Major view
Gb major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = F (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = Cb (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Simon - Garfunkel - The Sounds of Silence - Chord
Key Gb major – Eb minor Chords Gb, Ebm, B, Db Easy key G
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Key: Gb | D#m | Ebm
Capo: 0
Ebm Db
Hello darkness, my old friend
Ebm
I've come to talk with you again
B Gb
Because a vision softly creeping
B Gb
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
B Gb
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Ebm
Still remains
Gb Db Ebm
Within the sound of silence
Ebm Db
In restless dreams I walked alone
Ebm
Narrow streets of cobblestone
B Gb
'neath the halo of a street lamp
B Gb
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
B Gb
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
Ebm
That split the night
Gb Db Ebm
And touched the sound of silence
Db
And in the naked light I saw
Ebm
Ten thousand people, maybe more
B Gb
People talking without speaking
B Gb
People hearing without listening
B Gb
People writing songs that voices never share
Ebm
And no one dare
Gb Db Ebm
Disturb the sound of silence
Db
Fools said I, you do not know
Ebm
Silence like a cancer grows
B Gb
Hear my words that I might teach you
B Gb
Take my arms that I might reach you
B Gb Ebm
But my words like silent raindrops fell
Gb
And echoed
Db Ebm
In the wells of silence
Db
And the people bowed and prayed
Ebm
To the neon God they made
B Gb
And the sign flashed out its warning
B Gb
In the words that it was forming
B
And the sign said, the words of the prophets
Gb
Are written on the subway walls
Gb Ebm
And tenement halls
Gb Db Ebm
And whisper'd in the sounds of silence
End of song Play again?
Simon - Garfunkel - The Sounds of Silence Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Simon - Garfunkel – The Sounds of Silence: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Ebm and ends on Ebm. Its chords belong to both Gb major and Ebm, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
Eb minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = Cb (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = Db (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the Eb minor side because it both starts and finishes on Ebm and Gb is heard 21 times against 17 for Ebm. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from Gb major, and switching between the two views is exactly where the practice value lies.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to Gb or to Ebm; comparing both readings is a practice of its own.
Every chord of the key, listed 1 to 7 separately for each key. Chords played in the song show how often they appear; chords from outside the scale sit next to their own degree.
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Gb | Tonic — home | Gb · Bb · Db | 21× |
| ii | Abm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | Ab · Cb · Eb | — |
| iii | Bbm | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | Bb · Db · F | — |
| V/vi | Bb | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Ebmsecondary dominant | Bb · D · F | — |
| IV | B | Subdominant — moves away from home | B · D# · F# | 15× |
| V | Db | Dominant — strongest pull home | Db · F · Ab | 10× |
| vi | Ebm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | Eb · Gb · Bb | 17× |
| vii° | Fdim | Leading-tone chord — tension | F · Ab · Cb | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Ebm | Tonic — home | Eb · Gb · Bb | 17× |
| ii° | Fdim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | F · Ab · Cb | — |
| III | Gb | Relative major — the bright side | Gb · Bb · Db | 21× |
| iv | Abm | Subdominant — moves away from home | Ab · Cb · Eb | — |
| v | Bbm | Minor dominant — soft pull | Bb · Db · F | — |
| V | Bb | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | Bb · D · F | — |
| VI | B | Submediant — warm colour | B · D# · F# | 15× |
| VII | Db | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | Db · F · Ab | 10× |
Analysis
The key pair is Gb major and its relative Eb minor (6 flats). 4 different chords appear 63 times in total; 4 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. Everything stays inside one scale, which is why the song is easy to follow by ear.
Chord movement
- B Gb GbIV → Iplagal cadence EbmVI → III ×15
- Db Ebm GbV → videceptive cadence EbmVII → iAeolian arrival ×10
The move to watch is B → Gb, heard 15 times. From the Ebm side it is VI → III; from the Gb side it reads IV → I (plagal cadence: the soft 'amen' ending). Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- Gb major pentatonic and Eb minor pentatonic are the same five notes (Gb – Ab – Bb – Db – Eb): start from Gb for a brighter phrase, from Eb for a bluesier one.
- Over Gb, land on Gb, Bb, Db — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Ebm, land on Eb, Gb, Bb — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over B, land on B, D#, F# — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
The song on the circle of fifths
- Played in the song — chord of the key
- Played — the minor's harmonic V or a secondary dominant
- Played — borrowed or outside chord
- Home region: IV–I–V and ii–vi–iii
Empty slices are chords the song doesn't use.
Capo and easier keys
With Gb major shapes
- Capo 2 + E shapes
- Capo 4 + D shapes
- Capo 6 + C shapes
With Eb minor shapes
- Capo 1 + Dm shapes
- Capo 6 + Am shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 1 semitone up
- 6 semitones up · capo 6 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
The opening Ebm lays a solid floor for everything that follows. The backbone is Gb, Ebm, B, Db — I–vi–IV–V from the Gb side, III–i–VI–VII from the Ebm side. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on B → Gb (IV → I in Gb, VI → III in Ebm): plagal cadence — the soft 'amen' ending. Ending on Ebm, the song seals Ebm as home.
This analysis is generated from the song's chords by akorculuk's harmony engine using consistent rules. When you change key, the degrees stay the same; only the chord names change.
Simon - Garfunkel - The Sounds of Silence Chords on Guitar, Ukulele and Piano
Hover over or tap a chord in the lyrics for its shapes, its degree in both keys and a listen button. Here you have every chord of the song side by side.
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