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T
GUITAR CHORDS

The Sound of Silence

Simon & Garfunkel
All-time classics Acoustic favorites Singer-songwriter & folk Slow & emotional
KeyEbm
Capo1
LevelMedium
Transpose Ebm 0
Text
Chord sheet
Chords are positioned above the lyric change point
Simon & Garfunkel - The Sound of Silence
 
Standard tuning
 
Dm
Throughout the intro you pluck like so: e|---1---1---1---1-|
B|-----3-------3---|
G|-2-------2-------|
D|-----------------|
A|-----------------|
E|-----------------|
 
The only plucking part of the song is the intro, the rest is strumming, you'll have
to listen to the song to find the rhythm. Good luck.
 
 

Intro

 
(Start plucking on the 'G' string, and say "Hello" on the third time you pluck
the 'B' string. The rest of the chords are above the corresponding syllables, just keep
the plucking rhythm while you transition.)
 
 
DmC
Hello darkness my old friend
Dm
I've come to talk with you again
FBbF
Because a vision softly creeping
BbF
Left his seeds while I was sleeping
BbF
And the vision that was planted in my brain
DmFCDm
Still remain within the sound of silence.
 
 

Verse 1

 
C
In restless dreams I walked alone
Dm
Narrow streets of cobblestone
FBbF
'Neath the halo of a street lamp
BbF
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
BbF
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
DmFCDm
That split the night and touched the sound of silence.
 
 

Verse 2

 
C
And in the naked light I saw
Dm
Ten thousand people maybe more
FBbF
People talking without speaking
BbF
People hearing without listening
BbF
People writing songs that voices never share
DmFCDm
And no one dare disturb the sound of silence
 
 

Verse 3

 
C
Fools said I you do not know
Dm
Silence like a cancer grows
FBbF
Hear my words that I might teach you
BbF
Take my arms that I might reach you
BbF
But my words like silent raindrops fell
DmFCDm
And echoed in the wells of silence
 
 

Verse 4

 
C
And the people bowed and prayed
Dm
To the neon god they made
FBbF
And the sign flashed out its warning
BbF
In the words that it was forming
 
And the sign said
BbF
The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls
DmFCDm
And tenement halls and whispered in the sounds of silence
End

How to play The Sound of Silence chords

This Chordsurf arrangement of The Sound of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel is presented in the key of Ebm, with a capo at the 1st fret. Use the transpose controls above the sheet to move every chord together while keeping the lyric-change positions aligned.

The page is set up for practice as well as quick reference: adjust the text size, use auto scroll when your hands are busy, or switch to focus mode for a cleaner playing view. The published arrangement uses 4 distinct chord shapes, including Dm, C, F, Bb. You can also explore related material through All-time classics, Acoustic favorites, Singer-songwriter & folk.