Hey Friend,
I remembered something yesterday…
Why, you might ask? Hey, that’s just the kinda guy I am!
BTW, I found an interesting Rolling Stone magazine article about the song and album. Read it here. But seriously, if you recall from a couple days ago, I listed out a handful of songs written in the key of B minor, and “Hotel California” was at the top of the list.
This is not a beginner set of tabs. It is a very complex piece with a lot going on, so don’t beat yourself up if you can’t play it the first time through. There’s a Spanish, Classical, Reggae vibe to the rhythm guitar, so it will take some real practice to master it.
A good approach is to break it down in sections. For this one, I went as far as learning it bar by bar, just because the picking pattern has you moving back and forth across the strings.
A couple of things…
This was originally played with a capo on the seventh fret of a twelve-string guitar, so it will sound a little anemic. The exercise files are easier to interpret without the added string for each note, so, you’re welcome!
The MP3 is at normal tempo and there for your reference, but certainly play the tabs at a speed that you can manage to get the chord fingers and the picking pattern down. I typically use a pick to play this, but if you’re comfortable fingerpicking, then by all means, have at it.
If you would like me to slow the tempo down so it’s easier to follow with the MP3, just let me know - I can do that for you.
This one is tough, but well worth the effort. There aren’t many people that can play it well (that includes me, by the way!), but the skills and technique you can pick up by practicing it will serve you in all your playing.
You also start internalizing the complexity of arrangement and gain a real appreciation for the beauty of arpeggios.
I hope you enjoy this as much as I do. Have fun!
Peace~
Dave
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