🎸 "Havana" easy guitar lesson w/ chords + fingerstyle tabs (VIDEO)

Notes & tabs for this lesson: http://playsongnotes.com/songs/camila-cabello-havana/

In this lesson, I’ll teach you how to play a fingerstyle version of “Havana” by Camila Cabello. This song only uses 3 chords, but has a fantastic Latin sound that is fun to practice on guitar – even if you’ve never heard this song before. I’ll show these chords (with tabs), and break down how to practice things step by step.

If you want to view more of my lessons, visit playsongnotes.com which is my personal collection of lessons, tabs, and notes — all created with care by me (David Potsiadlo).

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Learning to Play Havana on the Guitar: A Beginner’s Guide

Havana is a popular song that has topped the charts for months. It’s a song that is known for its Latin flair and easy guitar chords. In this video, we’ll show you how to pick up your guitar and play Havana, even if you’re a beginner.

First and foremost, you’ll need to know that the entire song is played with only three chords: E minor, C, and B7. You’ll repeat these chords throughout the song, so it’s easy to learn. However, there is room to add some Latin flair to the melody and guitar solos, and we’ll show you how to do just that.

To play the song, you’ll need to put a capo on the third fret. This allows you to use easy, open chords while still playing along with the album version of the song. Although it’s possible to play the song without a capo, you’ll need more complicated chords.

It’s important to note that the song is played using fingerstyle guitar. However, you can use a pick if you prefer. The fingerstyle version adds to the Latin vibe of the song, in our opinion.

Before we show you how to play the chords in the traditional way, we’ll show you how to play a simplified version of each chord. For the E minor, you’ll only play the top four strings. For the C chord, you’ll only play the middle four strings, and for the B7, you’ll also play the middle four strings. This simplified version allows you to capture the bass walk-down that you hear in the song.

Timing is crucial when playing Havana. You’ll be on the E minor for two counts, C for two counts, and B7 for four counts. You’ll switch to the B7 an eighth note earlier than the start of the measure, between the four and the one counts. This creates a push in the music, which is a common musical technique.

To break things down even further, we’ll show you how to play each string individually. For the E minor, you’ll play the bass note on the one count and the thinnest three strings on the two count. For the C chord, instead of playing the same thing as the E minor, you’ll play the third fret of the A string and the second fret of the D string on the one count, followed by the thinnest two strings on the two count. For the B7 chord, you’ll play the bass note on the one count, followed by the thinnest two strings on the two count, then the third fret of the B string on the three count, and the thinnest two strings on the four count.

By following these steps, you’ll be able to play Havana on your guitar in no time. It’s an easy song to learn, but it’s a great song to practice your fingerstyle guitar and timing techniques. Have fun playing!