Guitar lesson for

Mrs. Robinson

Video lesson

Here’s a cover of me playing the song from beginning to end:

My beginner lesson, focusing on chords and strumming:

For an intermediate lesson showing some of the runs and fills, see this:

PDF Print-friendly chord sheet available for Patreon supporters

Get the PDF here -- after clicking and logging in to Patreon, look for the file attached to the bottom of the post.

Supporting me on Patreon gives you access to the PDF for this as well as 150+ other lessons. One month minimum ($3, cancel anytime) gets you access to everything... here's a free sample. Thanks for supporting me and this project!

Lyrics with chords

E                                                     E7
Dee, dee dee-dee... dee dee, dee-dee dee dee, dee-dee dee
     A                               A7
Doo, doo doo-doo... doo doo, doo-doo doo...
D                   G                   C        G/B     Am
...Dee-dee dee-dee, dee dee, dee dee... dee-dee, dee-dee dee
E           D7
.........................

                  G         Em
    And here's to you, Mrs. Robinson
    G               Em                 C                 D
    Jesus loves you more than you will know... whoa whoa whoa
                  G            Em
    God bless you please, Mrs. Robinson
    G              Em                  C               Am
    Heaven holds a place for those who pray... hey hey hey
            E
    Hey hey hey...

     E                                           E7
We'd like to know a little bit about you for our files
     A                                  A7
We'd like to help you learn to help yourself
D                  G               C    G/B    Am
...Look around you all you see are sympathetic eyes
E                              D7
...Stroll around the grounds until you feel at home

                  G         Em
    And here's to you, Mrs. Robinson
    G               Em                 C                 D
    Jesus loves you more than you will know... whoa whoa whoa
                  G            Em
    God bless you please, Mrs. Robinson
    G              Em                  C               Am
    Heaven holds a place for those who pray... hey hey hey
            E
    Hey hey hey...

E                                                E7
...Hide it in the hiding place where no one ever goes
A                                  A7  
...Put it in your pantry with your cupcakes
D                G                C    G/B     Am
...It's a little secret, just the Robinson's affair
E                            D7
...Most of all you've got to hide it from the kids

              G          Em
    Koo koo kachoo, Mrs. Robinson
    G               Em                 C                 D
    Jesus loves you more than you will know... whoa whoa whoa
                  G            Em
    God bless you please, Mrs. Robinson
    G              Em                  C               Am
    Heaven holds a place for those who pray... hey hey hey
            E
    Hey hey hey...

E                                     E7
...Sitting on a sofa on a Sunday afternoon
A                             A7
...Going to the candidates' debate
D                  G               C          G/B     Am
...Laugh about it, shout about it, when you've got to choose
E                                 D7
...Every way you look at this you lose

                   G           Em
    Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio
        G                Em             C              D
    Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you... woo woo woo
                    G         Em
    What's that you say, Mrs. Robinson
    G               Em             C              Am
    Joltin' Joe has left and gone away... hey hey hey
            E
    Hey hey hey...

Chords needed

E ––––0–––0–––3–––0–––0–––––––0–––2–––2–––0–––0––––
B ––––0–––3–––0–––0–––1–––0–––1–––3–––1–––2–––2––––
G ––––1–––1–––0–––0–––0–––0–––2–––2–––2–––2–––0––––
D ––––2–––2–––0–––2–––2–––0–––2–––0–––0–––2–––2––––
A ––––2–––2–––2–––2–––3–––2–––0–––––––––––0–––0––––
E ––––0–––0–––3–––0––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
      E   E7  G   Em  C  G/B  Am  D   D7  A   A7

Chord progressions

Intro & filler riff:

E   /   /   /     ...played w/ bass-line riff

Verse:

"We'd like to know a little bit about you for our files..."

E   /   /   E7   /   A   /   A7  /
D   G   C   Am   /   E   /   D7  /  

Chorus:

"And here's to you, Mrs. Robinson..."

G   Em  G   Em   C   /   D   /
G   Em  G   Em   C   /   Am  /   -->  intro w/ riff

Strumming pattern

There’s some flexibility with how you strum, though I think the most important thing is to accent the 2nd (and possibly 4th) beat of every four-beat measure. You might start with practicing down-strums only, on the 2nd and 4th beats:

        ↓               ↓      
1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +  

Once you have that, you can add to it by adding some additional strums (played not quite as loud) on these other beats. Again, make sure the 2nd and 4th beats are where most of your accent is.

        >               >      
↓       ↓   ↑       ↑   ↓   ↑  
1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +   

Intro and fill riff

Repeat this as desired (usually two or four times is what I do). If you prefer, you can strum the E-chord for the full duration of this 8-count section, while accenting the bass-line melody notes. Or you can play a straight E chord and ignore the melody notes – it’s up to you.

E –––0–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
B –––0–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
G –––1–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
D –––2––––––––––––––0–––––2––––––––––––––––––––––––––
A –––2–––––0––2––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
E –––0–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
     1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +  5  +  6  +  7  +  8  +

Other riffs and fills

Verse melody

If you want to emulate the vocal melody with your guitar while staying in the open E and open A positions, focus on these notes. You can strum along if you’re able to do so (though that’s a bit trickier).

E ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––|–––0––––––
B –––3––3––2–2–––0–0––––––––––––––––––––––|–––3––––––
G –––1––––––––––––––––2–2–––1–2–1–––––––––|–––1––––––
D –––2–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––/4––2––|–––2––––––
A –––2––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––|–––2––––––
E –––0––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––|–––0––––––
     E                                        E7

E ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––|–––0––––––
B –––2–––2––0––0––––––––––––––––––––––––––|–––2––––––
G –––2––––––––––––––2––2–––––2––2––––0––––|–––0––––––
D –––2––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––|–––2––––––
A –––0––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––|–––0––––––
E ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––|––––––––––
     A                                        A7

Verse walkdown

“Look around you all you see are sympathetic eyes…”

E –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
B –––––1––––––0––––––3~~~~~~~~~~~––––3–––1–––––––––––
G –––––0––––––0––––––2–––––––––––––––––––2–––––––––––
D –––––2––––––0––––––2–––––––––––––––––––2–––––––––––
A –––3––––––2––––––0–––––––––––––––––––––0–––––––––––
E –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
     C     G/B     Am(sus4)              Am                 

Chrous walkdowns

High level, this:

E ––(0)–––––––––––––––––––––––(2)––––––––––––––––––––
B –––1–––––1–––––1–––––1–––––––3––––3–––––3–––––3––––
G –––0–––––0–––––2–––––0–––––––2––––2–––––2–––––2––––
D –––2–––––0–––––2–––––2–––––––0––––0–––––0–––––0––––
A –––3–––––2–––––0––––––––––––––––––3–––––2–––––0––––
E –––––––––––––––––––––3–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
     C    C/B    Am   C/G      D   D/C   D/B   D/A

Specifically:

E –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
B –––––1–––––––1–––––––1–––––––1–––––––––––––––––––––
G –––––0–––––––0–––––––2–––––––0–––––––––––––––––––––
D –––––2–––––––0–––––––2–––––––2–––––––––––––––––––––
A –––3–––––––2–––––––0–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
E –––––––––––––––––––––––––––3–––––––––––––––––––––––
     C      C/B      Am      C/G                      

E –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
B –––––3–––––––3–––––––3–––––––3–––––––––––––––––––––
G –––––2–––––––2–––––––2–––––––2–––––––––––––––––––––
D –––0–––––––––0–––––––0–––––––0–––––––––––––––––––––
A –––––––––––3–––––––2–––––––0–––––––––––––––––––––––
E –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
     D       D/C     D/B     D/A

Thanks for reading!

I hope this was helpful! Please don’t hesitate to hit me up with any questions you have. And as always, please let me know what other songs from Simon and Garfunkel you might want to hear lessons for. Have a great day!

Enjoy my lessons? Buy me a beer!

If this and my other lessons have proven helpful to you, please consider making a one-time donation to my tip jar. Contributions of any amount help make this project possible (including the many, many hours I put into it).

You can also support me on Patreon. For only $3/month you'll get access to a print-friendly PDF of my notes for each new lesson (view free sample).

Thanks!

Subscribe to my YouTube channel

Be sure to never miss a lesson by subscribing on YouTube. I put out 2-3 new videos every week. These include full song lessons, as well as covers, practice tips, behind-the-scenes updates. Thanks!