Simon & Garfunkel – The Boxer

Learn how to play Simon & Garfunkel – The Boxer note-for-note.
Difficulty level: Intermediate
Barre chords: No
Thumb over chords: Yes
Playing Style: Fingerpicked (Travis Picked). Chorus strummed with thumb/fingers
Tuning: Downtune a half step
This preview video contains the introduction taken from the complete lesson for the song The Boxer.
The complete file contains 4 lesson videos – one per section of the song, a performance play thru video, full tabs, chords and lyrics. You’ll receive a link to download the lesson which will download as a zip file of 264 Mb containing all the lesson content.
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You’ll receive at least two videos per song, one lesson and one performance-standard play-through. You’ll receive the chords/lyrics and guitar tabs as PDF files.
The videos are mp4 format and should play on PC’s, Macs and most mobile devices.
They will download as Zip files. If you don’t have a Zip program on your PC you’ll need to install one to open the file.
If you want to download to an iPad or iPhone you’ll need an app to do so, please read here to know more about it.
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Steve Huff says
Your intro is so much easier to play than I’ve seen on some of the official tabs out there. Thanks! I think they had a stretch from the third to the seventh fret which I just couldn’t do. Now I can play the intro and go into the song.
Jerry says
Sweet.
They’re all a compromise because the original intro was played in an altered tuning, but I’m glad it works for you this way.
Ashvin Rajan says
Very moving piece about The Boxer. The actor Leonard Nimoy who played Dr. Spock (in Star Trek) listened to it as he passed away.
As usual amazing lesson Jerry. Not playing much these days as my thumbs are acting up (osteoarthritis)-but looking forward to more stuff!!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct0x65
dan says
Hi Jerry, another great video and another slightly odd question from me.
When i get up to full speed on this i tend to lose any sense of pulse/rhythm in relation to where the beat is. Would you say you put an emphasis on and exaggerate the bass notes to push the beat of the song? I know most of these things are second nature but im just noticing its getting a little muddled when i pay at the tracks speed.
thanks!
dan
Jerry says
Hi Dan
You need the pulse of the music internalised. Foot tapping on the bass notes helps with that, but that assumes you can already feel the beat and just need to solidify it. If you need help getting to that point, play along with a metronome or online drum machine. Start slowly and gradually raise the BPM until you can play in rhythm at full speed.
Simon Debanks says
Money well spent. Great lessons; tab and songsheet provided and it sounds great.
Many thanks
Jonathan says
This lesson is simply amazing. It couldn’t be more accurate to the actual album version. I am happy with this purchase and look forward to the other.Jerry does an amazing job taking a complicated song and transforming it into something anyone could play.