[Bass Tabulature]
Hotel California
[WEA]
Music and Lyrics by : Don Felder, Glen Frey & Don Henley
Thanks to the French magazine "Guitar Part" and thanks to my ears,
I wrote this tab which is actually MY version -as I play it-.
Any suggestion is welcome ; write to haddadi@enscpb.u-bordeaux.fr
Fabien HADDADI, November 1995
(I didn't bother myself with the time...Listen to the C.D !) :-)
Symbols : g : ghost
2/5: slide from 2 up 5
\ : slide down to... from nowhere
b : bend
(lr) : let ring
beat=72
INTRO (play 2 times)
G ||----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D 4||----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
A 4||----------------|9---------------|----------------|7---------------|
E ||7---------------|----------------|5---------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------||
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------||
|----------------|5---------------|----------------|----------------||
|3---------------|----------------|0---------------|2---------------||
drum + +
(play two verses)
VERSES
||--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
||------9---------9g9--------g4---|------4---------4---------------|
||----9---------9-----9---------0-|----4---------4--g4-------------|
||7-7-----------------------------|2-2-----------------2-----------|
drum + + + + + + + +
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|------7---------7g7-------------|------2---------2---------------|
|----7---------7-----7------g5-0-|----2---------2--g2-------------|
|5-5-----------------------------|0-0-----------------0-----------|
|--------------------------------|------7---------7---------------|
|------5---------5g5-------------|----7---------7--g7-0-----------|
|----5---------5-----5------g5-0-|5-5------------------------g2-0-|
|3-3-----------------------------|--------------------------------|
>first time <
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|------2---------2g2-------------|------4---------4-------4-------|
|----2---------2-----2------g2-0-|2-2-4---------4-------4---------|
|0-0-----------------------------|--------------------------------|
>second time
|--------------------------------||
|------4---------4---------0-2-4-||
|2-2-4---------4---------4-------||
|--------------------------------||
CHORUS I (two times)
||----------------------------2/--|7---------------7-------7-------|
||5---------------5-------5-------|--7-----------7-------7-----7\--|
||-5------------5-------5---------|----5---------------------------|
||---3----------------------------|--------------------------------|
>first time <
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|4---------------4-------4-------|----------------0-------2---4---|
|--4-----------4-------4-----4\--|2-------4-----------------------|
|----2---------------------------|--------------------------------|
>second time
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------||
|2---------------2-------2-------|----4-----------4-------4-------||
|--2-----------2-------2-----2---|--4-----------4-------4---------||
|----0---------------------------|2-------------------------------||
(play 2 verses)
CHORUS II (two times)
||----------------------------2/--|7---------------7-------7-------|
||5---------------5-------5-------|--7-----------7-------7-----7\--|
||-5------------5-------5---------|----5---------------------------|
||---3----------------------------|--------------------------------|
>first time <
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|4---------------4b2---------2---|----------------0-------2---4---|
|--4---------4-4-----------------|2-------4-----------------------|
|----2---2-----------------------|--------------------------------|
>second time
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------||
|2---------------2-------2-------|4-------------------------------||
|--2-----------2-------2-----2---|--------------------------------||
|----0---------------------------|--------------------------------||
CODA I
||----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
||----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
||----------------|9---------------|----------------|7---------------|
||7---------------|----------------|5---------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|5---------------|----------------|----------------|
|3---------------|----------------|0---------------|2---------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|------9---------9g9--------g4---|------4---------4---------------|
|----9---------9-----9---------0-|----4---------4--g4-------------|
|7-7-----------------------------|2-2-----------------2-------10--|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|------7---------7g7-------------|------2---------2---------------|
|----7---------7-----7------g5-0-|----2---------2--g2-------------|
|5-5-----------------------------|0-0-----------------0-----------|
|--------------------------------|------7---------7---------------|
|------5---------5g5-------------|----7---------7--g7-0-----------|
|----5---------5-----5------g5-0-|5-5------------------------g2-0-|
|3-3-----------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------||
|------2---------2g2-------------|------4---------4-2-4-----------||
|----2---------2-----2------g2-0-|2-2-4---------4-----------------||
|0-0-----------------------------|-----------------------\--------||
CODA II (While guitar solo plays)
(play two times)
||--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
||------9---------9g9--------g4---|------4---------4---------------|
||----9---------9-----9---------0-|----4---------4--g4-------------|
||7-7-----------------------------|2-2-----------------2---10\-----|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|------7---------7g7-------------|------2---------2---------------|
|----7---------7-----7------g5-0-|----2---------2--g2-------------|
|5-5-----------------------------|0-0-----------------0---8\5\----|
|--------------------------------|------7---------7---------------|
|------5---------5g5-------------|----7---------7--g7-0-----------|
|----5---------5-----5------g5-0-|5-5-----------------------------|
|3-3-----------------------------|------------------------5\------|
>first time <
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|------2---------2g2-------------|------4---------4-------4-------|
|----2---------2-----2------g2-0-|2-2-4---------4-------4---------|
|0-0-----------------------------|--------------------------------|
>second time
|--------------------------------||
|------4---------4-------4---2/--||
|2-2-4---------4-------4---------||
|--------------------------------||
||--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
||9-9(lr)---------9---9-----------|------4-------------4---4\------|
||--------------9---9---------9\--|----4-----4-------4--g4---------|
||--------7-----------------------|2-2---------2-------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|------7-------------7---7-------|--------------------------------|
|----7-------------7---7---7\----|------7-----------7-5---7\------|
|5-5-------5---------------------|0-0-7-----------------7-7\------|
|--------------------------------|------7---------7---------------|
|------5---------5g5-------------|----7---------7--g7-0-----------|
|----5---------5-----5------g5-0-|5-5---------------------5\------|
|3-3-----------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|------2---------2g2-------------|------4---------4-------4-------|
|----2---------2-----2------g2-0-|2-2-4---------4-------4---------|
|0-0-----------------------------|----------------------------2/--|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9---9---|
|7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7---7---|--------------------------------|
> > > >
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7---7---|
|5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5---5---|--------------------------------|
> > > >
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5---5---|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5---5---|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
> > > >
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2---2---|4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4---4---|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0---0---|2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2---2---|
> > > >
(play one time then repeat while fading...)
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|------9---------9g9--------g4---|------4---------4---------------|
|----9---------9-----9---------0-|----4---------4--g4-------------|
|7-7-----------------------------|2-2-----------------2---10\-----|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|------7---------7g7-------------|------2---------2---------------|
|----7---------7-----7------g5-0-|----2---------2--g2-------------|
|5-5-----------------------------|0-0-----------------0---8\------|
|--------------------------------|------7---------7---------------|
|------5---------5g5-------------|----7---------7--g7-0-----------|
|----5---------5-----5------g5-0-|5-5-----------------------------|
|3-3-----------------------------|------------------------5\------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------||
|------2---------2g2-------------|------4---------4-------4-------||
|----2---------2-----2------g2-0-|2-2-4---------4-------4---------||
|0-0-----------------------------|--------------------------------||
(FADING...)
E A D G B e
+-----------+
Bm 2 2 4 4 3 2 bar at 2nd or x x 4 4 3 2
Bm7 2 2 4 2 3 2 bar at 2nd or x x 4 2 3 2
F# 2 4 4 3 2 2 bar at 2nd or x 4 4 3 2 2
A 0 0 2 2 2 0
E 0 2 2 1 0 0
G 3 2 0 0 0 3
D x 0 0 2 3 2
Em 0 2 2 0 0 0
+-----------+
Hotel California
[Bm]On a dark desert highway, [F#]cool wind in my hair
[A]Warm smell of colitas, [E]rising through the air
[G]Up ahead in the distance, [D]I saw a shimering light
[Em]My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim, [F#]I had to stop for the night
[Bm]There she stood in the doorway, [F#]I heard the mission bell
[A]And I was thinking to myself: this could be [E]heaven or this could be hell
[G]Then she lit up a candle [D]and she showed me the way
[Em]There were voices down the corridor; [F#]I thought I heard them say:
{start_of_chorus}
"[G]Welcome to the Hotel Califor[D]nia
[F#]Such a lovely place (such a lovely place), such a [Bm]lovely face
[G]Plenty of room at the Hotel Califor[D]nia
Any [Em]time of year (any time of year), you can [F#]find it here"
{end_of_chorus}
[Bm]Her mind is Tiffany twisted, [F#]she got the Mercedes Benz
[A]She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys, [E]that she calls friends
[G]How they dance in the courtyard, [D]sweet summer sweat
[Em]Some dance to remember, [F#]some dance to forget
[Bm]So I called up the captain, "[F#]Please bring me my wine", He said
[A]"We haven't had that spirit here since [E]nineteen sixty-nine"
[G]And still those voices are calling from [D]far away
[Em]Wake you up in the middle of the night, [F#]just to hear them say:
"[G]Welcome to the Hotel Califor[D]nia
[F#]Such a lovely place (such a lovely place), such a [Bm]lovely face
They [G]livin' it up at the Hotel Califor[D]nia
What a [Em]nice surprise (what a nice surprise), bring your [F#]alibis"
[Bm]Mirrors on the ceiling, [F#]the pink champagne on ice, and she said
"[A]We are all just prisoners here, [E]of our own device"
[G]And in the master's chambers, [D]they gathered for the feast
[Em]They stab it with their steely knives but they [F#]just can't kill the beast
[Bm]Last thing I remember, I was [F#]running for the door
[A]I had to find the passage back to the [E]place I was before
"[G]Relax," said the night man, "We are [D]programmed to receive
[Em]You can check out any time you like, but [F#]you can never leave"
{comment: chorus}
- HOTEL "CALIFORNIA" -
Am
On a dark desert highway
Em
Cool wind in my hair -
G
Warm smell of coletus
D
Rising up thru the air
F
Up ahead in the distance
C
I saw a shimmer of light;
Dm
My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim,
Em - E
I had to stop for the night -
And there she stood in the doorway,
I heard the mission bell;
And I was thinking to myself,
"This could be heaven
and this could be hell..."
Then she lit up a candle
And she showed me the way,
There were voices down the corridor,
And I heard'em say -
F C
"Welcome to the Hotel "California",
Dm
Such a lovely place,
Am
Such a lovely face,
Em- E -F C
Plenty of room in the Hotel "California",
Dm
Any time of year
(Any time of year)
E
You can find it here..."
(all the other verses and the chorus part are no different; just follow the
model above.)
Her mind is tiffany-twisted,
She got a Mersedes-Benz;
She got a lot, a lot of pretty boys
That she calls friends
How they dance in the cortyard -
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...
But still those voices are comin' from fa-ar away,
Wake you up in the middle of the night,
Just to hear'em say,
"Welcome to the Hotel "California',
Such a lovely place,
Such a lovely face,
Living it up in the Hotel "California".
What a nice surprise,
When you're out of lies..."
Mirrors on the ceiling,
They drink champaign on ice,
(And she said,)
"We are all just prisoners here
Of our own device;
In the Master's chambers
They gathered for the fiest -
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 tried to get my passage back
To the place I was before,
"Relax," - said the nightman,-
"We are all
programmed to receive,
You can check out any time you like,
But you can never leave!..."
The solo part, which as you know takes three thirds of a song, I don't
know about: I have figured if you're a beginner, forget 'bout the solo part.
Eitherway I did at the time.
HOTEL CALIFORNIA
Below is my transcription of Hotel California's rhythm part played on the 12
string
acoustic. Its an easier one provided it is played with a capo on the 7th
fret.
Capo up 7 frets
e-----------0-----------2-----------0-----------------0-----------0-------\
B---0---0-------------0---2-4-----3-----3---------0-----------1-----------|
G-----0---0---0-2---2-----------2-----2---2-----0---0-------0-----------0-|
D-----------------1-----------0---------------2-----------2-----2---0h2---|
A-------------------------------------------4-----------3-----------------|
E-0-----------------------------------------------------------------------/
e-------3-----------------0-------------2---\
B-----0-----0---------1-------------0-------|
G---0-----0---------0---0-------0-2---2-----|
D-----------------2-------------------------|
A-2-------------0-------------2-------------|
E-------------3-------------0---------------/