Hallelujah is an iconic word that transcends religious differences to express faith, gratitude and reverence in an emotional way. As such, its impactful musical expression can be heard everywhere from deep spiritual practices to modern pop music.
Setting the rhythm for a slow song may prove challenging, but with practice you can learn this chord progression at a steady pace.
1. C Major
“Hallelujah” is a song about power and its seduction, depicting King David’s romantic fascination with Bathsheba as he watched her bathe under moonlight on their rooftop roof.
In Hebrew Bible, “hallelujah (also Alleluiah)” comes from two words combined together – hallelu meaning to praise joyfully and yah meaning the name of God. These four English syllables can both bring joy and somber reflection; often spoken slowly while gazing upon or contemplating God.
Leonard Cohen of Canada wrote “Lover” but Jeff Buckley became its star performer and made it an international phenomenon. His version inspired other musicians to cover it and showcased arpeggiating chords – playing them one note at a time – beautifully.
2. G Major
Hallelujah is one of those universal songs that most everyone knows by heart – used in movies, TV shows and performed by musicians of various styles around the globe. Leonard Cohen’s version is one of Canada’s great global exports.
Strumming slow songs can be challenging because there is a delicate balance to strike between maintaining the beat and not letting it die down completely. A strumming pattern with six downward strums per measure should help give your performance more body.
Finger picking practice on this song is also fantastic – use my Beginner’s Course pattern or try something more advanced; either will sound wonderful!
3. D Major
The Hebrew expression, alleluia, appears several psalms of the Old Testament and can be translated to English as either “praise the Lord” or “hallelujah”.
This song’s lyrics cover an array of subjects, such as love, loss, grief and spirituality. Due to its incredible success it has become a mainstay in both religious and secular music repertoires alike.
If you want to play “Hallelujah” in D major, adding a capo on the fifth fret can help. This will add an interesting sound while maintaining chord relationships as they were before; making this an excellent way for beginners to learn this song or simply practice transposing songs so they work in any key.
4. E Major
Hallelujah is a song familiar to all; it can be found everywhere from movies and television shows to concerts by musicians of every kind. Yet its author remains somewhat of an open secret.
Acoustic guitar chords for this song are straightforward to play; however, you may benefit from using a pick until you become comfortable finger picking full open chord shapes. This will make keeping rhythm easier without needing to count beats as you strumming chords.
This slow song may be challenging to keep moving along, but with some practice you will soon be able to hit both pulses per measure and keep the beat alive – giving the song its unique sound and feeling good while performing.
5. F Major
Cohen uses music as an echo of David’s harp playing as a sign of his power and influence as Israel’s ruler. In its opening line, “the fourth, fifth / the minor fall, major lift,” this musical term refers to chord progression from G up to F, in this instance from root to dominant chord F. David used his harp as a sign that was his symbolism of authority and dominance over his subject Israel.
Leonard Cohen’s original studio version of Hallelujah with full orchestra and backing vocals is breathtaking and haunting, but its large scope and theatricality can leave listeners feeling uncomfortably far removed – leading to its continued popularity. Conversely, Jeff Buckley’s acoustic version has an entirely different feel – less overpowering yet more accessible for non-singer listeners.