“Blowin’ in the Wind” is Bob Dylan’s 1962 protest anthem and one of the most influential folk songs ever written. It’s also a perfect entry into the G major collection – built on just three open chords (G, C, and D) and rooted in Dylan’s gentle strumming style.
The original recording sounds in D major, but on guitar it’s most commonly played using G major shapes — capo on the 7th fret matches the recording’s pitch exactly. The capo is optional though. Without it, you’ll play in true G major and the song still sounds beautiful.
The Chords You’ll Need
Chord Chart
Verse 1 G C D G How many roads must a man walk down, C G before you call him a man G C D G How many seas must a white dove sail, C D before she sleeps in the sand G C D G Yes, and how many times must the cannonballs fly, C G before they're forever banned Chorus 1 C D G C The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind D G The answer is blowin' in the wind Harmonica Refrain | C D | G C | C D | G | Verse 2 G C D G Yes, and how many years can a mountain exist, C G before it is washed to the sea G C D G Yes, and how many years can some people exist, C D before they're allowed to be free G C D G Yes, and how many times can a man turn his head, C G and pretend that he just doesn't see Chorus 2 C D G C The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind D G The answer is blowin' in the wind Harmonica Refrain | C D | G C | C D | G | Verse 3 G C D G Yes, and how many times must a man look up, C G before he can see the sky G C D G Yes, and how many ears must one man have, C D before he can hear people cry G C D G Yes, and how many deaths will it take till he knows, C G that too many people have died Chorus 3 C D G C The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind D G The answer is blowin' in the wind Harmonica Outro | C D | G C | C D | G |
About the D → G transition (the song’s trickiest move)
Here’s a clean strategy: while still holding D, put your pinky down first on the high E string at the 3rd fret (G). Then move fingers 2 and 3 up to the bass string: finger 2 to the A string (string 5) and finger 3 to the low E string (string 6).
Your pinky stays anchored on the high E string throughout, giving the change a smooth pivot point. Check out the YouTube short to see this in action.
Practice Tips
- The whole song moves between just three chords: G, C, and D. Master the G → C → D loop on its own and you’ve got every verse and chorus.
- Drill the D → G transition specifically using the pinky-anchor strategy in the note above. It’s the song’s trickiest move, and it appears in every line of the verse.
- The harmonica refrain between sections is written as | C D | G C | C D | G |. Those vertical bars mark musical measures. If you don’t have a harmonica handy, hum or whistle the iconic melody or strum the chords through to fill the space.
- “Blowin’ in the Wind” is a folk standard meant to be sung slowly and deliberately. Let each line breathe — the song’s power is in the words and the pause between them.