Paul Simon - Sounds of Silence Ukulele Chords
Before you play, tune your ukulele and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.
Ukulele Am chord diagram
Ukulele G chord diagram
Ukulele C chord diagram
Ukulele F chord diagram
[Opening]
[Am]Hello darkness, my old [G]friend, I`ve come to talk to you a[Am]gain,
Because a [C]vision softly [F]is cree[C]ping,
Left its seeds while I [F]was slee[C]ping,
And the [F]vision that was planted in my [C]brain, still re[Am]mains,
Within the [G]sound of [Am]silence.
[section 2]
[Am]In restless dreams I walked a[G]lone,
Barrow streets of cobble[Am]stone.
Beneath the [C]halo of [F]a street [C]lamp,
I turned my collar to the [F]cold and [C]damp,
When my [F]eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon [C]light,
That split the [Am]night and touched the [G]sound of [Am]silence.
[section 3]
[Am]And in the naked light I [G]saw, ten thousand people, maybe [Am]more,
People [C]talking wi[F]thout spea[C]king,
People hearing wi[F]thout [C]listening,
People writing [F]songs that voices never [C]share,
And no one [Am]dare disturb the [G]sounds of [Am]silence.
[section 4]
[Am]Fools, said I, you do not [G]know, silence like a cancer [Am]grows,
Hear my [C]words, that I [F]might teach [C]you,
Take my arms that I [F]might reach [C]you,
But my [F]words like silent raindrops [C]fell [Am]
And echoed in the [G]wells of [Am]silence.
[Closing]
[Am]And the people bowed and [G]prayed to the neon god they`d [Am]made.
And the [C]sign flashed out [F]its war[C]ning,
In the words that it [F]was for[C]ming.
And the sign said, the [F]words of the prophets are written
In the subway [C]walls, and tenement [Am]halls ,
And whispered in the [G]sounds of [Am]silence.
How to play Sounds of Silence on Ukulele (Step-by-step)
Paul Simon - Sounds of Silence on ukulele requires 4 chords and 3 core chord transitions. You can find the full step-by-step guide below. Before you start, tune your instrument. The song uses the ↓-↓↑-↑↓↑ pattern; practice it muted first, or simplify to downstrokes while you learn the changes.
Sounds of Silence uses these transitions most often: C → F (15), F → C (15), and Am → G (10). These transitions may feel a little challenging at first, but with steady practice you can play this song quickly.When you are ready, begin with Am - G chord transition.
1. Am → G chord transition
To move from Am to G;
- Lift your middle finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Place index finger on C string fret 2.
- Place ring finger on E string fret 3.
2. Am → C chord transition
To move from Am to C;
- While playing Am, lift your middle finger from G string fret 2.
- Place ring finger on A string fret 3.
3. C → F chord transition
To move from C to F;
- While playing C, lift your ring finger from A string fret 3.
- Place index finger on E string fret 1.
- Place middle finger on G string fret 2.
Sounds of Silence chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Sounds of Silence.
- Sounds of Silence includes 60 chord transitions, 3 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Ukulelearn.
- Sounds of Silence contains 2 of the top 10 transitions across Ukulelearn.
- These transition patterns show how Sounds of Silence connects to the rest of Ukulelearn. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After Am, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are F (26%), G (21%), and C (16%).
- Am → G: 21%
- Am → C: 16%
After C, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).- C → F: 16%
- C → Am: 10%