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Editorβs notes
In this lesson, Iβll teach you how to play a fingerstyle version of βHavanaβ by Camila Cabello. This song only uses 3 chords, but has a fantastic Latin sound that is fun to practice on guitar β even if youβve never heard this song before. Iβll show these chords (with tabs), and break down how to practice things step by step.
Capo 3rd fret
Headβs up, to play this song in the style I demonstrate in my video - youβll 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 βββ0ββββ0ββββ2ββββ
B βββ0ββββ1ββββ0ββββ
G βββ0ββββ0ββββ2ββββ
D βββ2ββββ2ββββ1ββββ
A βββ2ββββ3ββββ2ββββ
E βββ0ββββββββββββββ
Em C B7
Lyrics with chords
Capo 3rd fret
INTRO
e ββββββββ0ββxββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
B ββββββββ0ββxββββββββ1βββββββββββ0ββββββββ0ββ1ββ0ββββ
G ββββββββ0ββxββββββββ0βββββββββββ2βββββββββββββββββββ
D ββ2ββββββββββββββ2βββββββββββ1ββββββββββββββββββββββ
A ββββββββββββββ3ββββββββ2ββββββββββββββ2βββββββββββββ
E ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
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
Hereβs 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 youβll play and the general timing. Two counts of Eminor, 2 counts of C, 4 counts of B7.
e ββ0βββββββββββ0βββββββββββ2βββββββββββββββββββββββββ
B ββ0βββββββββββ1βββββββββββ0β-βββββββββββββββββββββββ
G ββ0βββββββββββ0βββββββββββ2β-βββββββββββββββββββββββ
D ββ2βββββββββββ2βββββββββββ1β-βββββββββββββββββββββββ
A ββ2βββββββββββ3βββββββββββ2βββββββββββββββββββββββββ
E ββ0βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
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 ββ0βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
B ββ0βββββββββββ1βββββββββββ0β-βββββββββββββββββββββββ
G ββ0βββββββββββ0βββββββββββ2β-βββββββββββββββββββββββ
D ββ2βββββββββββ2βββββββββββ1β-βββββββββββββββββββββββ
A ββββββββββββββ3βββββββββββ2βββββββββββββββββββββββββ
E ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
Em C B7
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
3. Pushing the B7
Next, weβll want to βpushβ the B7 so that it is played an eighth note before the β1β count that begins the second measure. This is a vital step in creating the Latin sound of the song.
e ββ0βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
B ββ0βββββββββββ1ββββββββ0ββββ-βββββββββββββββββββββββ
G ββ0βββββββββββ0ββββββββ2ββββ-βββββββββββββββββββββββ
D ββ2βββββββββββ2ββββββββ1ββββ-βββββββββββββββββββββββ
A ββββββββββββββ3ββββββββ2ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
E ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
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 ββββββββ0βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
B ββββββββ0βββββββββββ1βββββββββββ0βββββββββββββββββββ
G ββββββββ0βββββββββββ0βββββββββββ2βββββββββββββββββββ
D ββ2ββββββββββββββ2βββββββββββ1ββββββββββββββββββββββ
A ββββββββββββββ3ββββββββ2ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
E ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
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 measureβ¦
e ββββββββ0βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
B ββββββββ0βββββββββββ1βββββββββββ0ββββββββ0ββ1ββ0ββββ
G ββββββββ0βββββββββββ0βββββββββββ2βββββββββββββββββββ
D ββ2ββββββββββββββ2βββββββββββ1ββββββββββββββββββββββ
A ββββββββββββββ3ββββββββ2ββββββββββββββ2βββββββββββββ
E ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
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 β2 +β count. See my video for reference.
e ββββββββ0ββxββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
B ββββββββ0ββxββββββββ1βββββββββββ0ββββββββ0ββ1ββ0ββββ
G ββββββββ0ββxββββββββ0βββββββββββ2βββββββββββββββββββ
D ββ2ββββββββββββββ2βββββββββββ1ββββββββββββββββββββββ
A ββββββββββββββ3ββββββββ2ββββββββββββββ2βββββββββββββ
E ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
Em C B7
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Thatβs it! From here youβre good to go. Feel free to improvise further as you wish. Again, see my video for reference.
Similar lessons Iβve made
Looking for other lessons that involve fingerstyle and a Latin-inspired bass line groove? Hereβs a few others!
Lesson #257: Seniorita by Camilla Cabello & Shawn Mendes
Lesson #250: California Dreaminβ by Jose Feliciano
Good luck!
Let me know if you have questions. I hope this was helpful.
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