Simon & Garfunkel 10-Pack

Lessons

• Lesson 1: America Guitar Lesson - Paul Simon

  America is a simple strumming song in 3/4 time fingered in the key of C, although a capo can be used to put it in a more comfortable key for your voice. It was written by Paul Simon and appeared on the 4th Simon & Garfunkel album, Bookends. This lesson looks at descending bass lines and some little embellishments you can add to a few of the chords to dress it up a bit.

• Lesson 2: The Sounds Of Silence Guitar Lesson - Simon and Garfunkel

  The 1st Simon & Garfunkel hit, from both of their first two albums, Wednesday Morning 3 AM and The Sounds Of Silence. This tune became a hit after the record label remixed the original recording and talked Paul into coming back to the US to resume their career.

• Lesson 3: April Come She Will Guitar Lesson - Paul Simon

  April Come She Will - This is a very early song of Paul Simon's, from the 2nd Simon & Garfunkel album The Sounds Of Silence. It is unusual in that is one of a few tunes sung solo by Art Garfunkel. It is fairly basic fingerpicking in the key of G, with no barre chords in sight!

• Lesson 4: Homeward Bound Guitar Lesson - Paul Simon

  Homeward Bound was one of the early follow ups to Simon& Garfunkel's 1st hit, The Sounds Of Silence. It opens with a classic Paul Simon intro that establishes the key of G Mixolydian. The accompaniment is mostly a fast but subtle couple of fingerpicking patterns with main emphasis on the bass notes.

• Lesson 5: The Dangling Conversation Guitar Lesson - Simon and Garfunkel

  The Dangling Conversation is one of Paul Simon's most poetic compositions and features a fairly simple fingerpicking accompaniment. The original recording, on their album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, was done using a capo at the 3rd fret in the key of G and included some nice bass lines connecting the chords, all of which are covered in the lesson.

• Lesson 6: Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard Guitar Lesson - Paul Simon

  Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard came out in 1971 on Paul Simon's 1st solo album, after the breakup of Simon & Garfunkel. It is a pretty straightforward chord progression in the key of A but has a very distinctive intro using specific voicings of the main chords (I, IV & V). Otherwise, a simple strumming song using only open chords.

• Lesson 7: Duncan Guitar Lesson - Paul Simon

  Duncan is a typical Paul Simon fingerpicking song with a story about the coming of age of a young man who enjoys playing the guitar. The verse is done with standard fingerpicking patterns but the lesson also includes a solo arrangement of the instrumental section, which could really be considered a chorus, as it occurs between each 2 verses.

• Lesson 8: American Tune Guitar Lesson - Paul Simon

  American Tune is an intriguing look at our country from Paul Simon's 2nd solo album There Goes Rhymin' Simon. This lesson includes a simplified, almost Campfire version, as well as a more intricate look at some of the fingerpicking fills and bass lines Paul used.

• Lesson 9: Mrs. Robinson Guitar Lesson - Simon and Garfunkel

  Mrs. Robinson was originally written for the movie 'The Graduate', starring Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft. Paul Simon later wrote more lyrics and polished the few that he had before they included it on their 4th album, Bookends. This lesson starts with a Campfire Version, then adds the main riff ,a fill and some passing bass notes, before ffinishing up with a flashy instrumental flatpicking arrangement of the intro. The Campfire Version is a level 4, the addition of the riff and such pushes it to a 5 or 6, and the instrumental intro bumps it up into the level 8 range.

• Lesson 10: The Boxer Guitar Lesson - Paul Simon

  The last Simon & Garfunkel album, Bridge Over Troubled Water, included The Boxer, a semi-autobiographical Paul Simon song that is one of our most requested. Another classic Simon lick starts this otherwise somewhat generic fingerpicking song. The lesson includes a fingerstyle arrangement of the solo as well.