ecthelion
11-15-2003, 04:52 PM
Song: Wish You Were Here
Artist: Pink Floyd
Album: Wish You Were Here (1975)
Genre: Soft Rock/Ballad
Difficulty: Advanced Beginner/Early Intermediate
Background
Wish You Were Here is the featured song on Pink Floyd's 1975 album, Wish You Were Here. It was written by Roger Waters and David Gilmour, and it is a song written about Syd Barrett, a previous member of Pink Floyd.
Before we start...
Wish You Were Here, a standard ballad-/soft rock-type song, is a very beautiful song in many respects. It is mainly an acoustic song, except for the last few solos. It's not a very hard song to learn. The song structure is very straightforward.
The song itself is in the key of G major. The main riff is based on the G chord, and during the verses you simply strum a IV-V-II-I pattern. In G major, this means you play C, D, Am, and G during the verses.
The main phrase
First, let's get started with the main phrase. It is based on an G chord. Let's look at the main riff:
2x
E:--------------3-----3--3--|--------------3--3--3----||
B:--------------3-----3--3--|--------------3--3--3----||
G:--------------0-----0--0--|-----0--------0--0--0----||
D:--------0--2--------------|--2-----2--0-------------||
A:----0h2-------------------|-------------------------||
E:--3-----------------------|-------------------------||
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
d d u d d u d d u u d d u d
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|__| |__| | |__| |__| |__| |__| |
2x
E:--------------3-----3--3--|-------------------3--3--||
B:--------------3-----3--3--|-------------------3--3--||
G:--------------0-----0--0--|-------------------0--0--||
D:--------0--2--------------|--2--0--------2----------||
A:----0h2-------------------|--------2--0-------------||
E:--3-----------------------|-------------------------||
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
d d u d d u d d u u d d d u
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|__| |__| | |__| |__| |__| | |__|
Basically, you play the first two measures, play them again, go on to the next two measures, and play those again. The rhythm isn't too hard in that section, although you might want to watch out for the chords. You don't play them as triplets, you play them as two eighth notes and one quarter note. Also, if you don't already know, "0h2" means you play the open A string, and then you 'hammer' your finger onto the second fret. For more information on hammer-ons and pull-offs, see this tutorial (http://www.cyberfret.com/techniques/hammer-ons-pull-offs/index.php).
After you do the first few riffs, you play somewhat of an ending to the phrase, like this:
E:----------------3-----3--3--|--3--3--3-----3--3--3----|
B:----------------3-----3--3--|--3--3--3-----3--3--3----|
G:----------------0-----0--0--|--0--0--0-----0--0--0----|
D:----------------------0--0--|--0--0--0-----0--0--0----|
A:----0h2-2p0-----------2--2--|--2--2--2-----2--2--2----|
E:--3----------3--------3--3--|--3--3--3-----3--3--3----|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
d d u u d d u d u d d u d
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|__| |___| | |__| |__| | |__| |
I'll explain the strumming pattern later. So now we've got the main phrase down. You play the main phrase twice, and then you play the verses.
The Verses
Remember when I said the song has a IV-V-II-I progression? In the key of G major, that means our chord progression will be C-D-Am-G. I'll show you how the chords fit in with the lyrics of the song:
C D Am G
||||*| |||||| ||||*| ||||||
||*||| |||*|* ||**|| |*||||
|*|||| ||||*| |||||| *|||**
|||||| |||||| |||||| ||||||
X32010 XX0132 X02310 210034
(Verse 1)
C D
So, so you think you can tell
Am G
Heaven from hell, blue skies from pain?
D C
Can you tell a green field from a cold steel rail,
Am G
A smile from a veil? Do you think you can tell
C D
did they get you to trade your heroes for ghosts?
Am G
Hot ashes for trees? Hot air for a cool breeze?
D C
Cold comfort for change? Did you exchange
Am G
A walk on part in the war for a lead roll in a cage?
(Verse 2)
C D
How I wish, how I wish you were here.
Am
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl
G
Year after year.
D C
Running over the same old ground. What have we found?
Am G
The same old fears. Wish you were here.
Now that we have the chord progression against the lyrics, let's have a look at the strumming pattern.
> >
d d u d u d u d u
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 6
So basically we're holding the first and last strokes for one beat, and everything else for half of a beat. strokes with the '>' over them denote an accented stroke, which means it should get more attention. So play the '>' louder, harder, and let it ring longer. A good way to practice strumming patterns is to say, "Down, hold, down, up, down, up, down, hold, up, down up." while you're strumming.
Solo
You play the solo over the second phrase before the first verse. And here it is:
e|-----------------------------------|-------------3\5/3----------------------------|
B|--------3--5---3-------------------|-------------3\5/3--2\4-4/2---2\4-4/2---------|
G|--2\3\4------4---4p2p0-------------|--------------------3\5-5/3p0-3\5-5/3p0-------|
D|------------------------0-----0-0--|----------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------1\2------|----------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
e|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
B|------3---5--b5---3------------3--------|---------3---5--(7)b5b(7)b5(7)-3--------|
G|--2\4---4-------4---2---2b3--4---4b5--2-|---2\3\4---4---------------------4b(6)-2|
D|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
It's not too hard of a solo, so I would recommend it to beginners if you want to learn your first solo. It's easily played on either acoustic or electric, but you have to watch out for the bends. Also, on an acoustic, it can be hard to do 3 or four hammer-ons or pull-offs at a time, so you may just want to play each note seperately instead of that fancy stuff. Practice it slow at first with a metronome, and when you have it down perfect at a really slow speed, slowly ease the speed up and practice at that speed. Keep doing this until it's about the speed of the actual solo, and you've got yourself your first solo!
Conclusion
Now that you have all the parts, you can learn the whole song as one! I hope you enjoyed my tutorial. I might add a part on the first solo sometime. Here's the song in it's entirety:
Artist: Pink Floyd
Album: Wish You Were Here (1975)
Genre: Soft Rock/Ballad
Difficulty: Advanced Beginner/Early Intermediate
Background
Wish You Were Here is the featured song on Pink Floyd's 1975 album, Wish You Were Here. It was written by Roger Waters and David Gilmour, and it is a song written about Syd Barrett, a previous member of Pink Floyd.
Before we start...
Wish You Were Here, a standard ballad-/soft rock-type song, is a very beautiful song in many respects. It is mainly an acoustic song, except for the last few solos. It's not a very hard song to learn. The song structure is very straightforward.
The song itself is in the key of G major. The main riff is based on the G chord, and during the verses you simply strum a IV-V-II-I pattern. In G major, this means you play C, D, Am, and G during the verses.
The main phrase
First, let's get started with the main phrase. It is based on an G chord. Let's look at the main riff:
2x
E:--------------3-----3--3--|--------------3--3--3----||
B:--------------3-----3--3--|--------------3--3--3----||
G:--------------0-----0--0--|-----0--------0--0--0----||
D:--------0--2--------------|--2-----2--0-------------||
A:----0h2-------------------|-------------------------||
E:--3-----------------------|-------------------------||
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
d d u d d u d d u u d d u d
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|__| |__| | |__| |__| |__| |__| |
2x
E:--------------3-----3--3--|-------------------3--3--||
B:--------------3-----3--3--|-------------------3--3--||
G:--------------0-----0--0--|-------------------0--0--||
D:--------0--2--------------|--2--0--------2----------||
A:----0h2-------------------|--------2--0-------------||
E:--3-----------------------|-------------------------||
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
d d u d d u d d u u d d d u
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|__| |__| | |__| |__| |__| | |__|
Basically, you play the first two measures, play them again, go on to the next two measures, and play those again. The rhythm isn't too hard in that section, although you might want to watch out for the chords. You don't play them as triplets, you play them as two eighth notes and one quarter note. Also, if you don't already know, "0h2" means you play the open A string, and then you 'hammer' your finger onto the second fret. For more information on hammer-ons and pull-offs, see this tutorial (http://www.cyberfret.com/techniques/hammer-ons-pull-offs/index.php).
After you do the first few riffs, you play somewhat of an ending to the phrase, like this:
E:----------------3-----3--3--|--3--3--3-----3--3--3----|
B:----------------3-----3--3--|--3--3--3-----3--3--3----|
G:----------------0-----0--0--|--0--0--0-----0--0--0----|
D:----------------------0--0--|--0--0--0-----0--0--0----|
A:----0h2-2p0-----------2--2--|--2--2--2-----2--2--2----|
E:--3----------3--------3--3--|--3--3--3-----3--3--3----|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
d d u u d d u d u d d u d
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|__| |___| | |__| |__| | |__| |
I'll explain the strumming pattern later. So now we've got the main phrase down. You play the main phrase twice, and then you play the verses.
The Verses
Remember when I said the song has a IV-V-II-I progression? In the key of G major, that means our chord progression will be C-D-Am-G. I'll show you how the chords fit in with the lyrics of the song:
C D Am G
||||*| |||||| ||||*| ||||||
||*||| |||*|* ||**|| |*||||
|*|||| ||||*| |||||| *|||**
|||||| |||||| |||||| ||||||
X32010 XX0132 X02310 210034
(Verse 1)
C D
So, so you think you can tell
Am G
Heaven from hell, blue skies from pain?
D C
Can you tell a green field from a cold steel rail,
Am G
A smile from a veil? Do you think you can tell
C D
did they get you to trade your heroes for ghosts?
Am G
Hot ashes for trees? Hot air for a cool breeze?
D C
Cold comfort for change? Did you exchange
Am G
A walk on part in the war for a lead roll in a cage?
(Verse 2)
C D
How I wish, how I wish you were here.
Am
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl
G
Year after year.
D C
Running over the same old ground. What have we found?
Am G
The same old fears. Wish you were here.
Now that we have the chord progression against the lyrics, let's have a look at the strumming pattern.
> >
d d u d u d u d u
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 6
So basically we're holding the first and last strokes for one beat, and everything else for half of a beat. strokes with the '>' over them denote an accented stroke, which means it should get more attention. So play the '>' louder, harder, and let it ring longer. A good way to practice strumming patterns is to say, "Down, hold, down, up, down, up, down, hold, up, down up." while you're strumming.
Solo
You play the solo over the second phrase before the first verse. And here it is:
e|-----------------------------------|-------------3\5/3----------------------------|
B|--------3--5---3-------------------|-------------3\5/3--2\4-4/2---2\4-4/2---------|
G|--2\3\4------4---4p2p0-------------|--------------------3\5-5/3p0-3\5-5/3p0-------|
D|------------------------0-----0-0--|----------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------1\2------|----------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
e|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
B|------3---5--b5---3------------3--------|---------3---5--(7)b5b(7)b5(7)-3--------|
G|--2\4---4-------4---2---2b3--4---4b5--2-|---2\3\4---4---------------------4b(6)-2|
D|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
It's not too hard of a solo, so I would recommend it to beginners if you want to learn your first solo. It's easily played on either acoustic or electric, but you have to watch out for the bends. Also, on an acoustic, it can be hard to do 3 or four hammer-ons or pull-offs at a time, so you may just want to play each note seperately instead of that fancy stuff. Practice it slow at first with a metronome, and when you have it down perfect at a really slow speed, slowly ease the speed up and practice at that speed. Keep doing this until it's about the speed of the actual solo, and you've got yourself your first solo!
Conclusion
Now that you have all the parts, you can learn the whole song as one! I hope you enjoyed my tutorial. I might add a part on the first solo sometime. Here's the song in it's entirety: