HOTEL CALIFORNIA Music by Don Felder & Joe Walsh Words by Don Henley & Glenn Frey Eagles Hell Freezes Over 1994 Everyone and his brother has asked for this, so I'm putting it up. A guy named John Senckowski was going to send me the tab, but I figured it out before he got to it. Thanks anyway, John. Here I have the intro, and the solos. The rest of the song is just basically the electric version, toned down a little, and with different riffs in the chorus. Good luck!
There are three guitars going here: FREY 12-string acoustic, capo 2nd fret WALSH 6-string acoustic, nylon string FELDER 6-string acoustic, nylon string This is the intro. Frey plays the top chords shown in parentheses, while Walsh plays the bottom chords. Felder plays the intro riff you hear. (Am) (G) Bm A e:-----------------------------------------|---------------------------------| B:--------------------3--5--7--7h8p7--5/7--|---------------------------------| G:-----4--4h5p3h4--5-----------------------|--------7-6----------------------| D:-----------------------------------------|----7-9---------7h9-7------------| A:-----------------------------------------|--------------9--------9\7--5/7--| E:-----------------------------------------|---------------------------------| (Dsus2) Em grad. acceleration (keeps repeating) e:-----------0-------0-------0-------0-----7p0-----10p0-----7p0-----10p0-----7p0-----10p0-| B:---------0-------0-------0-------0-----8-------8--------8-------8--------8-------8------| G:-------0-------2-------4-------7-----9-------9--------9-------9--------9-------9--------| D:-----2-------4-------5-------9----------------------------------------------------------| A:----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| E:----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| (E7) e:-----7p0-----10p0-----7-6-7-9-10-9-10-12/14-14~~~~~-| B:---8-------8--------8-------------------------------| G:-9-------9--------9---------------------------------| D:----------------------------------------------------| A:----------------------------------------------------| E:----------------------------------------------------|
Here's where the percussion comes in. Everyone keeps playing the same things. (Asus2) Bm + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + e:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| B:---------7h8p7---|-7-7-------7-----|-----------------|-----------------| G:---------------9-|-------9-------7-|---9---7---------|-----------------| D:-------9---------|-----------------|---------9p7-7/9~|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-| A:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| E:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| (G) A + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + e:-----------------|-----------------|------------------|-7-----9-10-9-10-| B:-----------------|-----------------|-------8---7-8/10-|-----------------| G:-----------7-6---|-6---6-----.-----|-6-7-9------------|-----------------| D:-------7-9-----9-|-------7---9-----|------------------|-----------------| A:-----------------|-----------------|------------------|-----------------| E:-----------------|-----------------|------------------|-----------------| (Dsus2) Em + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + e:-12\\----------0-|-------0-------0-|-------0-7h0---10-|---12---10---7\\----| B:--------------0--|------0-------0--|-----0-------0----|--------------------| G:-------------0---|-----2-------4---|---9--------------|--------------------| D:---------2-------|-4-------5-------|-7----------------|--------------------| A:-----------------|-----------------|------------------|--------------------| E:-----------------|-----------------|------------------|--------------------| (E) F#7 + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + e:---------9--9h10p9\7--7h9p7\6-----|------------------|-----------------|-----------------| B:----------------------------------|-8--7--7--7--8--7-|---7-------------|-----------------| G:----------------------------------|------------------|-9-----7---6-----|-----------------| D:----------------------------------|------------------|-------------9-8~|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-| A:----------------------------------|------------------|-----------------|-----------------| E:----------------------------------|------------------|-----------------|-----------------|
More things start happening here. Frey's 12-string starts messing with picking patterns based around these chords: Am E7 G D9 F C Dm E7 Felder plays something similar the intro 12-string part with his 6-string, it's found on my Hotel California page. He doesn't use a capo though. Walsh plays this little thing after the first round of Felder's part: + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + e:-----------------|-------------------------------|-----------------|------------------| B:-----------------|-------------------------------|-----------------|------------------| G:-----------------|-------------------------------|-----------------|------------------| D:-----------------|-------------------------------|-----------------|------------------| A:-5~~~~~~-7---9---|-7-----------5h7p5\4~~~~~~~~~~-|-4~~~~~~-5---7---|-\2~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-| E:-----------------|-------------------------------|-----------------|------------------| + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + e:-----------------|------------------|-----------------|---------------------| B:-----------------|------------------|-----------------|---------------------| G:-----------------|--2---------------|-----------------|---------------------| D:-----------------|--0-------2/4-0---|-2-------4---5---|-4h5p4\2-4-----------| A:-2~~~~~~-4---5---|-\0---------------|-----------------|---------------------| E:-----------------|------------------|-----------------|---------------------|
Here's where the vocals come in. The lyrics can be found here. Felder and Frey keep doin' what they're doin', and Walsh sits around and acts bored for the first verse. During the second verse (There she stood...), Walsh plays the foreground acoustic part. It is very similar to what's found in the electric version here, except Walsh slides the chords instead of bending them.
Once we get to the chorus, Frey plays these chords: F C D7 Am F C Dm E Felder plays this: G D F# "Fill 2" D Em F# Walsh plays Fill 1, 2, and 3. If you listen, they are easy to hear: Fill 1 California Such a lovely place, such a + + + + + + + + e:--|-----------------|---.---.----------| B:--|-----7-7---7---7-|-7/9---7---7------| G:--|-----7-7---9---7-|-9/11--9---7------| D:--|-----------------|------------------| A:--|-----------------|------------------| E:--|-----------------|------------------|
Fill 2 lovely face. Plenty of room at the WALSH: + + + + + + + + + + + + e:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| B:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| G:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| D:-----------------|---------2---4---|-5~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-| A:-2-------4-------|-5---------------|-----------------| E:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| FELDER: e:---------0-------|-2-------3---5---|-7---------------| B:-3-------2-------|-3-------5---7---|-8---------------| G:-4---------------|-----------------|-----------------| D:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| A:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| E:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
Fill 3 Hotel California + + + + + + + + e:-------9--9--9\\7-----7--|-7\5---5-5-------| B:-------10-10-10\8-----8--|-8\7---7-7-------| G:-------------------------|-----------------| D:-------------------------|-----------------| A:-------------------------|-----------------| E:-------------------------|-----------------|
Once we get to the "So I called up..." verse, Walsh again plays the verse slides. When we get to the second chorus, everyone plays the same thing again except for Walsh. Walsh does: Fill 3, 2, and 4 (in that order).
Fill 4 + + + + + + + + e:-----7-7-7\5---5-|-5\------2-------| B:-----8-8-8\7---7-|-7\------3-------| G:-----------------|-----------------| D:-----------------|-----------------| A:-----------------|-----------------| E:-----------------|-----------------|
During the "Mirrors on the ceiling" verse, Frey does the same picking that he did in the intro, and Felder does the 7th-fret stuff again. Walsh is bored until the "Last thing I remember..." verse, where he plays this, and it leads into the solo: Last thing... I was runnin' for the door. I had to find the + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + e:-----------------|-7\6-7-----------|-----------------|-6---6-----------|-----------------| B:-----------------|-7\6-7-----------|-----------------|-7\6-7-----------|-----------------| G:-7---------------|-----------------|-6---------------|-----------------|-6---------------| D:-9---------------|-----------------|-8---------------|-----------------|-7---------------| A:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| E:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| passage back to the place I was before. Relax said the night man + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + e:-5\4-5-----------|-----------------|-4\3-4-----------|-----------------|-3\2-3-----------| B:-5\4-5-----------|-----------------|-5\4-5-----------|-----------------|-3\2-3-----------| G:-----------------|-4-------------4-|-----------------|-4---------------|-----------------| D:-----------------|-6-------------6-|-----------------|-5---------------|-----------------| A:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| E:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| We are programmed to receive You can check out... but you can never + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + e:-----------------|-2\1-2-----------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| B:-----------------|-3\2-3-----------|-----------------|-5\4-5-----------|-----2-----2---2-| G:-2---------------|-----------------|-0---------------|-4---4-----------|-3---3-------3---| D:-4---------------|-----------------|-2---------------|-----------------|-4---4-----------| A:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-4---------------| E:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| leave + + + + e:-----------------| B:-----------------| G:---------------6-| D:-4---4---8--9----| A:-4---4-----------| E:-2---2-----------|
And of course, the long-awaited solo, which comes in right from the measure above. Walsh starts it: Bm F#7 A + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + e:-----------------|-----------------|-7---5---3---2---|------------9-10-|-12-12-12-12------| B:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------| G:-9-------9--9--9-|-9--7--6-9--7--6-|-7---6---4---3---|-----------------|------------------| D:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------| A:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------| E:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
E7 G + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + e:-12-10-9----10-9-------|-----------------|------------------|-----------------| B:---------12------12-10-|-9---------------|------------------|-----------------| G:-----------------------|-------9---------|------------------|-----------------| D:-----------------------|-------------9---|-9h11-------------|---------0-----2-| A:-----------------------|-----------------|------------------|----0--2----4----| E:-----------------------|-----------------|----------------2-|-3---------------|
D Em + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + e:-------------------|-----------------|-----------------|-------0----0-----|---------0-------| B:-------------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------0----0----|----------0------| G:---------0-----2h4-|-2-------4p2-----|-----------------|---------0----0---|-----------0-----| D:-0--4--2----4------|-------------4---|-----------------|----------2----2--|------------2----| A:-------------------|-----------------|-----------------|----------------2-|-----------------| E:-------------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|-----------------|
F#7 WALSH: + + + + + + + + e:-------2---------|-2-----------------| B:--------2--------|-3-----------------| G:---------3-------|-3-----------------| D:----------4------|-------------------| A:-----------------|-------------------| E:-2---------------|-------------------| Bm FELDER: + + + + e:-----------------|-------------------|---------------------| B:-----------------|-------------3-5-6-|-7h8p7p5-7---------5-| G:-----------------|-4h5p4p3h4-5-------|-----------------7---| D:-----------------|-------------------|---------------------| A:-----------------|-------------------|---------------------| E:-----------------|-------------------|---------------------|
F#7 + + + + + + + + + + + + e:---------------------------------|-------0-7--9--7-|-----14----------| B:-7--7h8p7\5--5h8p5\3--3h5p3\2----|----2------------|-11--------------| G:------------------------------4--|-3---------------|-----------------| D:---------------------------------|-----------------|-------------12\-| A:---------------------------------|-----------------|-----------------| E:---------------------------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A E7 + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + e:-----------------|-----------------|--------------------------------|-----0-----------| B:----7--7-7-------|-----------------|--------------------------------|-----------------| G:------------9--9-|-9--7--7-6-------|------7---7h9p7\6---6h7p6\4-----|-----------------| D:-----------------|------------9--7-|-6---------------------------7--|-6---------2---4-| A:-----------------|-----------------|--------------------------------|-----------------| E:-----------------|-----------------|--------------------------------|-----------------|
G D + + + + + + + + + + + + e:-----------------------|---------------------3-|-3/5-5-5-5/7-5-3-| B:-----------------------|-----------------3-5---|-5/7-7-7-7/8-7-5-| G:-----------------------|-4---4h6p4-3-4-6-------|-----------------| D:-5h7p5p4-5---------7---|-----------------------|-----------------| A:-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------| E:-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------|
Em + + + + + + + + + + + + e:-5\----------------------|-------3p0---7p0-|---10p7---12p10-----| B:-7\----------------0h2h3-|-5p0-------0-----|-0------0-------12\-| G:-------------0h2h3-------|-----0-----------|--------------------| D:-------0h2h4-------------|-----------------|--------------------| A:-------------------------|-----------------|--------------------| E:-------------------------|-----------------|--------------------|
divisi F#7 Felder=upper + + + + + + + + e:-2---2h3p2-0---2--0----|--------------7-6-7-9-| B:-------------3-------3-|-2h3p2p0-2----3-2-3-5-| G:-----------------------|----------------------| D:-----------------------|----------------------| A:-----------------------|----------------------| E:-----------------------|----------------------|
From here on out, Felder plays the top (e.g. 10p7 7) and Walsh plays the bottom (7p3 4). Thanks to Valentin Bojkov for the ending! Bm F#7 + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + e:-10p7---10p7---10p7-|---10p7---10p7-----|-9p6---9p6---9p6-|-/14--------------| B:--7p3-7--7p3-7--7p3-|-7--7p3-7--7p3-7---|-5p2-7-5p2-7-5p2-|--9/11------------| G:------4------4------|-4------4------4---|-----3-----3-----|------------------| D:--------------------|-------------------|-----------------|------------------| A:--------------------|-------------------|-----------------|------------------| E:--------------------|-------------------|-----------------|------------------|
A E G + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + e:-9p5---9p5---9p5-|---9p5---9p5-----|-7p4---7p4---7p4-|/12--------------|-7p3---7p3---7p3-| B:-5p2-5-5p2-5-5p2-|-5-5p2-5-5p2-5---|-5p0-5-5p0-5-5p0-|-11/13-----------|-3p0-3-3p0-3-3p0-| G:-----2-----2-----|-2-----2-----2---|-----------------|-----------------|-----0-----0-----| D:-----------------|-----------------|-----6-----6-----|-----------------|-----------------| A:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| E:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
D7 Em + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + e:---7p3---7p3-----|-5p2---5p2---5p2-|-/10--------------|-3p0---3p0---3p0-|---3p0---3p0-------| B:-3-3p0-3-3p0-3---|-----3-----3-----|------------------|-----0-----0-----|-0-----0-----0-2/3-| G:-0-----0-----0---|-5p2---5p2---5p2-|--12/14-----------|-4p0---4p0---4p0-|---4p0---4p0---3/4-| D:-----------------|-----4-----4-----|------------------|-----2-----2-----|-2-----2-----2-----| A:-----------------|-----------------|------------------|-----------------|-------------------| E:-----------------|-----------------|------------------|-----------------|-------------------|
Felder F#7 Bm + + + + + + + + + + . + + e:-0-----2-----6---|-9-7/10---7-----0-|-7-7-7-7---------| B:---2-----3-----7-|--------7---5-7---|-7-7-7-7---------| G:-----3-----4-----|------------------|-7-7-7-7---------| D:-----------------|------------------|-9-9-9-9---------| A:-----------------|------------------|-----------------| E:-----------------|------------------|-----------------| Walsh e:-----------------|----------------0-|-------.---------| B:-2-----3p0---5p0-|---7p3----3p2-3---|-3-3-3-3---------| G:---3-------------|------------------|-4-4-4-4---------| D:-----4-----4-----|-4------4---------|-4-4-4-4---------| A:-----------------|------------------|-2-2-2-2---------| E:-----------------|------------------|-----------------|