Night Moves was written and released as a single by Bob Seger and his Silver Bullet Band in 1976 as one of their debut singles. It has since become one of Seger’s signature songs and one that cemented his status as a national superstar. This lesson will cover chords and strumming patterns for this timeless rock tune.
1. C Major
C Major is among the first chords most beginning guitarists are introduced to. It can be played in numerous positions on the fretboard, each producing its own unique sound. When playing an open C chord you should use your index finger on notes at the first fret, middle finger on second fret, and ring finger for third fret.
Add more vibrancy to a chord by including tones not in its key harmony. How much color you add depends on tension applied to strings, how long each string is held down, and where in the chord the colored note falls within its melody.
Another popular way of playing the basic C chord is with a barre chord in the 8th position, which requires more finger movement but is still easy to master. This barred C chord can often be used to form a Cmaj7 chord which pairs nicely with an F major seven chord for relaxed two-chord songs.
2. G Major
G Major chord shapes are often one of the first chord structures learned by new guitarists and other stringed instruments players. It provides a warm key that most people will find easy to sing in, which also makes it ideal for transposing songs that require other keys when the melody must change to match lyrics – examples include Bury Me Beneath the Willow by Burry Me Beneath the Willow by Angus Young as well as Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap by Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap by Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap by Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap by Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap by Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap by Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap by Dirt Cheaply by Young’s Highway To Hell by Young as well.
It’s one of the few major chords with a passing note (G), making it perfect for creating exciting chord progressions by mixing major and minor chords together – as seen in Bob Seger’s Night Moves where two 3-chord progressions come from G Major scale! Spend some time learning this chord before diving in!
3. F Major
F chord can be an intimidating challenge for beginners, requiring both strength and coordination. Unfortunately, it’s often this chord which turns people away from guitar altogether.
But this doesn’t have to be the case – there are easy solutions that will give you the same sound without all of the fret buzz and sore fingers.
In this version of an F chord, we mute all but the E string in order to play an F major triad with just our first finger. By moving this shape around the neck you can get other major triads with ease on your fingers.
By releasing finger two and muting the low G string, an F5 chord with only root and fifth notes can be created – this provides an effective sound for metal opuses as well as providing an alternative to standard F barre chords.
4. Bb Major
Bb major chord is an ideal beginner chord because of its minimal demands on wrists. A simple barre chord, it requires no intricate fingerwork and can even be played using just one index finger! Although suited for beginners, Bb major requires more strength than some beginner-oriented chords.
It can be found in acoustic rock songs such as Crowded House’s “All I Want,” as well as 1980s new wave classics like the Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations.” You may even detect this chord on funk and soul songs from decades past such as O’Jays’ “Now That We Found Love.”
This key is also an ideal place to practice key changing, the art of moving from one key to the next without changing your tuning of the guitar. You can do this by prolonging a chord, leaving a bit of silence before switching, or by creating chord shapes that create an easy transition to your new key – like how Michael Cleveland and Flame Keeper do on their song Blue Night. Check out this video of them doing it in action!