Ideal for beginners, as the original is almost impossible to play try this. Place a capo on 2nd fret and away you go.
Intro - slap the body of your guitar twice "Dum dum..." (ha ha)
(Am) On a dark desert highway
(Em) Cool wind in my hair -
(G) Warm smell of colitas
(D) Rising up thru the air
(F) Up ahead in the distance
(C.) I saw a shimmering light;
(Dm) My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim,
(E) I had to stop for the night -
(Am)And there she stood in the doorway,
(Em)I heard the mission bell;
(G)And I was thinking to myself,"This could be (D)heaven OR this could be hellâ€
(F)Then she lit up a candle
(C.)And she showed me the way,
(Dm)There were voices down the corridor,
(E)Thought I heard them say -
(F) "Welcome to the Hotel "Cali(C.)fornia",
(Dm) Such a lovely place, Such a (Am)lovely face,
(E)Plenty of room at the (F)Hotel "Cali(C.)fornia",
Any (Dm)time of year
You can (E)find it here..."
(Am)Her mind is tiffany-twisted,
(Em)She got a Mercedes-Benz;
(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,
(E)Some dance to forget...
(Am)So I called up the Captain,
(Em)"Please, bring me my wine!"(He said) -
(G)"We haven't had that spirit here since
(D)Nineteen sixty-nine...
(F)But still those voices are comin' from (C.) fa-ar away,
(Dm)Wake you up in the middle of the night,
(E)Just to hear'em say,
(F)"Welcome to the Hotel "Cali(C.)fornia',
(Dm)Such a lovely place, Such a (Am)lovely face,
(E)Living it up in the (F)Hotel "Cali(C.)fornia".
What a (Dm) nice surprise,
Bring your(E)alibies.."
(Am)Mirrors on the ceiling,
(Em)Pink champagne on ice,(And she said,)
(G)"We are all just prisoners here
(D)Of our own device;
(F)In the Master's chamber They (C) gathered for the feast -
(Dm)They stab it with their steely knives,
But they (E) just can't kill the beast!"
(Am)Last thing I remember - I was
(Em)running for the door,
(G)I tried to get my passage back to the
(D)place I was before,
(F)"Relax," - said the nightman,- "We are all (C.)programmed to receive,
(Dm)You can check out any time you like,
(E)But you can never leave!..."
And please lets not have a "this isn't the real thing" type discussions, this is as near as you'll get (I hope!) to a version noobies can play, so that's good enough for me!! And remember, as far as I am aware there were at least two capoed guitars on the original, one 12 string capoed at 7, and an acoustic 6 string capoed at 2. I hope some of you enjhoy it anyway.
For extremely obvious reasons i have left all the solo's out!!!!
All the best
Matt
Hey Matt,
This could be great for me (I say could be, because I have'nt tried it yet, I'm just about to leave work for home)
I've been struggling with other versions with Bm's etc and can only get so far. I love this song and can't wait to try this out.
Many thanks
Chris.
The guitar is all right John but you'll never make a living out of it! (John Lennon's Aunt Mimi)
thanks for the comments. Let's hope its ok, much of it is from my (ailing) memory plus odd bits of tab.
AND! I have just remembered how to play a decent enough intro for beginners to. What you do is a full strum of the chord (use verse chords) and then while its ringing you do a very quick pick on the three treble strings, working up from the high e. Fit as many of these picks in until the chord "dies" if you know what i mean (stops ringing) in triplets If possible end on a pick on the high E to imitate the ringing of the original. I have a mate who plays in a band and that's all they do for the intro on this and its quite effective. A bit more detail -
(Am) strum and pick as described
(Em) strum and pick as described
(G) strum and pick as described
(D) ditto
(F) ditto
(C.) ditto
(Dm) ditto
(E) ditto
THEN slap guitar twice on body dum - dum and into the song!
With practice you'll get what i mean!
Matt,
I've tried it and it works for me. Many thanks, this will do until I get more advanced.
Chris
The guitar is all right John but you'll never make a living out of it! (John Lennon's Aunt Mimi)
I have corrected my recent post, please accept my apologies, as I said i was going from memory.......should have known better!!
I have also remembered how to play a decent intro, certainly for beginners it will fit ok. What you do is play the verse chords, Am, E, G, D, F, C, Dm, E. Do one downstroke firmly, then pick the treble strings quickly from the high E upwards to the G string, try and get at least three "sets" of this pick in, endding on the high E string. You should then hear "Strum - da da da, da da da, da da da ting" sort of thing, this is a LOT easier to do than describe! YOu then change chord and repeat. Do this until you finish with you E chord, then slap the guitar body twice "dum dum" and into the song. Don't forget your capo at second fret.
Intro - see notes above....
(Am) On a dark desert highway
(E) Cool wind in my hair -
(G) Warm smell of colitas
(D) Rising up thru the air
(F) Up ahead in the distance
(C.) I saw a shimmering light;
(Dm) My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim,
(E) I had to stop for the night -
(Am)And there she stood in the doorway,
(E)I heard the mission bell;
(G)And I was thinking to myself,"This could be (D)heaven OR this could be hellâ€
(F)Then she lit up a candle
(C.)And she showed me the way,
(Dm)There were voices down the corridor,
(E)Thought I heard them say -
(F) "Welcome to the Hotel "Cali(C.)fornia",
(Dm) Such a lovely place, Such a (Am)lovely face,
(F)Plenty of room at the Hotel "Cali(C.)fornia",
Any (Dm)time of year
You can (E)find it here..."
(Am)Her mind is tiffany-twisted,
(E)She got a Mercedes-Benz;
(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,
(E)Some dance to forget...
(Am)So I called up the Captain,
(E)"Please, bring me my wine!"(He said) -
(G)"We haven't had that spirit here since
(D)Nineteen sixty-nine...
(F)But still those voices are comin' from (C.) fa-ar away,
(Dm)Wake you up in the middle of the night,
(E)Just to hear'em say,
(F)"Welcome to the Hotel "Cali(C.)fornia',
(Dm)Such a lovely place, Such a (Am)lovely face,
(F)Living it up in the Hotel "Cali(C.)fornia".
What a (Dm) nice surprise,
Bring your(E)alibies.."
(Am)Mirrors on the ceiling,
(E)Pink champagne on ice,(And she said,)
(G)"We are all just prisoners here
(D)Of our own device;
(F)In the Master's chamber They (C) gathered for the feast -
(Dm)They stab it with their steely knives,
But they (E) just can't kill the beast!"
(Am)Last thing I remember - I was
(E)running for the door,
(G)I tried to get my passage back to the
(D)place I was before,
(F)"Relax," - said the nightman,- "We are all (C.)programmed to receive,
(Dm)You can check out any time you like,
(E)But you can never leave!..."
Apologies. And try and enjoy it, it does fit trust me (or it does now ha ha!)
Matt:
This is the simplified version, as I have been playing it. I have been playing it without a capo. (and it works well).
I agree that we shouldn't make too much about things being strictly close to the original. I will never be Glenn Frey, and don't really want to be....
Simple is always better, especially for the new beginner, playing solo. We have to have versions which are achievable in their entirety. Gives us a sense of accomplishment and completion...
Thanks for posting this version!
8)
~Ghost~
"Colour made the grass less green..." 3000 miles, Tracy Chapman
Thank you for this - spent last night playing it - really good.
However I have problems with :-
(Dm) Such a lovely place, Such a (Am)lovely face,
The Am sounds wrong to me, I tried Em and it sounded better...
Does anyone know a simple way to play the solo in Calif Hotel?
Jimscafe
I can't comment really, this is exactly as its written in the version i have and no one has ever picked up on that bit not sounding ok.
Perhaps other players could comment on this?
Glad you liked it though, nice to be able to play a classic song with open chords isn't it?!!
All the best
Matt
"the original is almost impossible to play"
You have to be joking..........if you ever want to be able to play barre chords, this is just about the perfect song to start with,,,,,,,,the Bm/F#m changes are not too hard for a beginner, they're a brilliant introduction to barre chords..........and the solo is fairly easy as well - just follow the same chords............
When I sober up tomorrow.........it's 3.30 am over here - i'll have another look at this ............
See you soon,
Vic
Going to sleep now ..........Insomnia is a real bugger..........
:) :) :)
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
I have to agree with Vic. This is the song I used - and always reccomend - to learn barre chords. You get the fifth string minor, the sixth string major and you learn how to move between them and open chords.
Not my favorite song, but a great learning tool. And it was the first song I played where someone else recognized it.
Blame it on the lies that killed us, blame it on the truth that ran us down.
Hee hee hee THanks for that !
I learned the Barre chord version years ago, long since forgotten...completely
I kinda like your "wrong" version better actually. If you jazz up the
chords a little, like with hammers altering the note sequence...
On the F chord, I do a Hendrix trick And use my thumb on the low E
and and hammer the C & A notes on the G & B strings.
I don't have a Capo so ..oh well.. :D
Once again thanks for that
Come to think of it, I don't think the Barre chord version I learned was right either. I couldn't honselty say since I totally forgot how it goes though.
I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but when
you're a 22lb sledge, do you really have to be?
This is a non-capo version of this song, and I made it fit onto one page.
You may have to do a page set-up to change the margins to a ½ inch to get it to fit right.
You need to learn how to barre an A, and an E chord. You will never learn any younger.
Plus this is a good song to learn how to sing, and play the guitar at the same time. The capo good if you can sing that high, but I have a hard time.
Have fun playing- Bull
Hotel California-
(Bm) On a dark desert highway (F#) Cool wind in my hair -
(A) Warm smell of colitas (E) Rising up thru the air
(G) Up ahead in the distance (D) I saw a shimmering light;
(Em) My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim, (F#) I had to stop for the night -
(Bm) And 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 hellâ€
(G) Then she lit up a candle (D) And she showed me the way,
(Em) There were voices down the corridor, (F#) Thought I heard them say -
(G) "Welcome to the Hotel "Cali (D) fornia",
(F#) Such a lovely place, Such a (Bm) lovely face,
(G) Plenty of room at the Hotel "Cali (D) fornia",
Any (Em) time of year You can (F#) find it here..."
(Bm) Her mind is tiffany-twisted, (F#) She got a 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) But still those voices are comin' from (D) fa-ar away,
(Em) Wake you up in the middle of the night, (F#) Just to hear'em say,
(G) "Welcome to the Hotel "Cali (D) fornia',
(F#) Such a lovely place, Such a (Bm) lovely face,
(G) Living it up in the Hotel "Cali (D) fornia".
What a (Em) nice surprise, Bring your (F#) alibies.."
(Bm) Mirrors on the ceiling, (F#) Pink champagne on ice,(And she said,)
(A)"We are all just prisoners here (E) Of our own device;
(G) In the Master's chamber They (D) 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 tried to get my passage back to the (E) place I was before,
(G) "Relax," - said the nightman,- "We are all (D) programmed to receive,
(Em) You can check out any time you like, (F#) But you can never leave!..."
Hi all again.
Vic, I am 100% sure you are right BUT like a lot of other relative newbies on this site, i still can't play a barre chord to save my life. I am pretty good at all the open chords, strumming, muting, string bending, you name it, but i can't get the hang of barre's for the life of me.
As this forum is meant to be an easy song database i posted this version to maybe inspire a few other beginners to have a go at this song, and realise that there is more than one way to skin a cat (or play a song!).
Suppose i am saying it would be a shame if guitar playing came down to "can you play a barre chord?" "yup" - "ok you're in" "no" - "you're out".
Johnny Cash played all of about 4 chords by his own admission. Didn't seem to stop him doing ok.
And before anyone says it, yes I have practiced the damn things until i couldn't practice any longer, bought a low action guitar, you name it. I just can't get it.
All the best
Matt
Think its time for "An idiot's guide to Barre Chords" type lesson, sure a LOT of folk on here would appreciate it. With pictures, excercises, ANYTHING!!! lol
..... :?
Hi Matt & Vic
I tend to agree with Matt's last post about barre chords and beginners (newbies) but I also have some agreement with Vic's point of view on mastering barre chords. I wouldn't say the original is impossible to play either.
I have been learning guitar for 18months now and am still trying to master barre chords but always cock it up on changing, usually deadening the strings. (I didn,t type rooster I used another word for male chicken here in UK, You made me say it!) As I said on a earlier post I love playing this song and have tried to mix open chords and barred chords to complete it with obvious failures. To be able to play a totally open chord version, not totally true to the original, restores confidence. Thanks for that Matt.
I know I'll master barred chords eventually, but for now I want to feel good about my progress.
Regards
Chris
The guitar is all right John but you'll never make a living out of it! (John Lennon's Aunt Mimi)
