Easy Norwegian Wood Chords And Guitar Lesson (The Beatles)

Here’s an epic tune that brought about one of the first times in music history where Indian music was blended with Western pop.

George Harrison was hanging around with a new guru, sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar. And started learning to play and this sparked what became known as “raga rock.” 

So grab your axe and let’s dive into this “Norwegian Wood" chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Norwegian Wood?

"Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" is a fascinating Beatles track primarily written by John Lennon. But it was credited under the typical Lennon/McCartney songwriting partnership. Lennon later remarked that this song was about affairs he was having while married to his wife Cynthia. 

There wasn’t a specific one, but it was more about his clandestine behaviors of feeling attraction, and then frustration.

“Norwegian Wood” was released on The Beatles’ epic album Rubber Soul in 1965. Rubber Soul was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London. During this time George Harrison was hanging around an Indian sitar virtuosos named Ravi Shankar. His influence on George to pick up the sitar was pivotal to this track. George played the melody of this song on sitar along with Lennon singing and this marked the first time Indian music was blended with Western pop.

The recording process itself was fairly quick, completed over two sessions on October 12 and 21, 1965. Producer George Martin helped them explore this new sound, and Harrison's sitar accompaniment was carefully woven into the recording. 

"Norwegian Wood" was also a catalyst for The Beatles as they begin heading in a new experimental direction. Rolling Stone placed “Norwegian Wood” in its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time," and it remains a beloved track in The Beatles’ catalog.

One other interesting note is that the song inspired the title to Haruki Murakami's famous novel, Norwegian Wood. Haruki is a Japanese author and the novel explores themes of love, memory, and loss—mirroring the bittersweet, elusive feeling of “Norwegian Wood”. 

Now, you may be wondering…

Does Norwegian Wood use a capo?

Yes. To play the main acoustic guitar part as played by John Lennon on “Norwegian Wood” you’ll need to place a capo on the 2nd fret. From there, the song is played using simple open chords. This also lets you easily play the melody line mixed in with the chords.

If you don’t have a capo, you can still play the song. It’s just going to sound slightly lower in key than the original recording. Either way, capo or no capo you can still play the song. But if you want to play in the original key, and the guitar part exactly like the recording. Then using a capo on the second fret is best.

What is the tuning for Norwegian Wood?

The tuning for "Norwegian Wood", as recorded by The Beatles is standard tuning. Lennon kept things simple. 

Standard tuning for a guitar is spelled out as EADGBE. 

Here are the strings:

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

However, if you are using a capo on the 2nd fret then your tuner should read:

• F# (6th string, lowest pitch)
• B (5th string)
• E (4th string)
• A (3rd string)
• C# (2nd string)
•  F# (1st string, highest pitch) 

Next, let’s talk about the…

Norwegian Wood Chords

To play "Norwegian Wood" on guitar you only need to know 5 main chords D, Dm, G, Em, and A. None of these chords are bar chords. Let’s take a look at a few options for how they might look on the fretboard.  

(Remember these are the capo chords. More about concert pitch below.)

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

Dm is also played from the 4th string down, but just change one note from the previous shape:

For G you can play any G chord you like, but I prefer this folk-style shape like this:

Em is played using all 6 strings like this:

Finally A is played from the 5th string down like this:

If you’ve struggled to understand the fretboard and want to learn it faster and in the simplest way. Then get your hands on my free fretboard guide PDF right here now:  

All right, now that you know the "Norwegian Wood" chords, let’s now talk about…

What key is Norwegian Wood in?

"Norwegian Wood" as recorded by The Beatles is in the key of E major concert pitch. However, if you look at the chords above they are not in the key of E major. That’s because (in guitar terms) it’s played in the key of D major. Because the capo is placed on the 2nd fret, this means that D major will sound in the key of E major. 

D major plus 2nd fret (capo) = E concert pitch.

So, analyzing this in the key of D major, all the chords are diatonic (meaning from the scale) except the Dm chord. Dm comes in during the B section of “Norwegian Wood” and this chord creates an interesting contrast. The music theory term for this technique is called parallel minor. Parallel minor refers to a minor key that shares the same tonic note (or starting pitch) as a major key. For example, the parallel minor of C major is C minor. Both keys start on C, but they use different notes in their scales.

Here’s a breakdown of the “Norwegian Wood” chords from a theoretical perspective:

D Major (I chord)

Role: The tonic (or I) chord, which is the home chord in D major, creating a sense of resolution. 

Notes: D, F#, A

Function: This is the foundational chord in the key, and starting or ending on D major creates a stable, resolved feeling.

D Minor (borrowed i chord from D minor)

Role: This chord is borrowed from the parallel minor (D minor).

Notes: D, F, A

Function: Because Dm has a minor third (F) instead of the major third (F#), it introduces a darker color. Using Dm instead of D major temporarily shifts the mood to a minor sound. You can hear this in the B section of “Norwegian Wood.”

G Major (IV chord)

Role: The subdominant (IV) chord in D major.

Notes: G, B, D

Function: G major provides a sense of lift and movement, often leading smoothly back to the I chord (D) or creating a gentle tension before the V chord (A major). It adds brightness and stability to the progression.

E Minor (ii chord)

Role: The ii chord in D major.

Notes: E, G, B

Function: E minor is the natural minor chord in the key of D major and creates a softer, more introspective feeling. It often precedes the V chord (A) to build tension, helping to lead the listener back to D major. 

A Major (V chord)

Role: The dominant (V) chord in D major.

Notes: A, C#, E

Function: A major has a strong, pulling quality and often resolves back to the I chord (D major) to give a sense of completion. As the dominant chord, it’s essential in establishing D major as the tonal center of the progression.

That’s the theory, but remember knowing all this doesn’t mean a thing without a good… 

Norwegian Wood Strumming Pattern And Groove

The main groove for “Norwegian Wood” is a triple meter feel. For this lesson, I count it in a 3/4 time signature. However, you could also use 6/8 or 12/8. As long as you stay in the triple meter feel you will be on the right path. I would strum primarily quarter notes with some 8th notes peppered in. Here’s an example of a “Norwegian Wood” strumming pattern:

Norwegian Wood Guitar Lesson (LEAD)

Conclusion

Bottom line, “Norwegian Wood” is a stand-out tune from The Beatles catalog. Not only does it mark a specific time in history when Indian music blended into Western pop. It also was the catalyst for The Beatles to go in a new experimental direction.

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

Jon MacLennan