Powderfinger by Neil Young

Powderfinger is a legendary Neil Young song, originally recorded as an acoustic track until the intended album was shelved. It was rerecorded with Young’s band Crazy Horse as a rock and roll track for Rust Never Sleeps and the Live Rust tour and album in 1979.

The song became a fan favourite over the decades. Crazy Horse provides a dark, gritty setting to the powerful tale of violence and loss. The bands iconic sound influenced countless musicians over the years, helping to forge the grunge movement of the 80’s. This song is also where Australian band Powderfinger took their name from.

The original was eventually released in 2017 on Hitchhiker, a collection of acoustic recordings from 1977.

This tutorial is for acoustic guitar but based on the electric version. It includes the iconic fill between each verse, which can be tricky to master but brings the song to life.

Here is a chordsheet you can download...

Watch the full lesson here...