Hallelujah
Leonard Cohen
beginnerFingerpickingKey C68 BPMCapo 0
Playing shapes:C · Am · F · G · E
Capo:No capo
Chords
Fingerpicking Pattern
pthumb
iindex
mmiddle
iindex
Which strings to pluck
E
A
p
D
G
i
i
B
m
e
C — thumb on A string
= thumb (bass)= fingers
Chord progression — scroll →
Pattern: p–i–m–i. Play it as 4 even notes per chord: p (bass string) → i (G string) → m (B string) → i (G string). Loop the same pattern through the whole progression — there are no hammer-ons, pinches or extra fingers in this arrangement.
Change chord on the first beat
Lyrics & chords
Verse 1
But
F
you
don't
really
G
care
for
music
G
Do
C
you?
Pre-Chorus
It
C
goes
like
this,
the
F
fourth,
the
G
fifth
The
Am
minor
fall,
the
F
major
lift
The
G
baffled
king
E
composing
Am
Hallelujah
Chorus
F
Hallelujah,
Am
Hallelujah
F G C G
Hallelujah,
C
Hallelu____jah
Verse 2
C
Your
faith
was
strong
Am
But
you
needed
proof
C
You
saw
her
bathing
Am
On
the
roof
Her
F
beauty
and
the
G
moonlight
G
Overthrew
C
you
Pre-Chorus
She
C
tied
you
to
a
F
kitchen
G
chair
She
Am
broke
your
throne
and
she
F
cut
your
hair
And
G
from
your
lips
she
E
drew
the
Am
Hallelujah
Chorus
F
Hallelujah,
Am
Hallelujah
F G C G
Hallelujah,
C
Hallelu____jah
Verse 3
C
You
say
I
took
the
Am
name
in
vain
C
I
don't
even
Am
know
the
name
But
F
if
I
did,
well,
G
really
What's
it
C
to
G
ya?
Pre-Chorus
There's
a
C
blaze
of
light
in
F
every
G
word
Am
It
doesn't
matter
F
which
you
heard
The
G
holy
or
the
E
broken
Am
Hallelujah
Chorus
F
Hallelujah,
Am
Hallelujah
F G C G
Hallelujah,
C
Hallelu____jah
Verse 4
Am
I
C
did
my
best,
it
wasn't
much
C
I
couldn't
feel,
so
I
Am
tried
to
touch
I've
F
told
the
truth
I
didn't
G
come
to
fool
ya
Pre-Chorus
And
C
even
though
it
F
all
went
G
wrong
I'll
Am
stand
before
the
F
lord
of
song
With
G
nothing
on
my
E
tongue
but
Am
hallelujah
Outro
F
Hallelujah,
Am
Hallelujah
F G
Hallelujah,
C
Hallelu_jah
F
Hallelujah,
Am
Hallelujah
F G
Hallelujah,
C
Hallelu_jah
F
Hallelujah,
Am
Hallelujah
F G C G
Hallelujah,
C
Hallelu____jah
Coach tips
- ✦The E chord appears in every pre-chorus before Am on 'composing Hallelujah' / 'drew the Hallelujah' — this E acts as a dominant (V) of Am, giving that dramatic tension before the word 'Hallelujah'. Anticipate this change and don't rush it.
- ✦Pattern: p–i–m–i. Play it as 4 even notes per chord: p (bass string) → i (G string) → m (B string) → i (G string). Loop the same pattern through the whole progression — there are no hammer-ons, pinches or extra fingers in this arrangement.
- ✦Thumb (p) always plays the bass note of the chord you are holding; i stays on the G string, m stays on the B string.
- ✦Bass note per chord: C → A string, Am → A string, F → E string, G → E string, E → E string.
- ✦Change chord exactly on the thumb note (beat 1). Start slow and keep the picking hand steady before adding speed.