Havana Guitar Chords – Step by Step Tutorial on how to play the Havana Song (by Camilia Cabello) on the guitar. Easy guitar lesson for beginners, tabs included.
According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), “Havana” was the best-selling digital single of 2018 with sales of over 19 million units worldwide.
“Havana” reached number one in multiple countries including the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, Mexico, France, and Brazil. It has been performed in several awards shows including the 2018 Billboard Music Awards and the 2017 MTV Europe Music Awards. The live version of the song was nominated for a Grammy Award at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards.
Havana Guitar Chords
“Havana” is a beginner-friendly song because it uses just 3 easy guitar chords. If you are just starting out, this is the perfect song to work on.
• Havana guitar chords are E minor, C chord, and B7.
• E minor plays a huge part in “Havana.” It gives this song a sense of longing, mystery, and urgency.
• When E minor gives way to C major in this song, it is an explosion of pure joy. B7 chord further adds interest in the song. You will be amazed that a number of songs use this combination of chords.
• E minor is a common chord in pop songs. It’s used in practically every music genre. Therefore, E minor is a must-have in every guitarist’s arsenal.
• Once you learn E minor, you will hear it everywhere. There are many ways to play this popular chord.
• C chord adds great flavor to this song. The most popular songs in music history feature this chord. It is one of the most frequently used chords in guitar playing. You have definitely heard this chord countless times.
• Classic pop songs including “Havana,” “One Love,” and “Viva La Vida,” make use of the C chord. The most memorable rock songs have the C element. If you are a Beatle fan, you hear the C chord every time you listen to the most popular Beatle songs.
• Country songs also employ C major. “Ring of Fire” by Johnny Cash prominently uses C major.
• If you want to become a serious guitarist, you need to have E minor and the C chord stored in your chord bank. Once you have learned these two chords, it will be easy to learn complicated chords such as F major and A major.
After you master how to play Havana Guitar Chords, you will effortlessly learn to play other songs that feature E minor such as “Creep” by TLC and “One Love” by Bob Marley.
Learning How to Play “Havana” on the Guitar
• Chord Switches
Learning to play Havana Guitar Chords will involve learning how to switch between E minor, C, and B7, easily and efficiently. You will need to practice playing these chords in order.
• Strumming
Once you are comfortable with chord switches, you should focus on strumming. The strumming pattern is normally played 1 or 2 times in each chord. However, for this song, the entire strumming pattern is divided among the chords. Therefore, you will need to break it down in a few pieces. You should work on each piece separately and subsequently perfect each motion.
• C Chord
With regards to Havana Guitar Chords, you should be particularly careful with C to ensure that you get all the notes clear. If you are struggling, you should try pointing your thumb away from your face.
The C chord is a challenge for some hands. If you have large fingers, playing this chord can be a challenge. However, that does not mean that you cannot play it. You just need some practice and you will master C major. There are many people with short fat fingers who have been able to play this chord perfectly through practice. It just takes practice!
Everyone has differently shaped hands. Therefore, the C chord looks somewhat different to different hands. You need to find a method that is ideal for the length of your fingers and the shape of your hands.
• Stretching
Don’t stretch between the second and third fingers. This does not work. Our hands did not evolve to do that.
History
“Havana” was released on August 3, 2017, as a promotional single. It features Camilla Cabello and Young Thug. Because of its rising success, it became the official lead single of Camilla Cabello.
In “Havana,” Cabello pays tribute to her country of birth, Cuba, with the words, “My heart is in Havana.” Havana is the capital city of Cuba. Cabello also sings about a romantic relationship she once had with someone in Cuba.
• Remix
A remix version of the song featuring Daddy Yankee was released in November 2017. The first verse of the remix is sung in Spanish. Young Thug’s verse is replaced by Daddy Yankee’s verse.
• Music Video
The official music video was released in October 2017 and it was directed by Dave Myers. This video won the Video of the Year Award at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards.
A vertical video was later released in November 2017. It features Camilla and several dancers. It became a Spotify exclusive for some months.
• 1 billion Streams
In September 2018, “Havana” became the most-streamed song ever by a solo female artist, with more than 1 billion streams on Spotify.
The Bottom-Line
Learning how to play “Havana” on the guitar requires learning how to position and switch your fingers. You need to understand the different notes of the guitar. Fretting is an important part of playing the guitar. Therefore, you should practice fretting.
You should practice getting a clean sound from every string in the chord. Some chords are harder to learn than others. However, with patience and constant practice, you will easily become a pro.