The Sound Of Silence Lesson on JustinGuitar

View the full lesson at The Sound Of Silence | JustinGuitar

A fantastic lesson Justin. Yet another song I never thought I’d be able play but there’s nobody else in the room so it must be me!
Not sure if anyone has actually studied the amazing lyrics of this tune but what a reflection on modern society!
Paul Simon writes that his eyes were stabbed by the flash of a Neon light, surely a mobile phone?
And 10,000 people maybe more, people talking without speaking etc.
Is surely a reference to social media and the way it’s taken over our lives.
Released in 1964!

Paul Simon genius and visionary or perhaps time traveller…?

1 Like

Love this song and lesson.

Paul Simon is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a tribute to his poetry!

So… a question. When you do the chord progression walk up for the G chord, the 4th finger ends up on the 3rd fret, 2nd string. Do you mute the 6th string with the 4th finger. So you have 3xOO3x at the end of that strumming sequence? Or do you mute the 6th string with your hand or fleshy part of your first finger?

Hope that’s clear! Thanks!
Vinnie

I couldn’t figure this out either, so I just pick the 5th string alone as a single bass note inside the strumming. I think it sounds cool this way.

I have been on Justinguitar since the lessons from the early days when lessons were by book and CD, and I still have them.
Beautiful song and great lesson, it will probably be the first one I play to my fellow retirees (just for fun) when I get it right more times than not. I note there are other lessons covering this song in which progression of the F & C chords are reversed, i.e the song is played C & F. Both sound good and I am playing it with the F & C progression, but my mind needs to understand, is this just interpretation.

Trying to figure out the tab for The Sound of Silence. Comparing Justin’s opening sample to the tab. - is there an extra Am between the 1st and 2nd verses. The tab has a strum as the end of the verse. But the count goes 4 and then it heads to the G chord. Seems like that strum is both the end of the 1st verse and start of the 2nd verse. Because the 2nd verse only has one Am at the end of it. So I’m assuming… there’s an extra Am at the end of verse 1. ? yes? no? Thanks!