Simon & Garfunkel – The Sound of Silence

Learn how to play Simon & Garfunkel – The Sound of Silence note-for-note on guitar.
Difficulty level: Easy leaning towards intermediate
Barre chords: No barre chords but the F can be barred if preferred
Thumb over chords: Yes
Playing Style: Strummed with thumb (first verse is fingerpicked)
Tuning: Standard
The complete file contains a lesson video, 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 178 Mb containing all the lesson content.
Return to Individual Songs Page
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Tab Preview
Chords & Songsheet Preview
Return to Individual Songs Page
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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Fingerstyle Instrumental pieces
Nick says
Hey Jerry,
Great lesson! I recently bought ‘The Grave’ by Don McLean from you. I have been a professional player and singer since 1973. I played and sang both these songs in a vocal harmony duo for many years – we performed on live TV shows many times. After all these years, it’s nice to finally find out how to play the songs correctly! I was close to the original but not this close! If only the Internet had been around when we were all learning! How much easier would it have been! I teach now and my students don’t know how good they have it, compared to us, who had to ‘lift the needle’ on the record player for hours to try to hear what they were doing! LOL! Thanks again,
Nick
Jerry says
Thanks Nick – from one “lift the needle” guy to another.
John Duquette says
Hello,
Thank you so much for the lesson. I recently decided to record this with my grandaughter and I have never sang in the harmony range before and coming across this post not only helped with the guitar line but also with the singing …. again thank you much.
David says
Thanks for the Sounds of Silence lesson, like your song choices. I plan to buy some!
Anonymous says
Thanks SO SO much
Tony says
Hi Jerry,
Great tuition, just a quick question re Sound of Silence, should or could I download the full lesson and is it more extensive? e.g. I mean does it break it down barr by barr with chords? I am not great on tabs. I would love to play this fully. I am an intermediate player at present, Regards, Tony from Galway Ireland, P.S. if you ever get over this way please make contact
Axel Alvarez Gonzalez says
Thank you so much!!! The best tutorial ever. Props to your work!
Julian Galluzzi says
Thank you SO much! And thanks for doing this.
Carlos Martino says
You are a great teacher . Learn a lot from you. Happy days my friend.
Amanda Casadio says
Man, you are the best! Thank you!!!
Jess says
You are an absolute LEGEND!!! Thank you so much!!! You out of everyone are the best teacher through YouTube that we have come across
Arnold van de Poll says
I can’t believe I didn’t stumble on your YouTube tutorials earlier. I was doing it a bit wrong and you just nailed it. Awesome. Thanks for sharing that with us. I most surely will see more from your tutorials. Cheers from Holland.
marc says
Hey Jerry,
Thanks so much for making this a free lesson. Spot on as usual. What a joy to be able to play this as does
Paul Simon. I’m sure even seasoned players will appreciate your attention to detail
best wishes
marc
Anonymous says
What a great choice of material you have chosen this song and I go back a long way and has revived some good memories of my younger days as a hippie and struggling to be a fine guitar player someday. Thanks for bringing back those forgotten memories and a great song. Maybe you could post the boxer one day.. thanks. And God bless you and your special talent…
Jackie
Jerry says
Thank you Jackie. The Boxer is actually already available as a paid lesson.
dari victorio says
tabs received,thank you!
amirudin says
thank’s a lot for your tabs
Steve Nice says
excellent lesson, clear – concise and free – what more could you ask for!
el says
Wow, thank you so much! Amazing to have access for free!
Alain says
I just downloaded it, and looked at all this, it’s a real amazing good work !
Thank’s
Michael says
I don’t have a capo at the moment so I’ve had to resort to barring the entire song. Hopefully the one I ordered will arrive soon.
Jerry says
Wow that’s hard work Michael!
JimBo' says
As a self taught guitarist I have meny bad habits, lessons like this help me break those.
Your voice is soothing to hear as well.
Thank you very much for this lesson.
God bless you.
Jerry says
Thanks JimBo ~:)
Earl says
Great easy to understand instruction. Great job. One of my many favorite song.
Pascale says
Thank you from an old beginner . Awesome voice ! Excellent teaching skills !
Anita says
Grazie mille!!
Thank you so much!! Great lesson.
dave says
I have really been struggling with the classic phrase you have clarified that for me thanks very much
james shin says
your voice is so beautiful, comfortable.
Anonymous says
Best Tutorial ever… Thank you
Richard says
Thank you very much, awesome work.
Anonymous says
Thank yo for inspiring me. What a gift.
kaz says
Thanks for all!
David S. Kim says
Thanks a lot for your prompt reply with the great sheet.
Myeongsik Bae says
Thanks you very much!!
Son says
Thanks from S. korea.
Doeke Oostra says
Nice explanation. Thanks for the tabs.
Real says
very good explications. Easy to practice. Thanks
ed says
Great – many thanks!!!
Gino says
Grazie,
gradevole e ben fatta.
Grazie
Luis says
A great lesson for an old time wonderful classic song! Thank you
amirudin says
thank’s
Larry O'Brien says
Thanks for the excellent lesson on Cloudy! Great teaching!