Guitar With Rene
Easy guitar song

Bad Moon Rising easy guitar chords for beginners

A fast but simple three-chord song once D, A, and G feel comfortable.

DAG
Practice this in the song library Learn the chords first

Quick answer

Bad Moon Rising can be practiced as a beginner guitar song with D, A, G. Start with one slow strum per chord, then add the Down, down-up rhythm after the chord changes are steady.

  • Chords: D, A, G
  • Progression: D - A - G - D
  • Practice goal: build up toward about 178 BPM
ArtistCreedence Clearwater Revival
Beginner chordsD, A, G
ProgressionD - A - G - D
Strum ideaDown, down-up
Practice tempo178 BPM

Before you play it

Bad Moon Rising works best as a beginner song when you treat the chord loop as the lesson. Mute the strings, count the progression once, then play one slow downstroke per chord before adding the full strum.

Do not use speed as the test. The test is whether the next chord lands without stopping your strumming hand.

How to practice Bad Moon Rising on guitar

1. Say the chords first

Read the progression out loud before you play. The goal is to know what comes next before your hand has to move.

2. Use one slow strum

Play one downstroke per beat until every chord rings clearly. Speed is the last thing to add.

3. Add the rhythm

Once the changes feel steady, try the strum pattern and keep the hand moving through each switch.

Chord shapes used in this song

D guitar chord

e|---2---
B|---3---
G|---2---
D|---0---
A|---x---
E|---x---

A guitar chord

e|---0---
B|---2---
G|---2---
D|---2---
A|---0---
E|---x---

G guitar chord

e|---3---
B|---0---
G|---0---
D|---0---
A|---2---
E|---3---

Related beginner songs

Boulevard of Broken DreamsEm, G, D, AWagon WheelG, D, Em, CKnockin' on Heaven's DoorG, D, Am, CStand By MeG, Em, C, D

Common questions

Is Bad Moon Rising easy on guitar?

Bad Moon Rising is beginner-friendly if you already know D, A, G and slow the rhythm down before playing at song speed.

What chords do I need for Bad Moon Rising?

Use these beginner chord shapes: D, A, G.

Keep going

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