Sound of Silence Guitar Lesson (Simon and Garfunkel)

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Behold a magnificent song every fingerstyle guitar player should know.

The story behind it is quite interesting, and the melody and chords have stood the test of time.

So grab your guitar and let’s dive into this “Sound of Silence” guitar lesson.

Who wrote Sound of Silence?
“Sound of Silence" was written by Paul Simon, one half of the iconic American folk-rock duo Simon & Garfunkel. He wrote it in February 1964 and it was first released on the album "Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M." in the same year.

It’s a haunting song that has lyrics about isolation, alienation, and the lack of communication in society. While the actual meaning of the tune is unknown.

The story behind "Sound of Silence" is quite interesting. Simon wrote it when he was only 21 years old and was feeling disillusioned with the state of the world. He wrote the song in his bathroom at his parent's house while they were out. He turned off the lights so he could focus.

Initially, the song didn't gain much attention, and the album it was on, "Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.", didn't perform well. However, after the album's release, producer Tom Wilson added electric guitar, bass, and drums to "Sound of Silence" without Simon & Garfunkel's knowledge or approval, giving the song a more contemporary, folk-rock sound. This remix of the song was released as a single in September 1965, and it quickly climbed the charts, eventually reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1966.

“Sound of Silence” was recorded at Columbia Records' Studio A in New York City. It has received many accolades over the years like:

It won the Grammy Award for Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical in 1967.
In 1999, BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) named it as one of the most performed songs of the 20th century.
It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998.
In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked it #157 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
It has been covered by countless artists in various genres, including heavy metal band Disturbed, whose cover version became a major hit in its own right, introducing the song to a new generation.
Overall, "Sound of Silence" remains a timeless classic still to this day.

Is Sound of Silence hard to play?
I would rate this a strong intermediate-level song. If you want to play it just like Paul Simon then you are going to need to be pretty adept at playing fingerstyle guitar. If you want to make it easier then just string the whole thing.

What key is Sound of Silence in?
The original key for “Sound of Silence” as recorded by Simon and Garfunkel is Ebm. The guitar part is played in the key of Am but Paul uses a capo on the 6th fret which transposes it to Ebm concert pitch.

Sound Of Silence Iconic Intro
The intro picking to “Sound of Silence” is an epic riff. It uses a capo on the 6th fret and is based on an Am chord. However, instead of fretting down the entire Am chord. Just play the 2nd fret on the 3rd string, then the rest of the notes are played open.

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