I’ve always loved that old Simon & Garfunkel tune but never tried playing it until yesterday. My guitar was collecting dust in the corner, so I dragged it out thinking “how hard could this be?”
First attempt was rough
Started with basic G, C, D chords like every tutorial suggests. Sounded okay at snail-speed but fell apart when I tried singing along. Voice cracked every time during the “paper from the sunday magazines” line. Fingers kept muting the B string on the C chord – super frustrating.
Breakthrough with the hammer-ons
After three coffee refills, I noticed the recording has these lilting notes between chords. Grabbed my capo, slid it up to the fourth fret and tried quick hammer-ons from A minor to C. That sparkling sound finally appeared! Messed up the timing for hours though – my foot tapping never matched my strumming hand.
Biggest struggles:
- Transitioning from G to D7 without breaking rhythm
- Getting the muted strum effect during “pretend” lyrics
- Stopping my pinky from trembling during sustained notes
Lightbulb moment
Around 11 PM, I ditched the pick and fingerpicked the intro. Suddenly the melancholy vibe clicked – thumb on bass strings, index/middle dancing on trebles. Added subtle vibrato by wiggling my fretting wrist during “bend with the rainfall” lines. The worn fretboard finally cooperated after I wiped old Dorito grease off the strings.
What finally worked
Slowed everything down stupidly slow. Played along to the 0.75x speed YouTube version while staring at my hands like a hawk. Memorized the chord shapes in chunks instead of forcing the whole song. Key was relaxing my death-grip on the neck – tension makes everything sound robotic. When I stopped caring about perfection, the emotion came through.
Still sounds slightly drunk during the bridge section, but yesterday’s practice session reminded me why folks stick with this guitar nonsense. That magical moment when fingers eventually obey the brain? Pure gold. Might record a sloppy version tomorrow before I forget the muscle memory.
