Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” is an impressive song with many layers to explore.
This song contains a slow meter that may feel slow for some listeners – especially beginners!
Playing rhythm can help build up your confidence on the instrument, with each measure consisting of two pulses that must be accented to maintain the beat. Doing this regularly will strengthen your rhythmic abilities.
1. G Major
Hallelujah can present its listeners with some challenges when learning to play its unique meter, requiring many downward strums per measure (making finger picking difficult), but using a pattern, can make this song workable.
Variate the dynamics of this song by changing up your strumming intensity or playing it louder or softer – this will keep it interesting and give listeners a break from hearing the same thing over and over.
Pentatonix does an outstanding job of this with their version of Hallelujah; make sure you watch!
2. C Major
From Jeff Buckley’s sublime rendition, which many consider the gold standard, to Rufus Wainwright’s heartbreaking version, numerous artists have expressed the universal themes found within this song’s universal message. Its popularity stands as testimony to Leonard Cohen’s masterful artistry and unmatched lyrical prowess.
The word hallelujah appears 24 times in the Hebrew Bible and twice more in deuterocanonical books, plus four times in Revelation of Christian Book of Revelation. While scholars do not yet fully understand why this Hebrew word was preserved while others were translated into Greek and then Latin for translation into other languages, they do understand its musical power is stronger than its literal definition.
Hallelujah has come to symbolize spiritual euphoria and earthly despair, joy and loss, love and faith; making it the ideal subject matter for songs such as Leonard Cohen’s iconic Hallelujah written in 1984.
3. D Major
Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen in 1984 explores themes of love, betrayal, faith and redemption through its lyrics that dig deeply into universal emotions.
Its chord progression is also captivating as it employs an innovative “deceptive cadence” in its final verse. A key change from minor to major chord should typically lead to resolution in its root key; here, however, it stops short and resolves into vi (Bbm) chord instead.
From K D Lang to Pentatonix and Alexandra Burke, this song has been interpreted countless times – each interpretation adding depth to its rich legacy and making this timeless track an essential piece of musical history.
4. E Major
E Major scale is an excellent place to begin when learning guitar, offering both accessibility and reward in its form of musical journey. When played properly on a fretboard with appropriate strumming patterns it provides an enjoyable musical journey that’s both rewarding and engaging.
Hallelujah is a slow song which may be difficult for beginners to master at first, as each measure contains two beats; without an upward strum it may sound off-rhythm and unsteady.
Skoove offers an integrated metronome that will keep a steady beat while practicing your strum patterns. Sign up for a free trial and start playing this iconic piano piece with confidence; we’ll even show you advanced chord-change techniques like hammer-ons and pull-offs to give your performances greater depth!
5. F Major
Leonard Cohen was one of the greatest songwriters to ever live, and his song Hallelujah remains one of his most widely covered works, being covered by musicians of various genres and being performed publicly or otherwise by non-singers themselves. Its popularity can even be found in movies or television shows; many even sing it out in public themselves!
There’s an air of mystery surrounding this song, yet its chords are actually fairly straightforward. The track employs various major scale chords and inversions of them to create an intriguing rhythm; finding your perfect feel might take practice but soon enough you’ll master it; simply adjust how many beats per measure are felt using chromatic scale as its source of influence.