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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

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Play-Along Cover For Premium Members

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Licensed Song Sheet 3 pages

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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.

Palm Muting

★ Instructional PDF

Strumming & Syncopated Sus Chords

★ Instructional PDF

Playing A-major with big fingers or a small fretboard

★ Instructional PDF

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