Southern Cross

by Crosby, Stills & Nash • Lesson #446 • Jul 23, 2022

Hey there, friends! Lesson today for the much-requested Southern Cross, the 1982 classic from Crosby, Stills and Nash. This is a song that’s fairly easy to approach (using only A, G, and D for the most part) but can likewise be quite tricky when it comes to capturing the “feel” of the CSN album recording. Fear not, I’ll teach you how to approach it – starting with beginner-friendly basics, and then show various ways to add color using intermediate strumming skills.

I’ve also included an extended video lesson (see below), which slowly plays through each section of the song along with tabs & strumming diagrams on the screen. This additional lesson also shows you a few alternative ways to play the main riff, different from what I teach in the main lesson. Likewise, I’ve posted by beginning-to-end cover of the song as well — in case you want to hear how it sounds when you put it all together. Enjoy!

Free Video Lesson

Timestamps for my free video lesson:

0:00 Lesson Overview
1:10 Chord Shapes
2:57 Main Riff
7:43 Verse
9:52 Pre-Chorus & Chorus
12:38 Add’l Strumming Tips

Extended Video Lesson For Premium Members

Play-Along Cover For Premium Members

Licensed Song Sheet 3 pages

Follow along with my print-friendly guide for this song! It’s available for purchase at Musicnotes.com, the web’s leading provider of licensed sheet music.

On the fence? Here's a guide I made showing the purchase & print process, including answers to common questions about my song sheets.

Buy at Musicnotes.com

Lesson Discussion

Crosby, Stills & Nash’s Recorded Version of Southern Cross

Additional Lessons To Help With This Song

Here’s instructional lessons I’ve made teaching concepts that are useful in this song.

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Southern Cross

Free Video Lesson

Extended Video Lesson For Premium Members

Play-Along Cover For Premium Members

Licensed Song Sheet 3 pages

Lesson Discussion

Crosby, Stills & Nash’s Recorded Version of Southern Cross

Additional Lessons To Help With This Song

Unlock My Secret Stash!

Browse Related Lessons

Enjoy My Lessons? Show Your Support!

Looking for More Song Lessons?

Featured Courses

Strumming & Rhythm

Fingerstyle & Travis Picking

Blues Starter Kit

Reading Music for Guitarists

Learning Lead Guitar

Beginner Chord Guide

Practical Music Theory

Using a Capo

Fun & Helpful Tools I've Made

Fret Monster

Capo Captain

Key Master

Blank Tabs

Subscribe to my YouTube channel

Recent Lessons