Chords + Lyrics | Tenderness
Intro
| C9b5 |
Verse 1
| F | E7 | Am C | F F#dim7 |
What can I do, what can I do? Much of what you say is true,
| C/G | G G11 | C Eb/Bb Bb | Am C7 |
I know you see through me, but there’s no tenderness, beneath your honesty.
Verse 2
| F | E7 | Am C | F F#dim7 |
Right and wrong, right and wrong, never helped us get along.
| C/G | G G11 | C Eb/Bb Bb | Am E7 |
You say you care for me, but there’s no tenderness, beneath your honesty.
Bridge
| 15/4 F#m C#7 D7 C#7 | 4/4 A G#m11 E/B | A G#7 C#7 |
You and me, were such good friends, what’s your hurry?
| 15/4 F#m C#7 D7 C#7 | 4/4 A E/G# | Bm7 G7 | C C7 |
You and me, could make amends, I’m not worried, I’m not worried.
Verse 3
| F | E7 | Am C | F F#dim7 |
Honesty, honesty, it’s such a waste of energy.
| C/G | G G11 | C A7 |
I know you see through me, but there’s no tenderness, beneath your honesty. No, you don’t have to
| D7 G7 | G7 |
lie to me, just give me some tenderness.
Outro
| C Am | Ab9 G9 | C C7 |
| F F#dim7 | C | G | C Eb/Bb Bb | C |
Tenderness.
Chords + Lyrics | Tenderness (key of G)
Intro
| 12/8 G9b5 |
Verse 1
| C | B7 | Em G | C C#dim7 |
What can I do, what can I do? Much of what you say is true,
| G/D | D D11 | G Bb/F F | Em G |
I know you see through me, but there’s no tenderness, beneath your honesty.
Verse 2
| C | B7 | Em G | C C#dim7 |
Right and wrong, right and wrong, never helped us get along.
| G/D | D D11 | G Bb/F F | Em B7 |
You say you care for me, but there’s no tenderness, beneath your honesty.
Bridge
| 15/8 C#m G#7 A7 G#7 | 12/8 E A B | E D#9 G#7 |
You and me, were such good friends, what’s your hurry?
| 15/8 C#m G#7 A7 G#7 | 12/8 E B/D# | F#m D7 | G G7 |
You and me, could make amends, I’m not worried, I’m not worried.
Verse 3
| C | B7 | Em G | C C#dim7 |
Honesty, honesty, it’s such a waste of energy.
| G/D | D D11 | G E |
I know you see through me, but there’s no tenderness, beneath your honesty. No, you don’t have to
| A7 D7 | D7 |
lie to me, just give me some tenderness.
Outro
| G Em | Eb9 D9 | G |
Mm, hm.
| C C#dim7 | G | D | G Bb/F F | G |
Oh-oh. mm-hm. Tenderness.
Tenderness Chords: Exploring the Progressions and Arrangements
When I recorded Tenderness with a female singer, I made a few adjustments to the arrangement: I changed the key from G to C and switched from 4/4 to 12/8.
This song had become a staple in our duo’s repertoire, evolving through numerous gigs. At the time, I didn’t pay much attention to Paul Simon’s original recording, but now, almost 15 years later, I still feel that there’s real value in the way we approached it. As a guitar student, you can learn from how I played it with her.
After working through the TAB, you can easily shift the arrangement back to C to play along with Paul Simon or a male singer, if you prefer. However, let’s begin by discussing the chords as they are in the key of G, which I’ll use for this overview.
Verse
The first chord is a G9b5, which is quite a trick. While it sounds like a V chord leading to chord I, it’s actually still chord I, which moves to chord IV—a clever move on Paul Simon’s part. This shows how he has continued to develop since his Simon & Garfunkel days.
The verses are almost identical, with only the last bar differing—either Em – G or Em – B7. Here’s the first verse with Roman numerals:
|12/8 C (IV) | B7 (IIIx) | Em (VI) G (I) | C (IV) C#dim7 (#IVdim7) |
| G/D (I/5)| D (V) D11 | G (I) Bb/F (bIIIx) F (bVIIx) | Em (VI) G (I) |
Tenderness verse creates a balance between the keys of G and C, with F functioning as the IV chord.
In the TAB lesson, I provide two concepts to demonstrate how to play it. While it’s not identical to my own performance, combining these two ideas will allow you to achieve a similar feel. The goal isn’t to play note-for-note but to embrace a more improvised, dynamic approach, supporting the singer emotionally throughout the performance.
Here’s a link to the TAB lesson: Tenderness – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Bridge
There’s also a more complex way to play the verse. After practising each section individually, these two versions can be blended together in an improvised manner, adding a dynamic touch to the performance.
The bridge introduces an unusual time signature of 15/8, along with a key change through modal interchange. We transition from G/Em to E/C#m, creating a distinctive shift:
|15/8 C#m (VI) G#7 (IIIx) A7 (IV) G#7 (III) |12/8 E (I) A (IV) B (V) | E (I) D#9 (VIIx) G#7 (IIIx) |
|15/8 C#m G#7 A7 G#7 | 12/8 E B/D# | F#m D7 | G |
Verse modifications
The final verse introduces further modifications, starting with D11 and leading to the following progression:
| G (I) E (VIx) | A7 (IIx) D7 (V) | D7 |
Outro
In the outro, the theme is revisited, and more chords are added to enrich the sound. The Eb9 acts as a tritone substitution for the II chord:
| G (I) Em (VI) | Eb9 (bVIx) D9 (V) | G (I) |
| C (IV) C#dim7 (#IVdim7) | G (I) | D (V) | G (I) Bb/F (bIIIx) F (bVIIx) | G (I) |
Refer to the chord chart below for a complete reference to the progression.
Tenderness Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: Tenderness chord chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, here’s a link to that file: Tenderness iReal Pro. Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key, perhaps back to the original!
Tenderness TAB | Course Preview
There are several TAB ideas in the course to get you started and make Tenderness your own.
As a preview, here are the first two lines of idea 1.
A Decade of Unmatched Musical Mastery
As I’ve mentioned before, what Paul Simon released during the ’70s is among the best music ever created.
Kicking off with his self-titled debut in 1970, Simon introduced us to Mother and Child Reunion and Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard, two exceptional tracks that proved he could thrive without Art’s harmonies.
Next came There Goes Rhymin’ Simon (1973), which opened with Kodachrome, Tenderness, and Take Me to the Mardi Gras—three unforgettable tunes. Flip the record over, and you’ll find American Tune, which was even considered as a replacement for the U.S. national anthem, followed by Love Me Like a Rock.
Simon’s final album of the decade, Still Crazy After All These Years (1975), featured the iconic title track and 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, a song beloved by drummers everywhere.
Imagine the challenge Simon faced when putting together a setlist, balancing his solo work with the immense catalog of Simon & Garfunkel hits.
I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of a better “first world problem” to have!
Tenderness Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Tenderness (Paul Simon) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
