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Editorβs notes
This video is a guitar lesson for the classic song βHotel Californiaβ by The Eagles. It includes chords, tabs, and strumming patterns β 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 βββ2ββββ2ββββ0ββββ0ββββ3ββββ2ββββ0ββββ
B βββ3ββββ2ββββ2ββββ0ββββ0ββββ3ββββ0ββββ
G βββ4ββββ3ββββ2ββββ1ββββ0ββββ2ββββ0ββββ
D βββ4ββββ4ββββ2ββββ2ββββ0ββββ0ββββ2ββββ
A βββ2ββββ4ββββ0ββββ2ββββ2βββββββββ2ββββ
E ββββββββ2βββββββββ0ββββ3βββββββββ0ββββ
Bm F# A E G D Em
Bar chord tips
F# variations:
E ββββ2ββββββ2βββββ0ββββββ0ββββ
B ββββ2ββββββ2βββββ2ββββββ2ββββ
G ββββ3ββββββ3βββββ3ββββββ3ββββ
D ββββ4ββββββ2βββββ4ββββββ4ββββ
A ββββ4ββββββ4ββββββββββββ4ββββ
E ββββ2ββββββ2βββββββββββ(2)βββ
F# F#7 F#7 F#7
B variations:
E ββββ2ββββββ2βββββ2βββββββββββ
B ββββ3ββββββ3βββββ3βββββ3βββββ
G ββββ4ββββββ4βββββ4βββββ4βββββ
D ββββ4ββββββ0βββββ4βββββ4βββββ
A ββββ2ββββββββββββββββββ2βββββ
E βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
Bm Bm Bm Bm
A variations:
E ββββ0ββββββ0βββββ
B ββββ2ββββββ0βββββ
G ββββ2ββββββ2βββββ
D ββββ2ββββββ2βββββ
A ββββ0ββββββ0βββββ
E βββββββββββββββββ
A Asus2
Intro riff
E βββ2βββββββββββββββββββββββ0βββ2ββββ
B βββ3βββββββββββββββββββββββ3βββ3ββββ
G βββ4βββββββββββββββββββββββ4βββ4ββββ
D βββ4βββββββββββββββββββββββ4βββ4ββββ
A βββ2βββββββββββββββββββββββ2βββ2ββββ
E ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Bm
E βββ2βββββββββββββββ0ββββββββββββββββ
B βββ2βββββββββββββββ2ββββββββββββββββ
G βββ3βββββββββββββββ3ββββββββββββββββ
D βββ4βββββββββββββββ4ββββββββββββββββ
A βββ4ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
E βββ2ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
F#
E βββ0ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
B βββ0ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
G βββ2βββββββββββββββ2ββββββββββββββββ
D βββ2βββββββββββββββββββββββ2ββββββββ
A βββ0ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
E ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Asus2
E βββ0βββββββββββββββ2ββββββββββββββββ
B βββ0βββββββββββββββ0ββββββββββββββββ
G βββ1βββββββββββββββ1ββββββββββββββββ
D βββ2βββββββββββββββ2ββββββββββββββββ
A βββ2βββββββββββββββ2ββββββββββββββββ
E βββ0βββββββββββββββ0βββββββ0βββ2ββββ
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
E
E βββ3ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
B βββ0ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
G βββ0ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
D βββ0βββββββββββββββββββββββββββ0ββββ
A βββ2βββββββββββββββββββββββ0h2ββββββ
E βββ3βββββββββββββββββββ3ββββββββββββ
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
G
E βββ2ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
B βββ3ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
G βββ2ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
D βββ0βββββββββββββββ4βββββββ0ββββββββ
A ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
E ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
D
E βββ0ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
B βββ0ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
G βββ0ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
D βββ2ββββββββββββββ/4βββββββ2ββββββββ
A βββ2ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
E βββ0ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Em
E βββ2βββββββββββββββ0ββββββββββββββββ
B βββ2βββββββββββββββ2ββββββββββββββββ
G βββ3βββββββββββββββ3ββββββββββββββββ
D βββ4βββββββββββββββ4ββββββββββββββββ
A βββ4ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
E βββ2ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
F#
Chorus walk-up
E βββ2βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ3βββββββ
B βββ3βββββββ2βββββββ3βββββββββββββββ0βββββββ
G βββ4βββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββββββββββ0βββββββ
D βββ4βββββββ2βββββββ0βββββββ2βββ4βββ0βββββββ
A βββ2βββββββ4βββββββββββββββββββββββ2βββββββ
E βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ3βββββββ
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 +
Bm A/C# D
Chorus D-riff
E ββββ3ββββββββ2βββββββ7βββ5βββββ3ββββ2ββββββ
B ββββ0ββββββββ3βββββββ7βββ7βββββ3ββββ3ββββββ
G ββββ0ββββββββ2βββββββ7βββ7βββββ0ββββ2ββββββ
D ββββ0ββββββββ0βββββββ0βββ0ββββββββββ0ββββββ
A ββββ2ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
E ββββ3ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
G ... D
Chorus Em-riff
E ββββ0βββββββββββ0ββββββ0ββββββ0ββββββ0βββββ
B ββββ0βββββββββββ0ββββββ0ββββββ0ββββββ0βββββ
G ββββ0βββββββββββ0ββββββ0ββββββ0ββββββ0βββββ
D ββββ2βββββββ/5ββββββ4ββββββ2ββββββ0ββββββββ
A ββββ2ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
E ββββ0ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
Em
Good luck!
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