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Editor’s notes
This is my acoustic guitar lesson for “Kodachrome” by Paul Simon. It includes my cover of the song, including the tabs, chords, and lyrics needed to play the entire song.
- 0:00 Playthrough & agenda
- 3:27 Chords used
- 4:56 Strumming pattern
- 6:13 Intro riff
- 12:26 Chorus & outro
Lyrics & chords
INTRO
D . . . D . . . G . . . G . . .
Em . . . A7 . . . D . . . Em . A7 .
...with bassline riff while on G
VERSE
D Dmaj7 D7 G (with riff)
When I think back on all--- the crap I learned in high school
Em A7 D Em A7
...It’s a wonder I can think at all
D Dmaj7 D7 G (with riff)
And though my lack of edu----cation hasn’t hurt me none
Em A7 D
...I can read the writing on the wall
CHORUS
G B7 Em
Kodachrome-----------
Am D
They give us those nice----- bright colors
G C
They give us the greens----- of summers
A7 D G B7 Em
Makes you think all----- the world’s a sunny day, oh--- yeah
Am D
I got a Ni-----kon camera
G C
I love to take a pho----tograph
A7 D G Bm Em A7
So mama don’t take----- my Kodachrome away
D G
If you took all the girls I knew when I was single
Em A7 D Em A7
...And brought them all together for one night
D G
I know they’d never match my sweet imagination
Em A7 D
...Everything looks worse in black and white
G B7 Em
Kodachrome-----------
Am D
They give us those nice----- bright colors
G C
They give us the greens----- of summers
A7 D G B7 Em
Makes you think all----- the world’s a sunny day, oh--- yeah
Am D
I got a Ni-----kon camera
G C
I love to take a pho----tograph
A7 D G Bm Em A7
So mama don’t take----- my Kodachrome away
OUTRO
G Bm Em
Mama don’t take----- my Kodachrome away
G Bm Em
Mama don’t take----- my Kodachrome away
G Bm Em
Mama don’t take----- my Kodachrome away
(start strumming in double time!)
G
Mama don’t take my Kodachrome
Bm
Mama don’t take my Kodachrome
Em
Mama don’t take my Kodachrome away
G
Mama don’t take my Kodachrome
Bm
Leave your boy so far from home
Em
Mama don’t take my Kodachrome away
...repeat this G-Bm-Em sequence as desired, then end
Chords used
Verse chords
e |---2----3----0----0--- e |----2-----2-----2----
B |---3----0----0----2--- B |----3-----2-----1----
G |---2----0----0----0--- G |----2-----2-----2----
D |---0----0----2----2--- D |----0-----0-----0----
A |--------2----2----0--- A |---------------------
E |--------3----0-------- E |---------------------
D G Em A7 D Dmaj7 D7
Chorus chords
First, the turnaround played at the beginning (and in between) of each chorus run:
e |----3-----2-----0----
B |----0-----0-----0----
G |----0-----2-----0----
D |----0-----1-----2----
A |----2-----2-----2----
E |----3-----------0----
G B7 Em
After the turn around, you’ll play these chords in this order:
e |----0----2----3----0----0----2----
B |----1----3----0----1----2----3----
G |----2----2----0----0----0----2----
D |----2----0----0----2----2----0----
A |----0---------2----3----0---------
E |--------------3-------------------
Am D G C A7 D
Outro chords
e |----3-----2-----0----
B |----0-----3-----0----
G |----0-----4-----0----
D |----0-----4-----2----
A |----2-----2-----2----
E |----3-----------0----
G Bm Em
Intro tab
Complete intro tab (that I play) looks like this:
e |------2--------2--------2--------2--------|-
B |------3--------3--------3--------3--------|-
G |------2--------2--------2--------2--------|-
D |---0--------0--------0--------0-----------|-
A |--------------------------------------0---|-
E |------------------------------------------|-
-|-------------------------------------------------|-----
-|-------------------------------------------------|-----
-|-----0-----------0----------0--------------------|-----
-|-----0--------0--0----------0--------0-----------|-----
-|--------1--2--------1--2-------1--2--------------|-----
-|---3----------------------3-------------3--2--1--|--0--
G
-|----0-------------0-------------2----------0----0-----|---2---
-|----0-------------2-------------3----------0----2-----|---3---
-|----0-------------0-------------2----------0----0-----|---2---
-|----2-------------2-------------0----------2----2-----|---0---
-|----2-------------0------------------------2----0-----|-------
-|----0--------------------------------------0----------|-------
Em A7 D Em A7 D
How to practice the G-riff
G-chord finger position
e |----3---- <-- Pinky
B |----0----
G |----0----
D |----0----
A |----2---- <-- Middle finger
E |----3---- <-- Ring finger
G
Riff Exercise #1
First, practice this – which keeps the left hand entirely still the entire time (focus on the up- and down-strum alternating with the right hand).
e |----3---- ------------------------------------------
B |----0---- ------------------------------------------
G |----0---- ------------------------------------------
D |----0---- ---------------0--0--------------------0--
A |----2---- ---------2--2--------2--2--------2--2-----
E |----3---- ---3--3--------------------3--3-----------
D U D U D U D U D U D U D
Riff Exercise #2
Second, practice this – only difference is how you change your 5th fret note with index and middle finger.
e |----3---- ------------------------------------------
B |----0---- ------------------------------------------
G |----0---- ------------------------------------------
D |----0---- ---------------0--0--------------------0--
A |----2---- ---------1--2--------1--2--------1--2-----
E |----3---- ---3--3--------------------3--3-----------
D U D U D U D U D U D U D
Riff Exercise #3
Third, add the final walkdown to that leads you into the E-minor chord which transitions you out from the riff.
e |----3---- ------------------------------------------------------0----
B |----0---- ------------------------------------------------------0----
G |----0---- ------------------------------------------------------0----
D |----0---- ---------------0--0--------------------0--------------2----
A |----2---- ---------1--2--------1--2--------1--2-----------------2----
E |----3---- ---3--3--------------------3--3-----------3--2--1--0-------
D U D U D U D U D U D U D U D U D U
Riff Exercise #4
Finally, if desired, on some of the up-strums you can play some of the middle strings. This lets the riff sound more “strummy”, if this is the sound you want.
e |----3---- ------------------------------------------------------0----
B |----0---- ------------------------------------------------------0----
G |----0---- ------0-----------0-----------0-----------------------0----
D |----0---- ------0--------0--0-----------0--------0--------------2----
A |----2---- ---------1--2--------1--2--------1--2-----------------2----
E |----3---- ---3-----------------------3--------------3--2--1--0-------
D U D U D U D U D U D U D U D U D U
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