Major view
D major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = C# (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = G (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Eagles - Hotel California - Chord
Key D major – B minor Chords F#7, G, D, Bm, Em, A, E, F# Easy key G (capo 7)
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Key: D | Bm
Capo: 0
Bm F#7 A E G D Em F#7
Bm F#7
On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair
A E
Warm smell of colitas rising up through the air
G D
Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light
Em
My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
F#7
I had to stop for the night
Bm F#7
There she stood in the doorway, I heard the mission bell
A E
And I was thinking to myself, this could be heaven or this could be hell
G D
Then she lit up a candle, and she showed me the way
Em
There were voices down the corridor,
F#7
I thought I heard them say
G D
Welcome to the Hotel California
F#7 Bm
Such a lovely place, (such a lovely place), such a lovely face
G D
There's plenty of room at the Hotel California
Em F#7
Any time of year, (any time of year) you can find it here
Bm F#7
Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes bends
A E
She got a lot of pretty pretty boys she calls friends
G D
How they danced in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat
Em F#7
Some dance to remember, some dance to forget
Bm F#7
So I called up the captain, please bring me my wine (he said)
A E
We haven't had that spirit here since 1969
G D
And still those voices are calling from far away
Em
Wake you up in the middle of the night
F#7
Just to hear them say
G D
Welcome to the Hotel California
F#7 Bm
Such a lovely place, (such a lovely place), such a lovely face
G D
They're livin' it up at the Hotel California
Em F#
What a nice surprise, (what a nice surprise) Bring your alibis
Bm F#7
Mirrors on the ceiling, the pink champagne on ice (and she said)
A E
We are all just prisoners here, of our own device
G D
And in the master's chambers, they gathered for the feast
Em
They stab it with their steely knives but they
F#7
just can't kill the beast
Bm F#7
Last thing I remember, I was running for the door
A E
I had to find the passage back to the place I was before
G D
"Relax" said the night man, we are programmed to receive
Em
You can check out any time you like
F#7
But you can never leave
End of song Play again?
Eagles - Hotel California Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Eagles – Hotel California: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Bm and ends on F#7. Its chords belong to both D major and Bm, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
B minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = G (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = A (natural-minor colour)
- #7 = A# (harmonic-minor leading tone from the V chord)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the B minor side because it opens on Bm, D is heard 11 times against 9 for Bm and the major V chord points straight at Bm. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from D major, and switching between the two views is exactly where the practice value lies.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to D or to Bm; comparing both readings is a practice of its own.
Every chord of the key, listed 1 to 7 separately for each key. Chords played in the song show how often they appear; chords from outside the scale sit next to their own degree.
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | D | Tonic — home | D · F# · A | 11× |
| ii | Em | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | E · G · B | 9× |
| V/V | E | Secondary dominant V/V — leads to Asecondary dominant | E · G# · B | 7× |
| iii | F#m | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | F# · A · C# | — |
| V7/vi | F#7 | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Bmsecondary dominant | F# · A# · C# · E | 17× |
| V/vi | F# | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Bmsecondary dominant | F# · A# · C# | 1× |
| IV | G | Subdominant — moves away from home | G · B · D | 11× |
| V | A | Dominant — strongest pull home | A · C# · E | 7× |
| vi | Bm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | B · D · F# | 9× |
| vii° | C#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | C# · E · G | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Bm | Tonic — home | B · D · F# | 9× |
| ii° | C#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | C# · E · G | — |
| III | D | Relative major — the bright side | D · F# · A | 11× |
| iv | Em | Subdominant — moves away from home | E · G · B | 9× |
| IV | E | Major IV — Dorian / melodic-minor colourmodal colour | E · G# · B | 7× |
| v | F#m | Minor dominant — soft pull | F# · A · C# | — |
| V7 | F#7 | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | F# · A# · C# · E | 17× |
| V | F# | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | F# · A# · C# | 1× |
| VI | G | Submediant — warm colour | G · B · D | 11× |
| VII | A | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | A · C# · E | 7× |
Analysis
The key pair is D major and its relative B minor (2 sharps). 8 different chords appear 72 times in total; 5 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. The major V of Bm brings the harmonic-minor leading tone, giving the minor side a sharper, more dramatic pull; seen from D, the same F#7 / F# is V7/vi, a secondary dominant heading for Bm. E acts as a secondary dominant, briefly pointing at another chord of the key.
Chord movement
- G D DIV → Iplagal cadence BmVI → III ×11
- Em F#7 Dii → V7/vi Bmiv → V7iv → V ×8
- F#7 Bm DV7/vi → visecondary resolution BmV7 → iharmonic-minor cadence ×7
- F# Bm DV/vi → vi BmV → iharmonic-minor cadence ×1
- Em F# Dii → V/vi Bmiv → Viv → V ×1
The move to watch is G → D, heard 11 times. From the Bm side it is VI → III; from the D side it reads IV → I (plagal cadence: the soft 'amen' ending). Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- D major pentatonic and B minor pentatonic are the same five notes (D – E – F# – A – B): start from D for a brighter phrase, from B for a bluesier one.
- Over F#7, land on F#, A#, C# — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over G, land on G, B, D — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over D, land on D, F#, A — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- When F#7 comes, swap the scale's A for A#: that single note is the harmonic-minor sound of the chord.
The song on the circle of fifths
- Played in the song — chord of the key
- Played — the minor's harmonic V or a secondary dominant
- Played — borrowed or outside chord
- Home region: IV–I–V and ii–vi–iii
Empty slices are chords the song doesn't use.
Capo and easier keys
With D major shapes
- No capo — open D shapes
- Capo 2 + C shapes
- Capo 5 + A shapes
With B minor shapes
- Capo 2 + Am shapes
- Capo 7 + Em shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 5 semitones up · capo 7 keeps the original pitch
- 2 semitones down · capo 2 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
The opening Bm lays a solid floor for everything that follows. The backbone is F#7, G, D, Bm — V7/vi–IV–I–vi from the D side, V7–VI–III–i from the Bm side. F#7 is the interesting twist: in D it is a chromatic chord (V7/vi), while in Bm it becomes the dominant (V7) that makes the minor side sound so determined. Keep an ear on G → D (IV → I in D, VI → III in Bm): plagal cadence — the soft 'amen' ending. Ending on F#7, the song seals D as home.
This analysis is generated from the song's chords by akorculuk's harmony engine using consistent rules. When you change key, the degrees stay the same; only the chord names change.
Eagles - Hotel California Chords on Guitar, Ukulele and Piano
Hover over or tap a chord in the lyrics for its shapes, its degree in both keys and a listen button. Here you have every chord of the song side by side.
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