The Eagles Hotel California [1977] Hotel California [Licks] Tabbed by Fredrik Smith Sandstrøm f_smith1@hotmail.com Introduction to tab: Whilst learning Hotel California on the guitar, I was desperately trying to find tabs of all the cool licks in the song. After having browsed the internet for days, with little success, I just thought I’d find them out myself. And that was in fact quite easy. I might not have it all 100 % correct, but it sounds good. Good enough for me at least. An important fact that might be worth knowing before you throw yourself into this tab; you need 24 frets. If you don’t have 24 frets... Go buy yourself a proper guitar! Please notify me if you find anything you can’t really get to sound right; its probably me who haven’t checked the tab thoroughly Legend: X - muted h - hammer-on p - pull-off b - bend r - release / - slide up \ - slide down >----------------------------------------------------------------< Some licks are repeated throughout the song, and those are the one right before the chorus, and the one separating the two parts of the chorus. These are implemented in every chorus, and I wont list them later in this tab. They look like this: STANDARD CHORUS LICKS PRE CHORUS MIDDLE |-----------| |---------------------| |-----------| |---------------------| |-----------| |---------------------| |-----------| |---------0---2--4--5-| |---1-2-4-5-| |-2---4---------------| |-2---------| |---------------------| >----------------------------------------------------------------< Here are the parts from the verses. They’re all quite easy, if you just listen to the song for the timing. 2nd VERSE |GUITAR 1 |-------------------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------------------| |-7-------6-------6-------4-------6-------2-------------------| |-----------------------------------------------4--5-----9--8-| |-------------------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------------------| |GUITAR 2 |-------------------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------------------| |-9-------8-------7-------6-------5-------4-------------------| |-----------------------------------------------5--7-----10-9-| |-------------------------------------------------------------| 3rd VERSE |GUITAR 1 |--------------------|---------------|---------------------|-----------------| |-------5-5b6r5------|---------------|-5-5b6r5-------------|-----------------| |-7-------------6----|-6-------4-----|---------4-------2---|-----------------| |--------------------|---------------|---------------------|-4--5-----8b9r8--| |--------------------|---------------|---------------------|-----------------| |--------------------|---------------|---------------------|-----------------| |GUITAR 2 |--------------------|---------------|---------------------|-----------------| |--------------------|---------------|---------------------|-----------------| |-------6-6b7r6------|---------------|-6-6b7r6-------------|-----------------| |-9-------------8----|-7-------6-----|---------5-------4---|-----------------| |--------------------|---------------|---------------------|-5--7-----9b10r9-| |--------------------|---------------|---------------------|-----------------| |GUITAR 1 |---------| |---------| |---------| |-8-9-11--| |---------| |---------| |GUITAR 2 |---------| |---------| |---------| |---------| |-9-10-12-| |---------| 4th VERSE |GUITAR 1 |-------10-14p12-14-----------9-14p12-14-----|-------9-12p10-12-----------7-12p10-12-| |--------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| |-7---------------------6--------------------|-6--------------------4----------------| |--------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| |--------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| |--------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| |GUITAR 2 |--------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| |--------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| |--------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| |-9---------------------8--------------------|-7--------------------6----------------| |--------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| |--------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| |GUITAR 1 |-------7-10p9-10----------7-10p9-10--------|-------3-7p5-7--------7h9p7p5h7--------| |-------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| |-4-------------------6---------------------|---------------------------------------| |----------------------------------------4--|-5-------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| |GUITAR 2 |-------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| |-9-------------------8---------------------|---------------------------------------| |----------------------------------------5--|-7--------------------10--9------------| |-------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| 6th VERSE |GUITAR 1 |-------10-14p12-14-------------9-14p12-14-----|-------9-12p10-12-----------7-12p10-12-| |------------------5-b6r5----------------------|---------------------------------------| |-7-----------------------6--------------------|-6--------------------4----------------| |----------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| |----------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| |----------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| |GUITAR 2 |----------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| |----------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| |----------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| |-9-----------------------8--------------------|-7--------------------6----------------| |----------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| |----------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| |GUITAR 1 |-------7-10p9-10----------7-10p9-10--------|-------3-7p5-7--------7h9p7p5h7--------| |-------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| |-4-------------------6---------------------|---------------------------------------| |----------------------------------------4--|-5-------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| |GUITAR 2 |-------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| |-9-------------------8---------------------|---------------------------------------| |----------------------------------------5--|-7--------------------10--9------------| |-------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| >----------------------------------------------------------------< And last, we have the licks from the choruses. These are the coolest parts of the entire song in my opinion! 1st CHORUS LICK 1 LICK 2 |----------------------| |-------------------------| |-10-10-12-10-14-12-10-| |-12----12----------X-8p7-| |-11-11-12-11-14-12-11-| |-14b16-14b16-14---7------| |----------------------| |----------------\7-------| |----------------------| |-------------------------| |----------------------| |-------------------------| 2nd CHORUS LICK 3 LICK 4 |----------------------22-21-| |-------22-22-22----------24b26-24-| |-/15*15---------------------| |-22b24----------24r22-19----------| |-------9b10r9---11-14-------| |----------------------------------| |-------------12-------------| |----------------------------------| |----------------------------| |----------------------------------| |----------------------------| |----------------------------------| *Slide up to, with just partial pressure on the string, and release when you get to 15. I usually start the slide around 9.