Hello! Below you'll find my "The Sound of Silence" chords & lyrics chart as well as a tutorial video on how to play the piano accompaniment.
This piece by Simon & Garfunkel must be one of the most gorgeous popular songs ever recorded. It's made entirely of verses each with essentially the same chord progression, though in the video I go into some optional details to help provide some variety and development.
Enjoy!
The Sound of Silence Piano Tutorial
Here's a piano tutorial video for The Sound of Silence:
The Sound of Silence Chords & Lyrics
[Intro]
| D#sus2 |
| D#sus2 |
[Verse 1]
D#sus2 C#
Hello darkness, my old friend
D#m
I've come to talk with you again
B F#
Because a vision softly creeping
B F#
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
B F#
And the vision that was planted in my brain
F# D#m F# C# D#sus2
Still remains within the sound of silence
[Verse 2]
C#
In restless dreams I walked alone
D#m
Narrow streets of cobblestone
B F#
'Neath the halo of a street lamp
B F#
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
B F#
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
F# D#m F# C# D#m
That split the night and touched the sound of silence
C#
In restless dreams I walked alone
D#m
Narrow streets of cobblestone
B F#
'Neath the halo of a street lamp
B F#
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
B F#
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
F# D#m F# C# D#m
That split the night and touched the sound of silence
[Verse 3]
C#
And in the naked light I saw
D#m
Ten thousand people, maybe more
B F#
People talking without speaking
C#
And in the naked light I saw
D#m
Ten thousand people, maybe more
B F#
People talking without speaking
B F#
People hearing without listening
B F#
People writing songs that voices never shared
F# D#m F# C# D#m
And no one dared disturb the sound of silence
People hearing without listening
B F#
People writing songs that voices never shared
F# D#m F# C# D#m
And no one dared disturb the sound of silence
[Verse 4]
C#
Fools said I, you do not know
D#m
Silence like a cancer grows
B F#
Hear my words that I might teach you
B F#
Take my arms that I might reach you
B F#
But my words, like silent raindrops fell
F# D#m F# C# D#m
And echoed, in the wells of silence
C#
Fools said I, you do not know
D#m
Silence like a cancer grows
B F#
Hear my words that I might teach you
B F#
Take my arms that I might reach you
B F#
But my words, like silent raindrops fell
F# D#m F# C# D#m
And echoed, in the wells of silence
[Verse 5]
C#
And the people bowed and prayed
D#m
To the neon God they made
B F#
And the sign flashed out its warning
B F#
In the words that it was forming
B
And the sign said the words of the prophets
F#
Are written on the subway walls
F# D#m F# C#
And tenement halls and whispered in the sounds
| D#sus2 | D#sus2 D#m |
Of silence
C#
And the people bowed and prayed
D#m
To the neon God they made
B F#
And the sign flashed out its warning
B F#
In the words that it was forming
B
And the sign said the words of the prophets
F#
Are written on the subway walls
F# D#m F# C#
And tenement halls and whispered in the sounds
| D#sus2 | D#sus2 D#m |
Of silence
This document is the author's own work and represents his interpretation of this song. It's intended solely for private study, scholarship or research.
This chord chart is here only to support online learning. We recommend buying official transcripts from a licensed and reputable publisher.
The Sound of Silence Piano Tips
1. Take It Slow: It's counterintuitive, but the quickest way to get comfortable and sound great playing a song is to practice it very slowly at first. Steady rhythm and counting are crucial to sounding like a pro, so let yourself get used to feeling the beat at a slow, easy tempo. Once you can nail "The Sound of Silence" slowly, *gradually* speed it up. You'll sound much better than if you jumped in at full speed!
2. Use The Pedal Wisely: Utilize the sustain pedal to connect the chords smoothly, timing your lifts with the arrival of a new chord. For help with sustain pedal timing, check out this video.
3. Simplify if need be: "The Sound of Silence" still sounds great even if you simply hold out the chords and ignore most of the rhythm patterns and extra details in the tutorial video. Feel free to keep it simple, especially if you sing while playing. As you get comfortable, you can always add the fancy stuff later.
