Chords
Hotel California chords
Eagles
Synced to the beat · guitar chord diagrams and the song's strumming pattern- Key
- Bm
- Tempo
- 74 BPM
- Time
- 4/4
- Level
- Advanced
- Length
- 6:31
Chords used in Hotel California
Chord diagrams
Every chord in Hotel California, as it is fingered on guitar. Use the arrows on a chord to see other ways to play it.
Chord chart
The whole of Hotel California, bar by bar and beat by beat. A chord is written on the beat where it starts and carries on until the next one.
Intro
Part A
Part B
Part B
Part B
Part B
Part C
Part C
Part C
Strumming patterns
PATTERN 1 · PART B · D U D U – U – U D – D – D – – –
Played in the Part B, at the song's slow, relaxed 74 BPM groove.
PATTERN 2 · PART C · D U D U – – – U – U D U – – – –
Played in the Part C, at the song's slow, relaxed 74 BPM groove.
How to play it
↓ is a down-strum, ↑ an up-strum, and a dim tile is a beat you let ring or skip. Count along: the numbers are the beats, “&” is the half beat between them (and “e” and “a” the quick strokes either side of it).
Just starting out? Play steady down-strums on every beat (1, 2, 3, 4) until the chord changes of Hotel California feel comfortable, then add the other strokes.
Worked out from the recording. Down and up strokes cannot be heard, so the usual picture is shown: the hand keeps moving down and up, so strokes on the beat are down-strums and strokes on the “&” up-strums. Lighter and muted strokes may be missing.
Hotel California Chords
It might be the most recognisable chord progression in rock — eight chords that every guitarist eventually wants to learn. Here's how to play the Eagles' Hotel California: every chord shape, the verse and chorus progressions, the strumming feel, an easier capo 7 version and the story behind the song.
About Hotel California by the Eagles
Hotel California is the title track of the Eagles' fifth studio album, released on December 8, 1976. Issued as a single on February 22, 1977, it reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on May 7, 1977 — the band's fourth chart-topper — and went on to win Record of the Year at the Grammy Awards in 1978.
Over six and a half minutes, the song moves from a slow, hypnotic 12-string intro into Don Henley's cinematic story of a traveller checking into a strange desert hotel, and closes with one of the most celebrated guitar solos ever recorded — a twin-guitar duel between Don Felder and Joe Walsh. Nearly fifty years on, it remains a fixture of classic-rock radio and one of the first "big" songs guitarists set out to learn.
| Song | Hotel California |
|---|---|
| Artist | Eagles |
| Lead vocals | Don Henley |
| Written by | Don Felder (music), Don Henley & Glenn Frey (lyrics) |
| Album | Hotel California (title track) |
| Album released | December 8, 1976 |
| Single released | February 22, 1977 |
| Label | Asylum Records |
| Producer | Bill Szymczyk |
| Guitar solo | Don Felder & Joe Walsh |
| Chart peak | No. 1, Billboard Hot 100 (May 1977) |
| Awards | Grammy – Record of the Year |
| Working title | "Mexican Reggae" |
How Hotel California was written
A 12-string idea
In a rented Malibu beach house, Don Felder stumbles onto the intro progression on a 12-string and records it on a four-track before he can forget it.
"Mexican Reggae"
Felder adds bass, a drum machine and guitar parts, and sends a tape of song sketches to the band. Don Henley singles this one out and nicknames it "Mexican Reggae."
Henley & Frey
Henley comes up with the title and concept; he and Glenn Frey write the lyrics around Felder's music.
Finding the key
The vocal was first tried in E minor and moved through several keys before settling on B minor to suit Henley's voice.
It was also the first Eagles record to feature Joe Walsh, who had joined after Bernie Leadon left in 1975. Walsh's arrival is a big reason the closing solo exists: Felder and Walsh trade phrases before locking into harmonised lines. Henley has said those solos were carefully composed and edited over weeks rather than played off the cuff.
What is Hotel California about?
Despite years of rumours, the band has always said the song isn't about any real hotel, addiction or the occult. Henley has described it as a song about the dark underbelly of the American dream — excess, and the high life in 1970s Los Angeles. Felder has added that it reflects on the pressures of fame and whether all those years of parties were time well spent. The "hotel" is a metaphor: a glamorous place that's easy to check into and much harder to leave.
Chords used in Hotel California
The song uses seven chords. Two of them — Bm and F# — are barre chords, which is why it's rated advanced. The rest are standard open shapes.
Hotel California chord progression
The good news: the whole six-and-a-half-minute song is built from just two progressions. Learn these and you can play everything, including the backing for the solo. Each block is one bar (four beats).
Song map: Intro (verse cycle ×2) → Verse 1 → Verse 2 → Chorus → Verse 3 → Verse 4 → Chorus → Verse 5 → Verse 6 → Guitar solo (verse cycle, repeated) → fade on Bm. Each verse is one full trip through the eight-bar cycle, so the key skill is simply not losing your place.
Strumming pattern & feel
Main pattern · D – D U – U D U
One pattern per bar at a laid-back 74 BPM. The record has a gentle, reggae-tinged sway — that "Mexican Reggae" nickname wasn't an accident — so keep your strumming hand loose and let beats 2 and 4 feel slightly accented. For the intro, many players fingerpick each chord instead of strumming.
Intro: fingerpick it
Pick the bass note on beat 1, then roll through the higher strings. Even a simple pattern captures the 12-string shimmer of the original.
Chorus: dig in
Strum fuller and a touch louder from G–D–F#–Bm, then pull back as the next verse starts.
Why Hotel California sounds so haunting
The song is in B minor, but two chords don't follow the normal rules of that key — and they're exactly what makes it sound mysterious. F# is a major V chord (borrowed from the harmonic minor scale), which creates a strong, almost Spanish pull back to Bm. E is a major IV chord (borrowed from the Dorian mode), adding an unexpected flash of brightness in the middle of a dark progression.
| Chord | Degree in Bm | What it does here |
|---|---|---|
| Bm | i (tonic) | Home; dark and settled |
| F# | V (major) | Strong tension that drags you back to Bm |
| A | VII | Starts the descending step-by-step movement |
| E | IV (major) | The surprise bright chord — the song's "glow" |
| G | VI | Warm and open; opens the chorus |
| D | III (relative major) | Momentary relief before the minor returns |
| Em | iv | Sets up the final F# and the loop back |
Look at the verse in pairs — Bm→F#, A→E, G→D — and each pair is the same "down a fourth" move, with every pair one step lower than the last. That descending pattern is why the progression feels like it's slowly sinking, perfectly matching a story about a place you can't escape.
Easy Hotel California: capo on fret 7
Barre chords are the main obstacle in this song. Put a capo on the 7th fret and play the shapes in the highlighted row instead. It sounds in exactly the same key as the record, but with no full barre chords — and the higher, ringing sound is close to the original 12-string intro.
| Original (no capo) | Bm | F# | A | E | G | D | Em | F# |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capo 7 shapes | Em | B7 | D | A | C | G | Am | B7 |
For the chorus with capo 7, play C – G – B7 – Em – C – G – Am – B7.
Or keep it in standard position with easier shapes
No capo? Use these four-string versions of the two barre chords.
How to learn Hotel California step by step
- Learn the progression in pairs. Practise Bm→F#, then A→E, then G→D, then Em→F#. Four small pieces are much easier than eight chords at once.
- Join the pairs. Play the full verse cycle with one down-strum per beat until you can do it without stopping.
- Learn the chorus. It reuses the same chords — G, D, F#, Bm, Em — so it should click quickly.
- Add the strum at 60 BPM. Use a metronome and build up to the original 74 BPM.
- Play along with the record. Use the synced play-along above — and then stay on the verse cycle for the full two-minute solo. It's the best stamina workout for your barre chords.
Hotel California chords: frequently asked questions
What are the chords to Hotel California?
Bm, F#, A, E, G, D and Em. The verse is Bm–F#–A–E–G–D–Em–F#, and the chorus is G–D–F#–Bm, G–D–Em–F#.
What key is Hotel California in?
B minor, at about 74 BPM in 4/4 time.
What is the capo 7 version of Hotel California?
With a capo on fret 7, play Em–B7–D–A–C–G–Am–B7 for the verse. It sounds exactly the same as the original chords and avoids full barre chords.
Is Hotel California hard to play?
The rhythm part is advanced because of the Bm and F# barres and the long chord cycle. With the capo 7 shapes, intermediate players can manage it. The guitar solo is a much bigger challenge on its own.
Who wrote Hotel California?
Don Felder wrote the music; Don Henley and Glenn Frey wrote the lyrics. Henley sings lead.
Who plays the Hotel California guitar solo?
Don Felder and Joe Walsh, trading phrases before playing the famous harmonised lines together.
Was Hotel California a hit?
Yes — it hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in May 1977 and won the Grammy for Record of the Year.
What was the original title of Hotel California?
While it was still a demo, Don Henley nicknamed it "Mexican Reggae" because of its rhythm.
