Hi fam,

Welcome to this cover song lesson where we will be going through “Harvest Moon” by Neil Young. This has got to be the most requested folk/rock song on the site, so I’m happy to be able to put it up for you. The jam track, TAB, and full video are here to make learning as easy as possible. If you have any questions, please message us at support@guitarfam.com. You can also let us know about any other song lesson requests you may have.

This song is in drop D tuning, but you don’t have to downtune to play along. If you choose to stay in standard tuning, just make sure not to hit the low E string for any of the D chords you play. You will also want to revert back to standard open chord shapes for all the other chords.

We are in the key of D major, so this is a great opportunity to drill some music theory. Here is the key of D major spelled out for you 1DM 2Em 3F#m 4GM 5AM 6Bm 7C#dim. All of the chords in the song fit the key, so it’s pretty easy to see what chord numbers we are using at any given time.

The main thing to be aware of with this song is the swing feel you need to use. The video goes over this in more detail, so be sure to watch the whole thing.

Have fun!
Nate