Guitar lesson for

Harvest Moon

by Neil Young • Lesson #92

Video lesson

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Editor’s notes

In this lesson I’ll show you how to play “Harvest Moon” by Neil Young. This is a beautiful gem of a song. It uses drop-d tuning (I’ll explain this), and some very creative voicing of the D-chord. I’ll show you the chords needed, explain the strumming patterns, and of course show you tabs for all of the above. I hope you enjoy! This song was a true pleasure to learn.

Drop-D tuning

The tabs below assume you’ve tuned your low-E string down to a “D” note (aka drop-D tuning). See my video lesson for reference here. A quick cheat to do this: use your 4th string (which is also D, though an octave higher) as a reference note. Lower the low-E string until the 6th string sounds the same as the 4th string. Then, you can play a D chord with all six strings (i.e., 000232) and it sounds great!

My approach to these tabs

The tabs below aren’t going to attempt to capture the timing, individual down-strums & up-strums, and other such subtleties. If you’re looking for that type of tab, search and you’ll likely find what you’re looking for (example). In my opinion, you have to learn the chord shapes (below) and trust your ear. Practice. Listen to Neil Young play this (album version, and live versions). Listen to covers of it. Find a groove and style that works for you.

Ultimately, there are only four main guitar sections needed – and they overlap quite a bit with the chord shapes needed. While it is hard to execute with Neil Young precision, it isn’t a lot to memorize. So print this out, write it down, memorize it, take it slow, work out a version that works for you – and most importantly, have fun! For this is a beautiful song and we’re lucky to have it.

Song structure

Sequence #1:

(Song intro and after each chorus)

e ––––0–––––––0–––––––9–––––
B ––––10––––––12––––––10––––
G ––––11––––––11––––––11––––
D ––––0–––––––0–––––––0–––––
A –––(0)––––––––––––––––––––
D –––(0)––––––––––––––––––––
      D-riff #1

Sequence #2:

"Come a little bit closer... hear what I have to say..."

e ––––0––––   –––(2)––––––––––––––––––––––––
B ––––0––––   ––––3––––––2––––––2––––––3––––
G ––––0––––   ––––2––––––2––––––2––––––2––––
D ––––2––––   ––––0––––––0––––––2––––––4––––
A ––––2––––   ––––0––––––0––––––0––––––0––––
D ––––2––––   ––––0–––––––––––––––––––––––––
      Em          D-riff #2

Sequence #3:

"But there's a full moon rising, let's go dancing in the light..."

e ––––3––––   ––––0–––––––0–––––––9–––––
B ––––0––––   ––––10––––––12––––––10––––
G ––––0––––   ––––11––––––11––––––11––––
D ––––0––––   ––––0–––––––0–––––––0–––––
A ––––x––––   –––(0)––––––––––––––––––––
D ––––5––––   –––(0)––––––––––––––––––––
      G           D-riff #1

Sequence #4:

"Because I'm still in love with you, I wanna see you dance again..."

e ––––0––––   ––––0––––
B ––––3––––   ––––2––––
G ––––0––––   ––––0––––
D ––––2––––   ––––2––––
A ––––0––––   ––––0––––
D –––––––––   –––––––––
    A7sus4        A7  

Diving into the two main guitar riffs

So, I want to flesh these out a bit to aid you with strumming help. Shown below is how each riff aligns with the rhythmic counting – mainly, noting where the accented strums should be. Note, you can feel free to insert additional strums as you wish! My advice is to take things gentle, subtle, and conservatively – this song is one where you don’t want to over-do it.

D-riff #1

This is heard during the intro, during sequence #3, and after each chorus.

v = down strum
^ = up strum

e ––––––––0–––––0––––––––––––––9–––––9–––––9–––––9–––
B ––––––––10––––12–––––––––––––10––––10––––10––––10––
G ––––––––11––––11–––––––––––––11––––11––––11––––11––
D ––––––––0–––––0––––––––––––––0–––––0–––––0–––––0–––
A –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
D ––0––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
    v     v     v              ^     ^     ^     ^  
    1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +  1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +  

D-riff #2

This is heard within sequence #2.

v = down strum
^ = up strum

e –––––––(2)––––––––––––––––––(2)––––––––––––––––––––
B ––––––––3––3––3––3–––––3–––––2–––––2–––––2––3––2–––
G ––––––––2––2––2––2–––––2–––––2–––––2–––––2––2––2–––
D ––––––––0––0––0––0–––––0–––––0–––––2–––––2––4––2–––
A –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––0–––––0––0––0–––
D ––0––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
    v     v  ^  v  ^     ^     ^     ^     ^  v  ^
    1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +  1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +  

Lyrics w/ chords

Intro: D (riff #1)

Em
...Come a little bit closer
                    D (riff #2)
Hear what I have to say
Em
...Just like children sleepin'
                           D (riff #2)
We could dream this night away

G
...But there's a full moon risin'
                        D (riff #1)
Let's go dancin' in the light
G
...We know where the music's playin'
                          D (riff #1)
Let's go out and feel the night

A7sus4                                 A7
........Because I'm still in love with you
(A7)
.....I want to see you dance again
A7sus4                                 A7
........Because I'm still in love with you
(A7)            D (riff #1)
On this harvest moon

When we were strangers
I watched you from afar
When we were lovers
I loved you with all my heart

But now it's gettin' late
And the moon is climbin' high
I want to celebrate
See it shinin' in your eye

Because I'm still in love with you
I want to see you dance again
Because I'm still in love with you
On this harvest moon

Good luck!

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