Bad Moon Rising

How to play Bad Moon Rising by Creedence Clearwater Revival on guitar

Bad Moon Rising is a great beginner song because it moves fast and feels upbeat even with its darker title. You get a driving, familiar groove that is fun to lock into, and at about 120 BPM it rewards steady, confident changes more than fancy technique.

Most of the chart uses open shapes, so D, A, G, and Dm should feel manageable if you already know basic first-position chords. The harder part is the move from Cm to C#m at the start, so watch that shift closely and make sure your fingers land cleanly before you chase the tempo.

Start by looping Cm to C#m slowly until the change feels automatic, then add D and A in the opening progression. After that, practice the full chord cycle with a steady count, and only speed up once every change sounds clean.

Use the play-along above to follow each chord change in time with the music, or learn the shapes first with the chord diagrams below.