Hotel California Tutorial

Hotel California is the classic rock epic by the 1970s supergroup The Eagles. In this Hotel California piano tutorial you will learn the iconic piano accompaniment and some great embellishments too! Such a great song to sing and play! NOT JUST FOR GUITARISTS!!

Lyrics and Chords printable for Hotel California

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Hotel California is the signature song by The Eagles. It was released on their eponymous album in 1977. The music and melody was written by Don Felder with lyrics by Don Henley and Glenn Frey and sung by Henley on lead vocals. This is one of the most beloved singalong song of all time. Don’t be surprised if a few people

In this tutorial, we follow the usual four step protocol for learning to sing and play songs.

Step #1: Learn the chords

Step #2: Learn the bass line and full accompaniment

Step #3: Easier accompaniment strategy

Step #4: Learn the intro/guitar solos

Step #5: Put it all together

Lyrics and Chords to Hotel California

Need to learn chords?

Chord Inversions

I have taken the liberty of notating the chord inversions I used in this tutorial.

Need help with your chord inversions? CHECK OUT THIS TUTORIAL!

Steps #2: Learn the bass line/accompaniment strategy of Hotel California

I took the liberty of creating an abbreviated version of the bass line from the song. You are welcome to learn to play this on piano OR you can hop right down to the easier accompaniment strategy in Step 3!

Here is the bass line with the RH playing the chord inversions we learned before.

VERSE of Hotel California

CHORUS of Hotel California

Step #3: Learn the easier accompaniment for the verse of Hotel California

I realized that the original accompaniment that I came up with might have been too difficult for everyone, so I came up with a simplified accompaniment strategy. Use whichever one makes sense for you!

I call this the “We Will Rock You” accompaniment (a la Queen!) and you can use this strategy for the entire song.

(I outline this strategy in deep detail in my online membership The Versatile Musician.)

Step #4: The introduction and the solos

You are 100% welcome to learn the guitar intro exactly as it was played on the recording. You can do so by ear or you can locate an online version of the sheet music - whichever works best for you.

For the purposes of this video and of you being able to play this song in less time, I opted to show you how to “fake” the intro. All that requires is for you to play the broken triads using a similar rhythm. I promise you that people will hear you play those broken chords using a similar rhythm and they will immediately know what song you are playing!

You can employ the same strategy for the extended guitar solo at the end. Arpeggiate the chords using different rhythms and move around the keyboard. A lot of fun and a great way to practice your chord inversions!

Step #5: Put it all together.

Remember that you can (and should!) customize this to fit your skill level. If the chord inversions are too challenging for you, then play them all root position. If you want to level it up, try altering the groove or adding some solo fills.

Try to avoid getting stuck in the little details! The goal is for you to learn to sing and play more songs - not drown in a pool of perfectionism. Have fun - it’s only music!

Check it out!

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To learn more, check out www.theversatilemusician.com and get ready to become the best musician possible!