Guitar lesson for

Hotel California

by The Eagles • Lesson #31

Video lesson

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Editor’s notes

This video is a guitar lesson for the classic song “Hotel California” by The Eagles. It includes chords, tabs, and strumming patterns – showing how to play this song in standard tuning on an acoustic guitar (with no capo).

Video timestamps:

0:00 Preview & lesson overview
2:34 About this lesson
4:05 How to play the chords
7:03 Verse chord progression
8:23 Strumming patterns
9:44 Chorus chord progression
10:45 Intro: basics
13:24 Intro: adding flourish
17:34 Chorus riffs

Lyrics with chords

Bm                          F#
...On a dark desert highway... cool wind in my hair
A                           E
...Warm smell of colitas...... rising up through the air
G                           D
...Up ahead in the distance... I saw a shimmering light
Em                                         F#
...My head grew heavy & my sight grew dim... I had to stop for the night

Bm                                F#
...There she stood in the doorway... I heard the mission bell
A                                           E
...I was thinking to myself, "This could be heaven or this could be hell"
G                            D
...Then she lit up a candle... and she showed me the way
Em                                     F#
...There were voices down the corridor... I thought I heard them say...

        G                           D
        ...Welcome to the Hotel California
               F#                   Bm      (walk up)
        Such a lovely place, such a lovely face
        G                               D
        Plenty of room at the Hotel California
            Em                    F#
        Any time of year, you can find it here

Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes bends
She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys, that she calls friends
How they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat
Some dance to remember, some dance to forget

So I called up the Captain, "Please bring me my wine"
He said, "we haven't had that spirit here since nineteen sixty-nine"
And still those voices are calling from far away
Wake you up in the middle of the night, just to hear them say

        Welcome to the Hotel California
        Such a lovely place, such a lovely face
        They living it up at the Hotel California
        What a nice surprise, bring your alibis

Mirrors on the ceiling, the pink champagne on ice
And she said, "we are all just prisoners here, of our own device"
And in the master's chambers, they gathered for the feast
They stab it with their steely knives, but they just can't kill the beast

Last thing I remember, I was... running for the door
I had to find the passage back to the place I was before
"Relax" said the night man, "we are programmed to receive.
You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave!"

[ instrumental verse w/ solo, repeat as desired, end ]

Chord Progressions

Intro & verse:

Bm ........ F# ....... A  ....... E  .......
G  ........ D  ....... Em ....... F# .......

Chorus:

G ....... D ....... F# ....... Bm .......
G ....... D ....... Em ....... F# .......

All chords needed

E –––2––––2––––0––––0––––3––––2––––0––––
B –––3––––2––––2––––0––––0––––3––––0––––
G –––4––––3––––2––––1––––0––––2––––0––––
D –––4––––4––––2––––2––––0––––0––––2––––
A –––2––––4––––0––––2––––2–––––––––2––––
E ––––––––2–––––––––0––––3–––––––––0––––
     Bm   F#   A    E    G    D    Em

Bar chord tips

F# variations:

E ––––2––––––2–––––0––––––0––––
B ––––2––––––2–––––2––––––2––––
G ––––3––––––3–––––3––––––3––––
D ––––4––––––2–––––4––––––4––––
A ––––4––––––4––––––––––––4––––
E ––––2––––––2–––––––––––(2)–––
      F#    F#7   F#7    F#7                           

B variations:

E ––––2––––––2–––––2–––––––––––
B ––––3––––––3–––––3–––––3–––––
G ––––4––––––4–––––4–––––4–––––
D ––––4––––––0–––––4–––––4–––––
A ––––2––––––––––––––––––2–––––
E –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
      Bm     Bm    Bm    Bm

A variations:

E ––––0––––––0–––––
B ––––2––––––0–––––
G ––––2––––––2–––––
D ––––2––––––2–––––
A ––––0––––––0–––––
E –––––––––––––––––
      A    Asus2

Intro riff

E –––2–––––––––––––––––––––––0–––2––––
B –––3–––––––––––––––––––––––3–––3––––
G –––4–––––––––––––––––––––––4–––4––––
D –––4–––––––––––––––––––––––4–––4––––
A –––2–––––––––––––––––––––––2–––2––––
E ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
     1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
     Bm

E –––2–––––––––––––––0––––––––––––––––
B –––2–––––––––––––––2––––––––––––––––
G –––3–––––––––––––––3––––––––––––––––
D –––4–––––––––––––––4––––––––––––––––
A –––4––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
E –––2––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
     1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
     F#

E –––0––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
B –––0––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
G –––2–––––––––––––––2––––––––––––––––
D –––2–––––––––––––––––––––––2––––––––
A –––0––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
E ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
     1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
     Asus2

E –––0–––––––––––––––2––––––––––––––––
B –––0–––––––––––––––0––––––––––––––––
G –––1–––––––––––––––1––––––––––––––––
D –––2–––––––––––––––2––––––––––––––––
A –––2–––––––––––––––2––––––––––––––––
E –––0–––––––––––––––0–––––––0–––2––––
     1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
     E

E –––3––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
B –––0––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
G –––0––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
D –––0–––––––––––––––––––––––––––0––––
A –––2–––––––––––––––––––––––0h2––––––
E –––3–––––––––––––––––––3––––––––––––
     1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
     G

E –––2––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
B –––3––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
G –––2––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
D –––0–––––––––––––––4–––––––0––––––––
A ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
E ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
     1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
     D

E –––0––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
B –––0––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
G –––0––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
D –––2––––––––––––––/4–––––––2––––––––
A –––2––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
E –––0––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
     1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
     Em

E –––2–––––––––––––––0––––––––––––––––
B –––2–––––––––––––––2––––––––––––––––
G –––3–––––––––––––––3––––––––––––––––
D –––4–––––––––––––––4––––––––––––––––
A –––4––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
E –––2––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
     1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
     F#

Chorus walk-up

E –––2–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––3–––––––
B –––3–––––––2–––––––3–––––––––––––––0–––––––
G –––4–––––––2–––––––2–––––––––––––––0–––––––
D –––4–––––––2–––––––0–––––––2–––4–––0–––––––
A –––2–––––––4–––––––––––––––––––––––2–––––––
E –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––3–––––––
     1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 +
     Bm     A/C#     D

Chorus D-riff

E ––––3––––––––2–––––––7–––5–––––3––––2––––––
B ––––0––––––––3–––––––7–––7–––––3––––3––––––
G ––––0––––––––2–––––––7–––7–––––0––––2––––––
D ––––0––––––––0–––––––0–––0––––––––––0––––––
A ––––2––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
E ––––3––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
      G   ...  D

Chorus Em-riff

E ––––0–––––––––––0––––––0––––––0––––––0–––––
B ––––0–––––––––––0––––––0––––––0––––––0–––––
G ––––0–––––––––––0––––––0––––––0––––––0–––––
D ––––2–––––––/5––––––4––––––2––––––0––––––––
A ––––2––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
E ––––0––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
      Em

Good luck!

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