So, then we recorded it in the right key with largely the same instrumentation and a smattering of lyrics, but after we'd developed the song a little more and Henley and Frey had fine‑tuned the lyrics, we came to find out the tempo was too fast. 'However, once Don Henley began to write the lyrics, it turned out to be in the wrong key. 'The first version we recorded was just a riff,” says Bill Szymczyk, who earned a 'Producer Of The Year' Grammy for his efforts producing and engineering the album. So, it's interesting that the track itself underwent three different versions before emerging in the form that everyone knows. Ostensibly, a song about a luxury hotel visit that crosses over to the dark side, but really an allegory about American materialism and excess - as well as the decadent LA lifestyle that many musicians experienced during the mid‑'70s - 'Hotel California' was a pivotal track for the Eagles.Īt a time when punk was starting to explode and album‑oriented rock was all the rage, the song not only topped the US singles chart and scooped the Grammy for 'Record Of The Year' it also established the theme of - and lent its name to - the Eagles' autobiographical, multi‑platinum LP that, courtesy of guitarist Bernie Leadon's replacement by Joe Walsh, saw the band make the transition from country rock to mainstream rock while achieving their greatest critical and commercial success. The Eagles on stage, Rotterdam, 1977.Photo: Redferns

Producer Bill Szymczyk tells us how it happened. Momentary or latching, that 2nd Aux switch now toggles between two preset keys & modes.Hotel California saw the Eagles abandon their country origins in favour of full-blown rock & roll, and made them one of the biggest selling groups in the world. Map an Aux switch to the expression pedal action. The Toe value goes to B Hmin (or F# PHRG). Dial in the Heel value of the expression pedal to B min (Aeolian).

I haven’t run through the theory in the link above, but let’s assume it’s correct. The advantages here are easier range mappings, and saved pre-preset, (unlike the global Aux switch settings). A similar method uses ‘Set expression pedal (aka HotKnob value)’ in H9 Control, to create a ‘HotSwitch’-style mapping. Step on the switch (latching or momentary), and the harmony intervals shift. Define a range of about ’60’ for a 3rd, and ’62’ for a 4th. ( An expression pedal will also work, but it doesn’t ‘snap’ between two discrete values – see actory presets).įor example, in the Diatonic algo through H9 Control, you’d want to Set Parameter 3 and Set Parameter 4 both to the same Aux switch. You can cover much of the same ground with 2 or 3 Aux switches. Here’s the overall process: … But MIDI isn’t for everyone. MIDI control over KEY & SCALE (my preference) is the most versatile way If you have enough switches (that can send a MIDI CC value, or toggle between two static values), you can dynamically change intervals within each harmony voice.

Hotel california midi