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Eagles - Hotel California Chords

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ChordsAm, E7, G, D, F, C, Dm
Strumming↓-↓↓↑

Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.

  • Guitar Am chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-1-0Guitar Am chord diagram
  • Guitar E7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-0-1-0-0Guitar E7 chord diagram
  • Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram
  • Guitar D chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-2Guitar D chord diagram
  • Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram
  • Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
  • Guitar Dm chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-1Guitar Dm chord diagram

[Opening]
[Am] [E7] [G] [D] [F] [C] [Dm] [E7]
[Am]On a dark desert highway [E7]cool wind in my hair
[G]Warm smell of colitas [D]rising up through the air
[F]Up ahead in the distance [C]I saw a shimmering light
[Dm]My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
[E7]I had to stop for the night

[verse 2]
[Am]There she stood in the doorway [E7]I heard the mission bell
[G]And I was thinking to myself this could be [D]heaven or this could be hell
[F]Then she lit up a candle [C]and she showed me the way
[Dm]There were voices down the corridor [E7]I thought I heard them say

[chorus]
[F]Welcome to the Hotel Cali[C]fornia
Such a [Dm]lovely place such a [Am]lovely face
[F]Plenty of room at the Hotel Cali[C]fornia
Any [Dm]time of year you can [E7]find it here

[verse 3]
[Am]Her mind is Tiffany twisted [E7]she got the Mercedes bends
[G]She got a lot of pretty pretty boys [D]that she calls friends
[F]How they dance in the courtyard [C]sweet summer sweat
[Dm]Some dance to remember [E7]some dance to forget
[Am]So I called up the captain [E7]please bring me my wine
He said [G]we haven’t had that spirit here since [D]1969
[F]And still those voices are calling from [C]far away
[Dm]Wake you up in the middle of the night [E7]just to hear them say

[chorus]
[F]Welcome to the Hotel Cali[C]fornia
Such a [Dm]lovely place such a [Am]lovely face
[F]Plenty of room at the Hotel Cali[C]fornia
Any [Dm]time of year you can [E7]find it here

[verse 4]
[Am]Mirrors on the ceiling [E7]the pink champagne on ice
And she said [G]we are all just prisoners here [D]of our own device
[F]And in the master’s chambers [C]they gathered for the feast
[Dm]They stab it with their steely knives but they [E7]just can’t kill the beast
[Am]Last thing I remember I was [E7]running for the door
[G]I had to find the passage back to the [D]place I was before
[F]Relax said the nightman we are [C]programmed to receive
[Dm]You can check out anytime you like [E7]but you can never leave

[Closing]
[F]Welcome to the Hotel Cali[C]fornia
Such a [Dm]lovely place such a [Am]lovely face
They [F]livin’ it up at the Hotel Cali[C]fornia
What a [Dm]nice surprise bring your [E7]alibis [Am]

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SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookDiscover the most-used three-chord combinations in songs and build real command on guitar.
14,015 TRANSITIONS ANALYZED#1 at 23%: Which Transition?Master guitar today with the most repeated high-impact chord transitions.
ArtistEagles
AlbumHotel California
GenresRock, Soft Rock, Classic Rock
Year1977
KeyAm

How to play Hotel California on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Eagles - Hotel California on guitar requires 7 chords and 10 core chord transitions. You can find the full step-by-step guide below. Before you start, tune your instrument. The song uses the ↓-↓↓↑ pattern; practice it muted first, or simplify to downstrokes while you learn the changes.

Hotel California uses these transitions most often: C → Dm (13), F → C (13), and Dm → E7 (10). These transitions may feel a little challenging at first, but with steady practice you can play this song quickly.When you are ready, begin with Am - E7 chord transition.

1. Am → E7 chord transition

Guitar Am chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-1-0Guitar Am chord diagram
Guitar E7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-0-1-0-0Guitar E7 chord diagram

To move from Am to E7;

  1. While playing Am, lift your ring finger from G string fret 2.
  2. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 1.
  3. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to A string fret 2.
Am to E7

2. E7 → G chord transition

Guitar E7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-0-1-0-0Guitar E7 chord diagram
Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram

To move from E7 to G;

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from A string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Place ring finger on E string fret 3.
E7 to G

3. G → D chord transition

Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram
Guitar D chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-2Guitar D chord diagram

To move from G to D;

  1. Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to E string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on B string fret 3.
G to D

4. D → F chord transition

Guitar D chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-2Guitar D chord diagram
Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram

To move from D to F;

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on D string fret 3.
D to F

5. F → C chord transition

To move from F to C;

  1. While playing F, lift your pinky from D string fret 3.
  2. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
  3. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
  4. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.

6. C → Dm chord transition

To move from C to Dm;

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on B string fret 3.

7. Dm → E7 chord transition

To move from Dm to E7;

  1. While playing Dm, lift your ring finger from B string fret 3.
  2. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 1.
  3. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to A string fret 2.

8. E7 → F chord transition

To move from E7 to F;

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from A string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
  3. Place ring finger on A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on D string fret 3.

9. Dm → Am chord transition

To move from Dm to Am;

  1. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 2.

10. Am → F chord transition

To move from Am to F;

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on D string fret 3.

Hotel California chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Hotel California.

  • Hotel California includes 80 chord transitions, 10 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Hotel California contains 3 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Hotel California connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After E7, the most likely next chords across Chordier are A (31%), Am (28%), and A7 (7%).
    • E7 → Am: 28%
    • E7 → F: 6%
    After F, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (40%), G (21%), and Am (11%).
    • F → C: 40%
SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookThe 200 most popular three-chord chains from real songs. See which songs use each chain and expand your repertoire with patterns that actually matter.