Hallelujah (also spelled alleluia) is an often-used term found in Psalms to celebrate God’s victory over enemies and celebrate his grace and power. This expression means “praise the Lord”.
Skilled composers know that words have the power to convey many different emotions – from Handel’s joyous chorus to Sergei Rachmaninoff’s all night vigil, words have inspired musicians and songwriters alike.
C Major
Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah song has become one of the world’s most iconic and well-known tunes, being covered by almost everyone and appearing in films and television shows alike. Additionally, its simple chord progression and rhythm are great tools for learning to play guitar.
This song requires counting measures, yet its rhythm is very straightforward: there are only two pulses per measure – and accenting those two beats will keep the song from grinding to a halt. Hallelujah chords are composed from C major scale chords found both treble and bass clefs here.
Am Major
This infectious tune blends R&B, gospel, pop and blues into one unique song that’s hard not to love! Once you understand its chord shapes it becomes easy and enjoyable to play; and its varied strumming patterns provide a great opportunity to experiment.
C, Am, F, G and E chords make up this key’s chords for singing praise hallelujah: open chords which most guitarists can play easily. However, for beginners starting out we also provide simplified versions that may be easier for you until you’re comfortable enough to tackle full open chords.
F Major
Hallelujah is an enduring song, beloved by musicians of every stripe and skill. Playing this tune can be both beautiful and simple; its strumming pattern allows players to practice picking single notes while also developing fingerpicking patterns.
F major is home to seven chords that you can use when building up a progression, each using the cycle of fifths – meaning every time you change chord, you advance five frets upward.
This sequence uses the D chord as a leading tone into Gm chord, which tones down its octave by half step and thus transposing the song from one key to another in one step. Other techniques exist but will usually be marked on chord charts with an “s”.
G Major
G Major is one of the easiest keys for beginners to learn. It offers an accessible chord structure consisting of G, B and D; making it an excellent starting point when starting on acoustic guitar with Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen as an introductory song.
G major contains the maj7 chord, popularly used in jazz music and classically ethereal-sounding songs. However, its use in rock or pop music is typically avoided because its dissonant F# natural can create dissonant sounds with major scales that typically omit this note. Therefore, practicing C major scale before trying G major will help ensure you remember its form and fingerings more quickly.
E Major
E Major is an easily played key, thanks to its four sharps and five flats. Guitarists frequently choose this key because the chords are intuitive to play.
Chords in a Major Key can be constructed using any of the scale degrees, though typically starting with E, G#, B can yield minor chords or dominant 7th chords (called 7ths if they start on one of those notes). Chords may also take different names depending on where their root note occurs in their formation.
Hallelujah features a relatively straightforward chord progression, but keeping its rhythm flowing may prove challenging. To master playing it quickly and smoothly, practice counting beats and finding rhythm for each measure in each measure of the song to find your groove. Doing this will allow you to get used to playing it fast.