Song chords
Bad Moon Rising chords
Creedence Clearwater Revival
A textbook I–V–IV–I in D with no capo, three open chords and a shuffle that does all the work. The chorus starts on the IV instead of the tonic, and that is the only structural difference in the song.
Before you start
The chords you need.
3 shapes covers the whole song. Tap any diagram’s play button to hear it, or open its page for every voicing on six instruments.
The chart
Section by section.
Key of D, no capo: D–A–G–D for the verse, G–D–A–G–D for the chorus. Two beats each on the A and the G, a full bar on each D. Hit play on any section to hear it walk through at 90 bpm.
Verse
4 barsChorus
5 barsOpens on the IV — the one place the song leaves the tonic first.
Need it in a different key, or without the capo? Run it through the transposer — move every chord by the same interval and the song is unchanged.
Playing it
What actually trips people up.
The swing is the song. Play the strum long-short rather than as even eighths, or a perfectly correct chart will still sound wrong.
The chart above is the commonly played arrangement — the version a competent player would hand you, not a bar-for-bar transcription of a specific master. Section labels are there to orient you; live and studio versions repeat, extend and drop sections freely, and none of that changes which chords you need.
About this page
Chord names and song structure are facts; for lyrics and official notation, support the artist. This page carries no lyrics on purpose — Bad Moon Rising was written and recorded by Creedence Clearwater Revival, and the words belong to them. What you get here is the harmony: the key, the capo, the tempo, and which chord goes where.
Next
Songs that sit near this one.
FAQ
Questions people actually ask.
What key is Bad Moon Rising in?
Bad Moon Rising is in D Major, and it is played in that key with no capo — the chords you read here are the chords you hear.
Do I need a capo for Bad Moon Rising?
No. Bad Moon Rising is played open in D Major. A capo will only move it out of the recorded key, which matters if you are playing along with the record.
What chords are in Bad Moon Rising?
D, A and G — 3 chords across 2 sections. Key of D, no capo: D–A–G–D for the verse, G–D–A–G–D for the chorus. Two beats each on the A and the G, a full bar on each D.
What is the easiest way to play Bad Moon Rising?
Beginner overall. The swing is the song. Play the strum long-short rather than as even eighths, or a perfectly correct chart will still sound wrong.
How fast is Bad Moon Rising?
About 90 bpm. Every section on this page plays back at that tempo, so you can hear how long each chord is meant to be held before you try it yourself.
Can I play Bad Moon Rising in a different key?
Yes — the progression is the song, not the letters. Move every chord by the same number of semitones and it still works. The transposer will do the arithmetic, or you can move the capo and keep these shapes.