Here is a 4-chord song that's easy to strum. The following YouTube link, however, gives some very nice instructions on how to fingerpick this song. Unfortunately, the poster says he only plays by ear and does not tab. Soooo, I've taken a shot at tabbing his instructions. It is a little different than other tabs I've seen on the internet, and I think it plays and sounds quite well. Although he places the capo on the 4th fret, place it on the 6th fret to play with the recording. I even play it open sometimes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPhbTMp0MyI
I am posting two versions: (1) a fingerstyle version showing how the 1st verse is played; and (2) a chord version, including the intro and outro which anyone can fingerpick.
As the poster notes, the picking pattern plucks the following strings:
G chord: 6th 3rd-2nd-3rd-1st-3rd-2nd-3rd
Am chord 5th 3rd-2nd-3rd-1st-3rd-2nd-3rd
Hope you enjoy, and many thanks to the goldhat3, the YouTube poster!
Sound of Silence - Simon & Garfunkel
Capo: 6th fret
[Capo: 4th fret or Open]
Amsus2 Am (let ring)
e|-----0-----0-----0-----0--|-----0-----0--0-----------|
B|--------0-----------0-----|--------0-----1-----------|
G|--2-----------2-----------|--2-----------2-----------|
D|--------------------------|--------------2-----------|
A|--------------------------|--------------0-----------|
E|--------------------------|--------------------------|
Hello Darkness my old
G
e|--------------3-----------|--------------3-----------|
B|--------0-----------0-----|--------0-----------0-----|
G|-----0-----0-----0-----0--|-----0-----0-----0-----0--|
D|--------------------------|--------------------------|
A|--------------------------|--------------------------|
E|--3-----------------------|--3-----------------------|
friend, I've come to talk with you a-
Am C
e|--------------0-----------|--------------0-----------|
B|--------1-----------1-----|--------1-----------1-----|
G|-----2-----2-----2-----2--|-----0-----0-----0-----0--|
D|--------------------------|--------------------------|
A|--0-----------------------|--3-----------------------|
E|--------------------------|--------------------------|
gain, Because a vision soft-
F C C
e|--------------------------|--------------0-----------|
B|--------1-----------1-----|--------1-----------1-----|
G|-----2-----2-----0-----0--|-----0-----0-----0-----0--|
D|--3-----------------------|--------------------------|
A|--------------3-----------|--3-----------------------|
E|--------------------------|--------------------------|
ly creeping left its seeds while I
F C F
e|--------------------------|--0------------------------|
B|--------1-----------1-----|---------1-----------1-----|
G|-----2-----2-----0-----0--|------0-----0-----2-----2--|
D|--------------------------|--------------(3)----------|
A|--------------3-----------|---------------------------|
E|--1-----------------------|---------------1-----------|
was sleeping and the vision
F C
e|--0-----------------------|--0-----------------------|
B|--------1-----------1-----|--------1-----------1-----|
G|-----0-----0-----2-----2--|-----0-----0-----0-----0--|
D|-------------(3)----------|--------------------------|
A|--------------------------|--------------3-----------|
E|--------------1-----------|--------------------------|
that was planted in my brain,
Am C
e|---------------------0-----|---------------------|
B|---------------1--------1--|---------------1-----|
G|------------2-----2--------|------------0-----0--|
D|---------------------------|---------------------|
A|--3--2--0------------------|--0--2--3------------|
E|---------------------------|---------------------|
still remains within the
G Amsus2
e|--------------3-----------|-----0-----0-----0-----0--|
B|--------0-----------0-----|--------0-----------0-----|
G|-----0-----0-----0-----0--|--2-----------2-----------|
D|--------------------------|--------------------------|
A|--------------------------|--------------------------|
E|--3-----------------------|--------------------------|
Sound of Silence
Verses 2 thru 4
Outro :
Amsus2 (backward strum)
e-|-----0-----0---0----------|
B-|--------0--------0--------|
G-|--2----------------2------|
D-|---------------------2----|
A-|-----------------------0--|
E-|--------------------------|
If strumming all or some of the verses, try a D DUD DUD type pattern. Also, on the up (U) strum try lifting the index finger on the Am chord; the index & middle fingers on the G chord and the middle finger on the C chord Sound of Silence - Simon & Garfunkel
Capo: 6th fret
[Capo: 4th fret or Open]
Intro:
Amsus2 Am (let ring)
e|-----0-----0-----0-----0--|-----0-----0--0-----------|
B|--------0-----------0-----|--------0-----1-----------|
G|--2-----------2-----------|--2-----------2-----------|
D|--------------------------|--------------2-----------|
A|--------------------------|--------------0-----------|
E|--------------------------|--------------------------|
Hello Darkness my old
Verse 1:
(Am) G
Hello darkness, my old friend,
G Am
I've come to talk with you again,
C F C
Because a vision softly creeping,
C F C
Left it's seeds while I was sleeping,
F F C
And the vision that was planted in my brain
(walkdown) Am (walkup)
Still remains
C G Am
Within the sound of silence.
Verse 2:
Am G
In restless dreams I walked alone
G Am C
Narrow streets of cobblestone,
F C
'Neath the halo of a street lamp,
C F C
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
F F C
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
(Walkdown: C-Bb-A) Am (Walkup: A-Bb-C)
That split the night
C G Am
And touched the sound of silence.
Verse 3:
Am G
And in the naked light I saw
G Am C
Ten thousand people, maybe more.
F C
People talking without speaking,
C F C
People hearing without listening,
F F C
People writing songs that voices never share
(Walkdown: C-Bb-A) Am (Walkup: A-Bb-C)
No one dare
C G Am
Disturb the sound of silence.
Verse 4:
Am G
"Fools" said I,"You do not know
G Am C
Silence like a cancer grows.
F C
Hear my words that I might teach you,
C F C
Take my arms that I might reach you."
F F C
But my words like silent raindrops fell,
Walkdown: C-Bb-A Am Walkup: A-Bb-C
C
And echoed
C G Am
In the wells of silence
Verse 5:
Am G
And the people bowed and prayed
G Am C
To the neon god they made.
F C
And the sign flashed out its warning,
C F C
In the words that it was forming.
C F
And the sign said, The words of the prophets
F C
are written on the subway walls
Walkdown: C-Bb-A Am Walkup: A-Bb-C
And tenement halls.
C G
And whisper'd in the sound of . . .
Amsus2 Amsus2 (backward strum)
e|-----0-----0-----0-----0--|-----0-----0---0----------|
B|--------0-----------0-----|--------0--------0--------|
G|--2-----------2-----------|--2----------------2------|
D|--------------------------|---------------------2----|
A|--------------------------|-----------------------0--|
E|--------------------------|--------------------------|
Silence
"Music hath charms to soothe a savage breast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak."
Nice job, Shug. That must have taken a lot of time and trouble, thanks a lot for sharing!!!!!
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
thanks a lot for this! i've been meaning to get to this song for a while now.
Very nicely done shug, thank you! :D 8)
Dan
"The only way I know that guarantees no mistakes is not to play and that's simply not an option". David Hodge
Thanks Shug! :D
One of my favorite S&G's songs.
BTW, the other day I also watched a video by Mark Easley (goldhat3). It was "Tears in heaven" by Eric Clapton. I was reading his web, he has a nice story: http://www.goldhat.net/musicalbackground.htm
Basically, he learnt guitar when he was young by earing songs of his favorite bands. Then, he left the guitar. He returned to the guitar playing after 15 years! But he known all the classic songs so he decided record himself and shared his knowledge thanks to the new technologies. He has more than 50 lessons on YouTube and also his own website.
Great man and great voice!
Thanks, great job
Thanks for the comments . . . Yes, Mark Easely (goldhat3) has many videos, most of which are cover versions and there are a few original pieces. They are well-worth watching both for entertainment and learning purposes. However, only a dozen or so are true "lessons" wherein he gives verbal instructions, and I find these truly invaluable. I urge anyone who finds them helpful to go to YouTube and thank Mark for his efforts and to urge him to continue with additonal lessons.
Also, if anyone is interested in tabbing any of his lessons, I am sure it will be appreciated by all!
Shug
"Music hath charms to soothe a savage breast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak."
Ah! Simon and Garfunkel great stuff Shug!!
Thanks for this one mate.
Chris
The guitar is all right John but you'll never make a living out of it! (John Lennon's Aunt Mimi)
