The Ballad of Hell's Hotel is a blues inspired song with the use of tri-tone intervals being featured consistently both harmonically and melodically, This song also makes use of minor6, dominant7 and dominant7(#9) chords. The progression for this song is a i - vi - i - V - vi.
Intro/Chorus
The intro guitar riff is where the tritones are played harmonically but the guitar also plays octave, minor and major third intervals. The intro riff is also the same riff in the chorusÂ
Verses
Intro/Chorus
The songs verses use tritones melodically acting as leaning notes for the next chord to be played. Harmonic tri-tones are also used as dominant7th chords have tritone intervals built into them (the relationship of the major third and minor 7th)
Bridge
The bridge of this song makes use of the blues scale in both G and C, The guitar plays Gm7 arpeggios for a third of the bar and on the final beat a small blues lick is played utilizing the diminished fifth/Augmented fourth. The formula applies for the modulation to C except instead of minor 7 arpeggios, Minor add9 arpeggios are played instead.Â
Outro
The songs outro starts with a D7(#9) chord also known as the Hendrix chord. There is a slight variation of the main guitar riff the notes are the same but played an octave higher with a different rhythm and the tritone played melodically rather than harmonically. To end the song the guitar plays sweep picked arpeggios before finally ending on the riff the song began on.
