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Editorβs notes
In this lesson, Iβll show you how to play the classic Pink Floyd song βWish You Were Hereβ. Iβll show you how to play the intro (with tabs), explain the chords needed, talk about strumming pattern, and more. This is just a fabulous song, great for beginners (I keep this version as easy as possible), but also quite fun for seasoned musicians. Hereβs what I cover in the lesson:
Video timestamps:
- 0:00 Playthrough
- 2:20 Lesson overview
- 3:34 Intro Riff, part 1
- 5:40 Intro Riff, part 2
- 7:05 Verse strumming, simple
- 7:50 Verse strumming, advanced
The more musically astute among you will notice some corners I may have cut in some of the very minor details with the intro riffβs tab. I also am using standard chord shapes for the verse/chorus chords (where I believe Pink Floyd likely plays inversions of these chords, such as C/G and D/F#).
Intro riff
E ββββββββββββββββ3ββ3β3ββ3βββββββββββββββββ3ββ3β3ββ3βββ
B ββββββββββββββββ3ββ3β3ββ3βββββββββββββββββ3ββ3β3ββ3βββ
G ββββββββββββββββ0ββ0β0ββ0ββββββββ0ββββββββ0ββ0β0ββ0βββ
D βββββββββ0β2ββββ2ββ2β2ββ2ββββββ2βββ2β0ββββ0ββ0β0ββ0βββ x 2
A βββββ0h2ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
E βββ3ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
Em7 G
E ββββββββββββββββ3ββ3β3ββ3βββββββββββββββββ3ββ3β3ββ3βββ
B ββββββββββββββββ3ββ3β3ββ3βββββββββββββββββ3ββ3β3ββ3βββ
G ββββββββββββββββ0ββ0β0ββ0βββββββββββββββββ0ββ0β0ββ0βββ
D βββββββββ0β2ββββ2ββ2β2ββ2ββββββ2β0ββββββββ2ββ2β2ββ2βββ x 2
A βββββ0h2βββββββββββββββββββββββββββ2β0ββββ0ββ0β0ββ0βββ
E βββ3ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
Em7 A7sus4
E ββββββββββββββββββ3ββ3β3ββ3β3βββ
B ββββββββββββββββββ3ββ3β3ββ3β3βββ
G ββββββββββββββββββ0ββ0β0ββ0β0βββ
D ββββββββββββββββββ0ββ0β0ββ0β0βββ x 1, then repeat intro (with solo)
A βββ0β0h2β0ββββββββ2ββ2β2ββ2β2βββ or begin the first verse
E ββββββββββββ3βββββ3ββ3β3ββ3β3βββ
G
Lyrics w/ chords
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 role in a cage
[ play full intro, with solo ]
C D
...How I wish, how I wish you were here
Am G
Weβre just two lost souls swimminβ in a fish bowl... year after year
D C
...β¨Running over the same old ground... what have we found
Am G
The same old fears... I wish you were here
[ repeat intro as desired, with or without solo, end ]
Chords needed
For the intro:
E βββββ3βββββ3βββββ3βββββ
B βββββ3βββββ3βββββ3βββββ
G βββββ0βββββ0βββββ0βββββ
D βββββ0βββββ2βββββ2βββββ
A βββββ2βββββββββββ0βββββ
E βββββ3βββββββββββββββββ
G Em7 A7sus4
For the verse:
E βββββ3ββββ0ββββ2ββββ0βββββ
B βββββ3ββββ1ββββ3ββββ1βββββ
G βββββ0ββββ0ββββ2ββββ2βββββ
D βββββ0ββββ2ββββ0ββββ2βββββ
A βββββ2ββββ3βββββββββ0βββββ
E βββββ3ββββββββββββββββββββ
G C D Am
Strumming pattern
If youβre just getting started with things, I recommend the following simple strum. Do down strums on all 4 counts, but try to accent (give extra oomph) to the β1β and β3β counts. In repetition, this would read as βDOWN down DOWN down DOWN down DOWN downβ¦β
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
D d D d
From there, you can take things to the next level by doing this βdownβ¦ down, down upβ pattern over and over. See my video lesson for reference! In repetition, this reads as βDOWNβ¦ down, down up DOWNβ¦ down, down up DOWNβ¦ down, down upβ¦β
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
D d d u
Finally, thereβs an advanced strumming pattern you can do (which I also show in the video lesson). This pattern takes up two full measures. This would be spoken as βDOWNβ¦ down, down up, up down, down up down up DOWNβ¦ down, down up, up down, down up down up.β
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
D d d u u d d u d u
Hope this helps!
This is a great song, good luck with it, and I hope this helped you.
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