One of the most celebrated duos in the world!
Simon & Garfunkel was a hugely successful American folk duo. Formed in 1957 under the name Tom & Jerry, they started out imitating their favourite duo, Everly Brothers.
In 1963, they signed for Columbia Records and released Wednesday Morning 3 A.M. The record initially sold so poorly that Paul actually moved on to pursue a solo career.
While he was away in England working on new material, and Art returned to his university studies, the record label took the decision to overdub drums, bass, and electric guitars on their recording Sound Of Silence.
The label released it in its new dressed-up version as a single without telling either Art or Paul. The song went to #1 and the duo quickly reunited.
Their second album, entitled The Sound Of Silence quickly followed, now with the overdubs! Other notable tunes were Homeward Bound (U.K. only), I Am A Rock, and Kathy’s Song.
In 1966, they released Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme. Here you’d find tunes such as Scarborough Fair, Homeward Bound (again!), and one of my personal favourites, The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy).
Most of these tunes were songs Paul had written while he was in England, thinking the duo was no more.
Their next album, Bookends (1968), really got the band going as it had the song Mrs. Robinson on it and featured in the Dustin Hoffman film The Graduate.
At this point, Simon & Garfunkel were so famous that they were considered on par with artists and bands like Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones.
Their time as a group culminated with their final release, Bridge Over Troubled Water in 1970. Here we find the world-famous title track, as well as The Boxer, Cecilia, and El Condor Pasa.
Paul Simon‘s songwriting mastery has been compared with the likes of Bob Dylan and Lennon/McCartney. Their unique sound came from the way their voices would blend as they harmonized on almost every song.
Ironically, for their most famous song, Bridge Over Troubled Water, which Paul wrote, he didn’t play the guitar or sing until the final verses.
Following the release of the final album, the duo split and Paul Simon pursued an extremely successful solo career.
Art didn’t do too shabby either. His single Bright Eyes (1979) was the best-selling single in the U.K. at the year of its release. He also released covers such as Wonderful World.
Since the split in 1970, Simon & Garfunkel have had several brief reunions.
Simon & Garfunkel Tunes | Related Pages
The Boxer
You can learn how to play The Boxer by Simon & Garfunkel using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| C (C/G) | C G/B Am Am/E |
I am just a poor boy, though my story’s seldom told…
Scarborough Fair
You can learn how to play Scarborough Fair by Simon & Garfunkel using chords, lyrics, a chord chart, , chord analysis, and Spytunes video guitar lessons.
| A13sus4 | Asus2 | G C/E G | A13sus4 | A7sus2 |
Are you going to Scarborough Fair…
Wonderful World
You can learn how to play Wonderful World by Sam Cooke using chords, lyrics, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| B | G#m |
Don’t know much about history…
Simon & Garfunkel on the web
About me | Dan Lundholm
This was an article about Simon & Garfunkel tunes, by Dan Lundholm. Discover more about him and how you can learn guitar with Spytunes.
Most importantly, find out why you should learn guitar through playing tunes, not by practising scales or studying theory in isolation.