Comfortably Numb

How to play Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd on guitar

Comfortably Numb is a great song to learn because it has a slow, spacious feel and a strong, memorable progression. At about 63 BPM, you have room to let the chords ring and focus on clean changes. It feels controlled and expressive rather than busy, so it is a good fit if you want to work on timing and tone.

You will move between open shapes and barre shapes, so the left hand has to stay relaxed and ready. The opening progression, Cm - C#m - Cm - G#, puts the hardest shifts right at the start, and that is the change to watch closely. Keep the barre chords clear, then make the open shapes sound full without rushing the move.

Start by learning the opening progression slowly and getting each chord to ring cleanly. Then practice the barre shapes on their own, followed by the open shapes, until both feel easy. Once that is solid, loop the full sequence with a steady pulse and only speed up when the changes feel automatic.

Use the play-along above to follow each chord change in time with the music, or learn the shapes first with the chord diagrams below.