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In the Hall of the Mountain King: guitar chords and tab for beginners

Peer Gynt, 1875

In the Hall of the Mountain King

by Edvard Grieg

Tempo
138beats per minute
Count
4beats in each bar
Key
A minorthe home note
Level
1 of 3easiest
Bar 1:1 of 8Tap play to turn sound on
Key A minor
0
Higher or lower, to match a voice.
Tempo138beats per minute right now

Level 1. Strum one chord per beat. Start here.

Chord names above, strum arrows below. Down arrow = strum down toward the floor, up arrow = back up.

0102030405060708AmEAmAmAmEAmAm↓↓↑↑↓↑↓↓↑↑↓↑↓↓↑↑↓↑↓↓↑↑↓↑↓↓↑↑↓↑↓↓↑↑↓↑↓↓↑↑↓↑↓↓↑↑↓↑
Where your fingers go● press here · ○ open · × skip · the number is which finger · next
EADGBeopen123456789101112231×

Hold this chord

Am×231EADGBe

Coming up: E

How to read it

  • Red cross: don’t play that string. Skip it when you strum.
  • Green circle: play that string open, with no finger on it.
  • Number: press there with that finger. 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 pinky.
  • Letters: the strings, thickest (low E) on the left to thinnest (high e) on the right.

Space bar plays and pauses. Left and right arrows jump a bar.

The chords

The chords in In the Hall of the Mountain King

2 chords, all open shapes: Am, E. 4 beats in each bar, 138 beats per minute, in A minor.

In words: A minor is x 0 2 2 1 0. E major is 0 2 2 1 0 0. Numbers are frets, thick string to thin, and x means do not play that string.

About the song

Grieg wrote this for a play in 1875 and it has been the sound of sneaking around ever since. The tune climbs the same six notes over and over, which makes it a perfect first melody: your fingers learn one shape and repeat it higher up the neck.

Questions people ask

What chords are in In the Hall of the Mountain King?
Two chords: Am and E. All of them are open shapes, so some strings ring without a finger on them.
What key is In the Hall of the Mountain King in?
A minor. The key control on this page moves it up or down, and tells you where to put a capo so you can keep the same easy shapes.
Is In the Hall of the Mountain King easy to play on guitar?
It is one of the harder songs here: two chords at 138 beats per minute. Slow it to 50 percent, and try Ode to Joy and Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star first if it fights back.
What is the strumming pattern for In the Hall of the Mountain King?
Six strums in each bar: down, down, up, up, down, up. There are 4 beats in every bar. The arrows above the chord boxes move with the sound, so you can see the pattern as you hear it.
How do I play In the Hall of the Mountain King on guitar?
Three ways on this page, all from the same arrangement. Chords mode strums one chord at a time, Melody mode picks the tune from the tab, and Fingerstyle mode plays the bass with your thumb under the tune. Start in Chords mode at 60 percent speed.
Who wrote In the Hall of the Mountain King?
Edvard Grieg. Peer Gynt, 1875. The music is old enough to be in the public domain, so it is free to learn, play and record.

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