Wish You Were Here

How to play Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd on guitar

Wish You Were Here is a great song to learn because it feels calm, reflective, and very satisfying to play. The slow tempo gives you space to listen to each change and let the chords ring, so you can focus on clean movement and a relaxed feel.

You can stay with open shapes the whole time, so this is friendly for a beginner. The main thing to watch is the change between D and Em, then G back to Em, since that opening progression needs smooth, even switches without rushing the beat.

Start by looping D - Em - G - Em slowly until your fingers land in the right places every time. Then add the rest of the song in short sections, keeping the tempo steady. Once the changes feel automatic, play along from start to finish and aim for relaxed, even strumming.

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.