Beds Are Burning

How to play Beds Are Burning by Midnight Oil on guitar

These are the sounding chords. With a capo on fret 2 you play D, Dm, E, G, A#, F and more, the shapes the player above shows.

This is a great song to learn if you want a driving, urgent feel that stays energetic from start to finish. You get a strong groove and a clear chord movement, so it feels satisfying to lock in once you settle into the rhythm.

Most of the chart uses open shapes, which makes it approachable, but F# and B are the harder barre shapes you need to be ready for. The main change to watch is the opening move from E to Em and back again before landing on F#, since that shift can catch your hand if you rush it.

Start by looping just E, Em, E, and F# slowly until the changes feel clean. Then add the rest of the progression in short sections, keeping your hand relaxed as you move between open shapes and barre shapes. Once that feels steady, bring it up to tempo and focus on staying even rather than forcing speed.

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.