you’ll play and the general timing. Two counts of Eminor, 2 counts of C, 4 counts of B7.

e ––0–––––––––––0–––––––––––2–––––––––––––––––––––––––
B ––0–––––––––––1–––––––––––0–-–––––––––––––––––––––––
G ––0–––––––––––0–––––––––––2–-–––––––––––––––––––––––
D ––2–––––––––––2–––––––––––1–-–––––––––––––––––––––––
A ––2–––––––––––3–––––––––––2–––––––––––––––––––––––––
E ––0–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
    Em          C           B7
    1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +  1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +

2. Simplifying the chord voicings

Then, know that we are only going to play some of the strings for each chord (as shown below). This will let us capture the descending sound of the bassiest (and highest) notes.

e ––0–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
B ––0–––––––––––1–––––––––––0–-–––––––––––––––––––––––
G ––0–––––––––––0–––––––––––2–-–––––––––––––––––––––––
D ––2–––––––––––2–––––––––––1–-–––––––––––––––––––––––
A ––––––––––––––3–––––––––––2–––––––––––––––––––––––––
E ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
    Em          C           B7
    1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +  1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +

3. Pushing the B7

Next, we’ll want to “push” the B7 so that it is played an eighth note before the “1” count that begins the second measure. This is a vital step in creating the Latin sound of the song.

e ––0–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
B ––0–––––––––––1––––––––0––––-–––––––––––––––––––––––
G ––0–––––––––––0––––––––2––––-–––––––––––––––––––––––
D ––2–––––––––––2––––––––1––––-–––––––––––––––––––––––
A ––––––––––––––3––––––––2––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
E ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
    Em          C        B7
    1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +  1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +

4. Breaking up the chords

Now the fun part - breaking the chords into arpeggio-like progressions. See my video for reference here.

e ––––––––0–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
B ––––––––0–––––––––––1–––––––––––0–––––––––––––––––––
G ––––––––0–––––––––––0–––––––––––2–––––––––––––––––––
D ––2––––––––––––––2–––––––––––1––––––––––––––––––––––
A ––––––––––––––3––––––––2––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
E ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
    Em          C        B7
    1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +  1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +

5. Adding B7 flourish

Finally, add these flourish notes in the final few beats of the B7 measure…

e ––––––––0–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
B ––––––––0–––––––––––1–––––––––––0––––––––0––1––0––––
G ––––––––0–––––––––––0–––––––––––2–––––––––––––––––––
D ––2––––––––––––––2–––––––––––1––––––––––––––––––––––
A ––––––––––––––3––––––––2––––––––––––––2–––––––––––––
E ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
    Em          C        B7
    1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +  1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +

6. Silencing the E-minor

And if you want, you can silence the E-minor chord by resting your fingers on it on the “2 +” count. See my video for reference.

e ––––––––0––x––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
B ––––––––0––x––––––––1–––––––––––0––––––––0––1––0––––
G ––––––––0––x––––––––0–––––––––––2–––––––––––––––––––
D ––2––––––––––––––2–––––––––––1––––––––––––––––––––––
A ––––––––––––––3––––––––2––––––––––––––2–––––––––––––
E ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
    Em          C        B7
    1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +  1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +

That’s it! From here you’re good to go. Feel free to improvise further as you wish. Again, see my video for reference.

Similar lessons I’ve made

Looking for other lessons that involve fingerstyle and a Latin-inspired bass line groove? Here’s a few others!

Lesson #257: Seniorita by Camilla Cabello & Shawn Mendes

Video & PDF


Lesson #250: California Dreamin’ by Jose Feliciano

Video & PDF


Good luck!

Let me know if you have questions. I hope this was helpful.

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