Quick And Easy Harvest Moon Guitar Lesson

If you’d like a perfect song to delight your audience with this fall…then folk-rock legend Neil Young may just have a solution for you.

There’s something special about this tune that blends beautifully with a cup of coffee, and a chill in the air.

You only need a couple of chords to play it. 

So grab your guitar and let’s dive into this “Harvest Moon” guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Harvest Moon?

"Harvest Moon" was written and performed by Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young. It was released as the title track on his 1992 album Harvest Moon.

Harvest Moon is often considered a sequel to Young's earlier album Harvest from 1972. It was recorded at a few different locations, including Young's Broken Arrow Ranch in Redwood City, California.  

The recording sessions involved many of the same musicians who played on Young's original Harvest album, including Ben Keith on pedal steel guitar, Tim Drummond on bass, and Kenny Buttrey on drums. Background vocals were provided by Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor.

It was produced by Neil Young and Ben Keith. The song and album received widespread critical acclaim and contributed to a resurgence in Neil Young's popularity in the early 1990s. 

Neil Young is known for his love of nature, and "Harvest Moon" reflects this connection. The song's lyrics evoke images of the moon and natural surroundings. This all aligns with Young's environmental advocacy. The music video for "Harvest Moon" features a dance between a couple under a full moon, which shows the song's romantic and nostalgic themes. The video received heavy rotation on music television channels.

“Harvest Moon" has become a staple in Neil Young's live performances, often creating an emotional moment during his concerts. Fans appreciate the song's heartfelt lyrics and soothing melody.

All right… before we get into the “Harvest Moon” guitar chords, first we need to answer the question…

Is Harvest Moon in Drop D tuning?

Yes. Neil Young tuned his main acoustic guitar to a drop D tuning for “Harvest Moon”. To go from standard tuning to drop D tuning on a guitar, you will need to lower the pitch of your low E string (6th string) by one whole step, from E to D. 

Here is a step-by-step guide to help you get into drop D tuning:

First, make sure your guitar is in standard tuning. The standard tuning for a guitar from the lowest (6th string) to the highest (1st string) is:

• E (6th string)
• A (5th string)
• D (4th string)
• G (3rd string)
• B (2nd string)
• E (1st string)
  

Then, find the 6th string. This is the thickest string on your guitar and it’s normally tuned to E in standard tuning.

Play the 4th string open and tune down the 6th string until it is one octave below the 4th string open. When the 6th string sounds an octave lower than the 4th string, it is tuned to D. Play an open D chord (D major). In drop D tuning, the 6th string should produce a low D note that complements the chord.

If you’ve struggled to hear this and get your guitar in tune easily without a tune, grab my free ear training cheat sheet right here:

Using an Electronic Tuner:

• Turn on your tuner and play the 6th string (low E).
• Slowly loosen the tuning peg for the 6th string, lowering the pitch.
• Continue to loosen the peg until the tuner indicates the string is tuned to D.

Now that you are in the drop D tuning, let’s next move on to the…

Harvest Moon Guitar Chords

If you want to play “Harvest Moon” on guitar you’ll need to know 5 main chords D, Em7, G5, A7sus4, and A7. Good news, none of these are bar chords. Let’s next take a look at some possible ways these can be played on guitar.

For D, we would usually aim for 4 strings down, but because we are in a drop D tuning. We can play all 6th strings like this:

Em7 uses all 6 strings like this:

G5 is played using 4 strings like this:

A7sus4 comes in during the chorus and is played from the 5th string down like this:

Finally, A7 is played by just changing one note from A7sus4 like this:

Now that you have the basic chords down you may be wondering…

Is Harvest Moon easy to play on guitar?

To play “Harvest Moon” on guitar you are going to need a solid beginner/early intermediate level of skill. This means the ability to change chords on the beat and keep a strumming pattern flowing.

But to play it just like Neil Young and get the “feel” right, and light groove will take a lifetime.

Now, that you know the chords you may be wondering…

What is the strumming pattern for the Harvest Moon?

The main underlying groove for “Harvest Moon” is a light 8th-note feel. Strumming 8th notes on guitar means dividing each beat of a 4/4 time signature into two equal parts.  

Count each beat as "1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and".

The numbers represent the downbeats (where you strum down), and "and" represents the upbeats (where you strum up).

Start slowly and focus on maintaining a steady rhythm.

Here’s what this pattern would look like on a D chord.

Once you get the basic idea behind strumming 8th notes. You can try combining other rhythms like quarter notes and 8th notes together with cool riffs like this: 

This is just one example. But a main 8th note “feel” will work throughout the entire song.

Here is a quick tip for strumming this song:

What Key Is Harvest Moon In?

“Harvest Moon” as recorded by Neil Young is in the key of D major. All of the chords fit into the diatonic scale. The D major scale uses the notes: D, E, F#, G, A, B, and C#. Let's explore how each chord relates to this scale and key:

D Major Chord

Notes: D, F#, A

Function: Tonic (I)

The D major chord is the tonic chord in the key of D major, meaning it serves as the home chord or the main chord of resolution.

Em7 Chord

Notes: E, G, B, D

Function: Supertonic (ii7)

The Em7 chord is built on the second degree of the D major scale. It serves as a minor seventh chord, often used for creating tension or for a more colorful harmonic progression.

G Major Chord

Notes: G, B, D

Function: Subdominant (IV)

The G major chord is built on the fourth degree of the D major scale. It functions as the subdominant chord, providing a sense of movement away from the tonic, often leading to the dominant or back to the tonic.

A7sus4 Chord

Notes: A, D, E, G

Function: Dominant (V7sus4)

The A7sus4 chord is a suspended dominant seventh chord. The sus4 means that the third of the chord (C#) is replaced by the fourth (D), creating a suspension that usually resolves to the regular A7 chord. This happens in the chorus of “Harvest Moon”, and creates a sense of tension that wants to resolve back to the tonic (D major).

A7 Chord

Notes: A, C#, E, G

Function: Dominant (V7)

The A7 chord is the dominant seventh chord in the key of D major. It has a strong pull towards the tonic chord (D major), providing a sense of resolution. The dominant seventh chord includes a minor seventh interval (G) which enhances its tension and resolution quality.

Conclusion 

Bottom line, "Harvest Moon" is a magical song very much worth learning. From its memorable acoustic riff to the lighthearted feel in the groove it’s almost sure to be a crowd pleasure.

Keep practicing, and if you want to learn songs way faster, better understand the fretboard, and not waste years spinning your wheels with guitar, grab my free fretboard guide here right now: 

Jon MacLennan