About this recording
Hotel California · 1976 · Original album studio recording
Playing level: advanced · Theory level: beginner
Follow one guitar part at a time. Start with B minor pentatonic, then use the chord notes to explain why a phrase lands where it does.
The scales at a glance
Compare the notes
Learn these shapes, then see how they help explain each solo below. Some are extra ideas for your own practice.
| Scale | Notes | Intervals | Use in this study |
|---|---|---|---|
| B Minor Pentatonic | B · D · E · F♯ · A | 1 · ♭3 · 4 · 5 · ♭7 | Listening guide |
| B Natural Minor | B · C♯ · D · E · F♯ · G · A | 1 · 2 · ♭3 · 4 · 5 · ♭6 · ♭7 | Listening guide |
| B Harmonic Minor | B · C♯ · D · E · F♯ · G · A♯ | 1 · 2 · ♭3 · 4 · 5 · ♭6 · 7 | Practice idea |
Solo breakdown
First lead part
Guitar: Don Felder
Where is this solo?
The first lead part in the closing guitar exchanges after the last vocal. The next guitarist’s answers are a separate part.
B Minor Pentatonic
Listening guide
B minor pentatonic is a simple first map for the closing lead exchanges.
B · D · E · F♯ · A
◎ Outlined dots = B, the home note.
Standard tuning (teaching setup) · frets 7–10 · high string 1 at top · toward nut →
These dots show where the scale notes are. They do not show the order of the solo.
Read the note positions
- String 1, fret 7: B, interval 1, root
- String 1, fret 10: D, interval ♭3
- String 2, fret 7: F♯, interval 5
- String 2, fret 10: A, interval ♭7
- String 3, fret 7: D, interval ♭3
- String 3, fret 9: E, interval 4
- String 4, fret 7: A, interval ♭7
- String 4, fret 9: B, interval 1, root
- String 5, fret 7: E, interval 4
- String 5, fret 9: F♯, interval 5
- String 6, fret 7: B, interval 1, root
- String 6, fret 10: D, interval ♭3
More about these scales
B Minor Pentatonic Listening guide
B minor pentatonic is a simple first map for the closing lead exchanges.
B · D · E · F♯ · A
B Natural Minor Listening guide
B natural minor adds C♯ and G. Compare those notes when a phrase moves between chord tones.
B · C♯ · D · E · F♯ · G · A
B Harmonic Minor Practice idea
B harmonic minor replaces A with A♯. Compare that note over F♯7 as a chord-following exercise; do not apply it to every phrase.
B · C♯ · D · E · F♯ · G · A♯
How the chords shape the solo
Chords and note choices
Listen for the landing note
Listening idea Don Felder and Joe Walsh share the closing feature. The joined ending is two parts, so one dot map cannot show both lines in order. Learn one part before comparing the harmony. A chord tone is a note in the chord underneath the lead.
B Minor arpeggio
B · D · F♯ · 1 · ♭3 · 5
Play these chord notes separately and listen for a clear ending. This is a chord-note reference, not the order of a recorded passage.
Practice idea Compare the notes of B minor as an original chord-tone exercise.
F♯ Dominant seventh arpeggio
F♯ · A♯ · C♯ · E · 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7
Play these chord notes separately and listen for a clear ending. This is a chord-note reference, not the order of a recorded passage.
Practice idea Compare the notes of F# dominant7 as an original chord-tone exercise.
Technique tips
Technique and phrasing
- bending: A bend raises a note by pushing the string across the fretboard. Play the target note first, then bend a lower note until it matches. Practice suggestion
Practice ideas
Try the ideas yourself
Original practice suggestions; these are not the recorded solo.
Try this slowly
Choose B Minor Pentatonic and play B, D and F♯ separately. Then choose B Harmonic Minor and find F♯, A♯ and C♯. Pause between the groups and listen to how the second group wants to return to B.
Check: You can keep a steady pulse and hear the final note clearly.
Solo breakdown
Second lead part
Guitar: Joe Walsh
Where is this solo?
The answering lead part in the closing guitar exchanges, before the joined ending.
Follow the answering guitar on its own listening pass. Start with the same B minor map, then listen for where its phrases land.
B Minor Pentatonic
Listening guide
B minor pentatonic is a simple first map for the closing lead exchanges.
B · D · E · F♯ · A
◎ Outlined dots = B, the home note.
Standard tuning (teaching setup) · frets 7–10 · high string 1 at top · toward nut →
These dots show where the scale notes are. They do not show the order of the solo.
Read the note positions
- String 1, fret 7: B, interval 1, root
- String 1, fret 10: D, interval ♭3
- String 2, fret 7: F♯, interval 5
- String 2, fret 10: A, interval ♭7
- String 3, fret 7: D, interval ♭3
- String 3, fret 9: E, interval 4
- String 4, fret 7: A, interval ♭7
- String 4, fret 9: B, interval 1, root
- String 5, fret 7: E, interval 4
- String 5, fret 9: F♯, interval 5
- String 6, fret 7: B, interval 1, root
- String 6, fret 10: D, interval ♭3
More about these scales
B Minor Pentatonic Listening guide
B minor pentatonic is a simple first map for the closing lead exchanges.
B · D · E · F♯ · A
B Natural Minor Listening guide
B natural minor adds C♯ and G. Compare those notes when a phrase moves between chord tones.
B · C♯ · D · E · F♯ · G · A
B Harmonic Minor Practice idea
B harmonic minor replaces A with A♯. Compare that note over F♯7 as a chord-following exercise; do not apply it to every phrase.
B · C♯ · D · E · F♯ · G · A♯
How the chords shape the solo
Chords and note choices
Listen for the landing note
Listening idea The answering lead can use the same note map while choosing different endings. Find B, D and F♯ first. Listen for a phrase that ends as the chord changes underneath it.
B Minor arpeggio
B · D · F♯ · 1 · ♭3 · 5
Play these chord notes separately and listen for a clear ending. This is a chord-note reference, not the order of a recorded passage.
Practice idea Compare the notes of B minor as an original chord-tone exercise.
F♯ Dominant seventh arpeggio
F♯ · A♯ · C♯ · E · 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7
Play these chord notes separately and listen for a clear ending. This is a chord-note reference, not the order of a recorded passage.
Practice idea Compare the notes of F# dominant7 as an original chord-tone exercise.
Technique tips
Technique and phrasing
- bending: A bend raises a note by pushing the string across the fretboard. Play the target note first, then bend a lower note until it matches. Practice suggestion
Practice ideas
Try the ideas yourself
Original practice suggestions; these are not the recorded solo.
Try this slowly
Choose B Minor Pentatonic. Play a two-note question ending on B and a three-note answer ending on D. Leave a beat between them and make the answer quieter.
Check: You can keep a steady pulse and hear the final note clearly.
Solo breakdown
Harmony ending
Guitar: Don Felder · Joe Walsh
Where is this solo?
The two guitars join in the repeated harmonised ending after the lead exchanges.
The ending has two lead lines together. Use B minor as a note map, then follow just one guitar line at a time.
B Minor Pentatonic
Listening guide
B minor pentatonic gives a smaller reference within B minor. Follow one guitar line at a time rather than treating the combined sound as one melody.
B · D · E · F♯ · A
◎ Outlined dots = B, the home note.
Standard tuning (teaching setup) · frets 7–10 · high string 1 at top · toward nut →
These dots show where the scale notes are. They do not show the order of the solo.
Read the note positions
- String 1, fret 7: B, interval 1, root
- String 1, fret 10: D, interval ♭3
- String 2, fret 7: F♯, interval 5
- String 2, fret 10: A, interval ♭7
- String 3, fret 7: D, interval ♭3
- String 3, fret 9: E, interval 4
- String 4, fret 7: A, interval ♭7
- String 4, fret 9: B, interval 1, root
- String 5, fret 7: E, interval 4
- String 5, fret 9: F♯, interval 5
- String 6, fret 7: B, interval 1, root
- String 6, fret 10: D, interval ♭3
More about these scales
B Minor Pentatonic Listening guide
B minor pentatonic gives a smaller reference within B minor. Follow one guitar line at a time rather than treating the combined sound as one melody.
B · D · E · F♯ · A
B Natural Minor Listening guide
Use B natural minor as a note map while following one line of the joined ending. The dots do not show the two recorded parts in order.
B · C♯ · D · E · F♯ · G · A
How the chords shape the solo
Chords and note choices
Listen for the landing note
Listening idea A harmony has different notes sounding together. A scale map offers notes to compare, but it cannot show two recorded lines in order. Try a simple two-note sound of your own before following either guitar line.
B Minor arpeggio
B · D · F♯ · 1 · ♭3 · 5
Play these chord notes separately and listen for a clear ending. This is a chord-note reference, not the order of a recorded passage.
Practice idea Compare the notes of B minor as an original chord-tone exercise.
F♯ Dominant seventh arpeggio
F♯ · A♯ · C♯ · E · 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7
Play these chord notes separately and listen for a clear ending. This is a chord-note reference, not the order of a recorded passage.
Practice idea Compare the notes of F# dominant7 as an original chord-tone exercise.
Technique tips
Technique and phrasing
- bending: A bend raises a note by pushing the string across the fretboard. Play the target note first, then bend a lower note until it matches. Practice suggestion
Practice ideas
Try the ideas yourself
Original practice suggestions; these are not the recorded solo.
Try this slowly
Choose B Natural Minor. Play F♯ on string 2 at fret 7 together with D on string 1 at fret 10. Then play each note alone. Keep both strings clear and hear the difference between a pair of notes and a single line.
Check: You can keep a steady pulse and hear the final note clearly.
A simple practice plan
Put the study into practice
- Listen to the chosen solo and identify its beginning and ending.
- Find the root notes: the notes the scale is named after. Say their names, then play them.
- Add one new note, or aim for a note from the chord. Make a short phrase of your own.
- Listen to the solo again. Can you hear where the phrase comes to rest?
Updated 2026-11-10
This analysis may contain errors or inaccuracies.