Heart Of Gold Guitar Lesson (Neil Young)

Today I want to share with you how to play “Heart Of Gold” by Neil Young on guitar.  

This song is a classic, and it’s not too hard to play.

Taking a look at how Neil Young approaches the different rhythms, chord progressions, and even his catchy licks off the chords will help elevate any guitarist’s playing.

So make sure you’re tuned up and let’s get started! 

Who originally wrote “Heart Of Gold”

"Heart of Gold" was originally written by Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young. It was released as a single in 1972 and later appeared on his album "Harvest." The song became one of Young's most successful and lasting hits, reaching the number-one spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.

"Heart of Gold" is characterized by its mellow acoustic guitar melody, simple chord progression, and introspective lyrics. Young wrote "Heart of Gold" during a time when he was struggling with fame and the pressures of his career. He later described the song as an introspective look at the complexities of life and the constant quest for something genuine and meaningful.

The song's success contributed to the popularity of Young's album "Harvest," which went on to become his best-selling album. It remains one of his most recognized and beloved songs.

Heart Of Gold Guitar Chords 

To play “Heart of Gold” you’ll only need to know 5 chords Em, D, C, G, and Cm. All of these chords I would play as open-position chords except for the Cm. That is the only bar chord. Here’s how I would play each of these shapes.

For Em, we’ll play all 6 strings like this:

D is played from the 4th string down like this:

C is played from the 5th string down like this:

For G, we’ll use all 6 strings and 4 fingers like this:

And finally, for Cm, we’ll play a bar chord at the 3rd fret and from the 5th string down like so:

Those are the 5 core chords. Now here is one more we will use in the intro and it is Em7. For Em7, I play the core Em shape we learned above and simply just add my pinky finger to the 3rd fret of the 2nd string.

What key is Heart of Gold in?

Heart of Gold is in the key of Em/G major. 

Let’s take a look at the chords to the song and analyze them in terms of their relationship to the key and their function within music theory.

• Em (E minor): As the vi chord, Em is the tonic minor chord in the key of G. It adds a touch of blues and melancholy. This chord is often used to provide contrast and emotional depth in a progression. In the key of G, Em can serve as a stepping stone to other chords, creating a sense of tension and release. 
• D (D major): The D major chord is the V chord, acting as the dominant in the key of G. As a dominant chord, it has a strong tendency to resolve to the tonic (G). The D chord provides a sense of anticipation and tension, leading the listener's ear back to the G chord (you’ll see that in this song). It is often used to build momentum and create a powerful transition to the tonic.
• C (C major): C major is the IV chord in the key of G, functioning as the subdominant. This chord brings a sense of stability and a change of tonal color. It is often used as a new flavor between other chords, helping to create a smooth and harmonically pleasing progression. 
• G (G major): The G major chord is the I chord, serving as the tonic and the primary chord in the key of G. It provides a sense of resolution, stability, and completeness. The G chord is often used as the starting and ending point of a progression, creating a strong foundation and establishing the key. It is the most important chord in the key of G and offers a sense of a musical homepoint. 
• Cm (C minor): The Cm chord is not diatonic to the key of G major, making it a borrowed chord. It introduces a temporary change in tonality, adding complexity and emotional depth to the progression. The Cm chord can evoke a sense of tension, darkness, or even a slight hint of mystery. Its inclusion can create an interesting harmonic variation. It is very commonly used as a tension to take the progression right back home to G. Just as Young does in “Heart of Gold”.

Understanding the role and relationship of these chords in the key of G can guide the creation of chord progressions, facilitate songwriting, and aid in the analysis of the overall harmonic structure of a piece.

Intro 

The intro starts off with this opening guitar hook. It’s a 2-bar progression that’s repeated. It starts with one bar of Em7. And then in the second bar, D to Em and then a little lick.

Em7 (1 bar)

D, Em (1 bar)
The first bar strumming pattern begins with a quarter note and then 6 eighth notes. I play these on all downstrums. I also use a palm mute to slightly dampen the first bar. Palm muting is a guitar technique where the palm of your picking hand lightly rests on the strings near the bridge, dampening their vibration. 

Young also gets a great sound using a “pressure and release” technique with his fretting hand. This technique makes the chords sound staccato. He sprinkles this technique throughout the rhythm. Here’s an example of this:

Bar 2 starts with a D chord on the downbeat. Then an Em on the “and” of 2 like this:

Also, check out the little lick after the Em chord. Young would often play small licks like this that come from the Em pentatonic scale. The Em pentatonic scale can be played in open position like this:

Those same strings and frets would look like this:

6th string = 0, 3

5th string = 0, 2

4th string = 0, 2

3rd string = 0, 2

2nd string = 0, 3

1st string = 0, 3 

This 2-bar figure comes back as a catchy hook throughout the song.

Verse Strumming Pattern: 

After the intro guitar hook, Young plays a harmonica interlude. This is where we start the main strumming pattern for the majority of the song. This pattern continues for the Verse section. It’s only 2 beats long and goes like this:

For this strumming pattern, we’ll use eighth notes and sixteenth notes. The strumming hand is going to play down, down, down, down, up. They are all eighth notes until the last down, up. Those are the sixteenth notes.

The underlying rhythm of this song is a sixteenth-note feel. I count it like this:

1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a 

The rhythm is only 2 beats long. So it will be played twice per bar. Here is the counting and strumming directions.

1 e + a 2 e + a

D   D    D   DU

Final Strumming Patterns:

Once you have down the Intro and Verse strumming patterns, there is one more pattern you will need. And this final pattern is how the song ends. It begins with 2 eighth notes then an eighth note rest, and then one final strum on the “and” of 2 like this:

Conclusion: 

“Heart of Gold" by Neil Young is a timeless classic. Any player can gain new insights by studying the different elements of Young’s guitar style in this song. From the catchy riffs to the way that he used the strumming patterns and chord progressions. It all takes the listener on a journey. And that is what great art should do. So remember to take it slow. Work it out one section at a time. And then when you’re ready. Try to play it along with the recording. And for another fun Neil Young-style guitar lesson check out “Cinnamon Girl” next.