Song chords
Hallelujah chords
Leonard Cohen
A song that narrates its own chord progression, then plays it. The pre-chorus is the famous part — a rising sequence that lifts to an E7 before dropping onto the minor.
Before you start
The chords you need.
5 shapes covers the whole song. Tap any diagram’s play button to hear it, or open its page for every voicing on six instruments.
The chart
Section by section.
Key of C, no capo. The verse alternates C and Am; the pre-chorus climbs C–F–G–Am and then repeats the move with an E7 to set up the Am. Hit play on any section to hear it walk through at 58 bpm.
Verse
8 barsPre-Chorus
8 barsThe E7 is borrowed from outside the key — it is what makes the line ache.
Chorus
6 barsNeed it in a different key, or without the capo? Run it through the transposer — move every chord by the same interval and the song is unchanged.
Playing it
What actually trips people up.
That E7 is a borrowed chord — it is not in the key of C. Let it sit for its full bar; the discomfort is the point, and rushing past it flattens the whole section.
The chart above is the commonly played arrangement — the version a competent player would hand you, not a bar-for-bar transcription of a specific master. Section labels are there to orient you; live and studio versions repeat, extend and drop sections freely, and none of that changes which chords you need.
About this page
Chord names and song structure are facts; for lyrics and official notation, support the artist. This page carries no lyrics on purpose — Hallelujah was written and recorded by Leonard Cohen, and the words belong to them. What you get here is the harmony: the key, the capo, the tempo, and which chord goes where.
Next
Songs that sit near this one.
FAQ
Questions people actually ask.
What key is Hallelujah in?
Hallelujah is in C Major, and it is played in that key with no capo — the chords you read here are the chords you hear.
Do I need a capo for Hallelujah?
No. Hallelujah is played open in C Major. A capo will only move it out of the recorded key, which matters if you are playing along with the record.
What chords are in Hallelujah?
C, Am, F, G and E7 — 5 chords across 3 sections. Key of C, no capo. The verse alternates C and Am; the pre-chorus climbs C–F–G–Am and then repeats the move with an E7 to set up the Am.
What is the easiest way to play Hallelujah?
Beginner overall. That E7 is a borrowed chord — it is not in the key of C. Let it sit for its full bar; the discomfort is the point, and rushing past it flattens the whole section.
How fast is Hallelujah?
About 58 bpm. Every section on this page plays back at that tempo, so you can hear how long each chord is meant to be held before you try it yourself.
Can I play Hallelujah in a different key?
Yes — the progression is the song, not the letters. Move every chord by the same number of semitones and it still works. The transposer will do the arithmetic, or you can move the capo and keep these shapes.