The Sound of Silence

How to play The Sound of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel on guitar

These are the sounding chords. With a capo on fret 6 you play A, G, Am, C, F, the shapes the player above shows.

This song is a great one to learn because it is calm, memorable, and rewarding even at a beginner level. You get a steady, reflective feel that lets you focus on clean chord changes and even timing rather than speed.

You will need to handle barre shapes throughout, since the chart uses D#, C#, D#m, F#, and B as the main chords. The opening move from D# to C# to D#m to F# is the change to watch closely, because it asks you to keep your hand relaxed while shifting between shapes smoothly.

Start by practicing each chord one at a time until every note rings clearly. Then loop the opening progression slowly, making the D# to C# and D#m to F# changes as even as possible. Once that feels solid, bring it up toward the song tempo and keep the motion small and controlled.

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.