Rockschool:

Jeff Buckley – Hallelujah

Leonard Cohen penned Hallelujah for his 1984 album Various Positions, reportedly labouring over some 80 draft verses in the process. Jeff Buckley’s acclaimed cover was inspired by a John Cale version, and features Buckley’s astonishing vocal along with the lush, reverberated Fender Telecaster tone that appears throughout his 1994 album, Grace.

Rockschool’s Grade One arrangement for acoustic guitar gives a nod to Buckley’s arpeggiated intro, and also showcases the vocal melody from the verse and chorus. Whether playing fingerstyle or with a pick, the main challenge is sounding the chords clearly at the beginning of bars 1 to 4, before switching to separate notes at the end of each bar. The chord change is easy – but the change of picking technique may take practice, so make sure to take it slowly at first.

We’ve also tabbed out the accompaniment, which focuses more on the arpeggios. It’s a step up from Rockschool’s Grade One part, so it’ll suit more experienced players.