Panama - Van Halen

Panama

View chords used in this chart
Intro:
 
E Esu4 B E E B D Dsu4 A
--------------------------------|-------------------------|-
-9----10-----7------9------10-7-|-7-----8-----7-----------|-
-9-----9-----8------9-------9-8-|-7-----7-----8-----------|-
-9-----9-----9------9-------9-9-|-7-----7-----9-----7\\\--|-
-7-----7------------7-------7---|-5-----5-----------O\\\--|-
---O-O---O-O---O-O----O-O-------|---O-O---O-O-------------|-
PM (all open E's) DB (Dive Bomb -
Hit the Twang Stick)
E Esu4 B E E B D Dsus4 A
--------------------------------|-------------------------|
-9----10-----7------9------10-7-|-7-----8-----7-----------|
-9-----9-----8------9-------9-8-|-7-----7-----8-----------|
-9-----9-----9------9-------9-9-|-7-----7-----9-----####--|
-7-----7------------7-------7---|-5-----5-----------####--|
---O-O---O-O---O-O----O-O-------|---O-O---O-O-------------|
PS (Pick-Slide)
Pre-Verse:
C#min B/Bsu4 A
|-0---------------------------------------------|-
|-5------------------4-5-4--4\2--2-2------------|-
|-6------------------4-4-4--4\2--2-2------------|-
|-6------------------4-4-4--4\2--2-2--4^h^4~~~~-|-
|-4------4-4-4-4-4-4----------------------------|-
|-----------------------------------------------|-
$ AH ($ = strum & let ring)
C#min B/Bsu4 A B [---------Riff #1------------]
-4---------------------------------------------O-----O-----5----5-----5-----|
-5--4---4-5--------4-5-4--4\2--2-2---------------4-----4-----4----4-----4---|
-6----6------------4-4-4--4\2--2-2---------4-------4-----4-----4----4-----4-|
-6-----------------4-4-4--4\2--2-2---------4--------------------------------|
-4-----------------------------------O-O-O-2--------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
[---Harmonics----]
 
Chorus:
E A D A D A G E A D A D A G E A D A D A G
|-------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
|--------3-X---3----------|--------3-X---3---------|--------3-X---3---------|
|-----2--2-X-2-2-2--------|-----2--2-X-2-2-2-------|-----2--2-X-2-2-2-------|
|-2---2--O-X-2-O-2--------|-2---2--O-X-2-O-2-------|-2---2--O-X-2-O-2-------|
|-2---O----X-O---O--------|-2---O----X-O---O-------|-2---O----X-O---O-------|
|-O-O--------------3/5\3~~|-O-O--------------3/5\3~|-O-O--------------3/5\3~|
(Uh!) (Hey yeah!....) (Uh Huh!)
 
 
-------------------------|
--------3-X---3----------|
-----2--2-X-2-2-2--------|
-2---2--O-X-2-O-2--------|
-2---O----X-O---O--------|
-O-O--------------3/5\3~~|
 
 
Verse1:
D E E A D D E Asu2
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------O---|
|-3-------------------------------5---------------------------------------O---|
|-2-----------------------------9-6-7------------------7-7-9----------O-O-2-\/|
|-O---2-------------------------9-7-7------------------7-7-9----------O-O-2-\/|
|-----2-------------------------7---5------------------5-5-7--------------O---|
|-----O------O-O-O-O-O--------------------(O)-(O)-(O)--------(O)-(O)----------|
Jump Back What's that sound Here she comes..... Hot shoe.. $ PS
 
 
Bridge:
F# C#min (arpegiate chord)
|-O----------------------|-O---------------|---------------------------|------|
|-O----O-----O-----O-----|-5---------------|---------------------------|------|
|-3------3-----3-----3---|-6---------------|-\-------------------------|-riff-|
|-4--------4-----4-----4-|-6---------------|-\-------------------------|--#1--|
|-4----------------------|-4---------------|----5-------3------------2-|------|
|-2----------------------|-----------------|------6-5~----4-5~--2~-O---|------|
$(Dont you know she...) $(You lose a....)
 
 
Chorus
 
Verse 2 (basically the same as the first)
 
Solo:
 
---------------|-------7-----7-7--------------|-----------------|-------------|
---------------|-----7-------7-7--------------|---H-T-P--H------|-------------|
---------------|-9^F-----9^F------9^F^9^F\~/--|-6-9-11-6-9- %5x-|-9^F^9^F~~~~~|
---------------|------------------------------|-----------------|hold this----|
-3~-O----O-----|------------------------------|-----------------|bend for next|
------3~---3~~-|------------------------------|-----------------|-part -------|
..ah oh) WB = Whammey Bar % = repeat
^F = Bend Full Step H = Hamer-On
T = Tap P = Pull-Off
 
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
---------T----P----T----P----T----P----T----P----T----P-----------------------|
-(9^F~)--14-(9^F)--12-(9^F)--14-(9^F)--16-(9^F)--14-(9^f^9~~)--7-7^WB--7-9-7~~|
------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
(release 9th bend here) ^ (bend up ^
with whammey bar)
 
-------------------------------|
-------------------------------|
-7^F-7-----7^F~----------------|
-------9-7------9-8-7----------|
----------------------9-8-7----|
----------------------------10-|
 
Break? (I dunno what ya' call this part!) 'The Reach down
between my legs part' :)
 
|------------------------------------------------------------------|--
|------------------------------------------------------------------|--
|------------------------------------------------------------------|--
|---H--P-----------------H--P------------------H--P----------------|--
|-/9-10-9----7^F^7-----/9-10-9----9~--(9~)---/9-10-9---9~----------|--
|---------10--------7~---------10-----10-------------10---10-10/12-|--
 
 
--------------O-------|
--------------O-------|
--------------2-------| The rest of this is basically the same,
---H--P-------3-------| He throws some chords in there that you
-/9-10-9------3-------| should be able to figure out.
---------10---1-------|
$ (Arpegiate Chord)

How to play Panama

Use the controls above to change the key and text size. Follow the highlighted chords while listening, then practice each section slowly before playing at the original tempo.

What is the starting chord?

The first identified chord is E. You can transpose without leaving the page.

Can I play it on guitar or keyboard?

Yes. The chord progression works on acoustic guitar, electric guitar and keyboard. Adapt the voicings to your instrument and level.

More chords by Van Halen

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