Released in 1975 on the album of the same name, Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" (written by David Gilmour and Roger Waters) features one of the most famous acoustic guitar intro riffs in rock history.
In this lesson, we analyze the dual-guitar arrangement: Guitar 1 (12-string / 6-string rhythm strumming) and Guitar 2 (acoustic lead solo with string bends and hammer-ons).
1. Key & Chord Progression
The song is played in the key of G Major at a relaxed tempo of 60 BPM in 4/4 time signature.
Core Intro & Verse Chords:
- G Major (320033): Keep fingers 3 & 4 anchored on 2nd and 1st strings at 3rd fret.
- Cadd9 (x32033): Simple 1-string shift from G Major! Move fingers 1 & 2 down 1 string.
- Em7 (022033): Full sounding 4-finger E Minor variation.
- A7sus4 (x02033): Open A string with ring finger held on 2nd string 3rd fret.
2. Intro Riff & Rhythm Tab (Guitar 1)
The main acoustic intro theme featuring the iconic 0h2 hammer-on and G / Em7 / A7sus4 strumming pattern:
[Pickup & Measure 1]
e|-----------|-----3-3-3---3-3--------3---------|
B|-----------|-----3-3-3---3-3--------3---------|
G|-----------|-----0-0-0---0-0--------0-0-------|
D|-------0---|-2---2-2-2---2-2--------------2---|
A|---0h2-----|-----2-2-2---2-2------------------|
E|-----------|-----x-x-x---x-x------------------|
[Measure 2]
e|-----3-3-3---3-3---3-------------|
B|-----3-3-3---3-3---3-------------|
G|-----0-0-0---0-0---0-------------|
D|-0---0-0-0---0-0---0---------0---|
A|-----2-2-2---2-2---------0h2-----|
E|-----3-3-3---3-3-----3-----------|
[Measure 3]
e|-----3-3-3---3-3---3-------------|
B|-----3-3-3---3-3---3-------------|
G|-----0-0-0---0-0---0-----0-------|
D|-2---2-2-2---2-2-----2-------2---|
A|-----2-2-2---2-2-----------------|
E|-----x-x-x---x-x-----------------|
[Measure 4]
e|-----3-3-3---3-3---3-------------|
B|-----3-3-3---3-3---3-------------|
G|-----0-0-0---0-0---0-------------|
D|-0---0-0-0---0-0---0---------0---|
A|-----2-2-2---2-2---------0h2-----|
E|-----3-3-3---3-3-----3-----------|
[Measure 5 - Am7 / A7sus4]
e|-----3--3--3--3-3-|--------------|--3---3-3------3-3-3---------|
B|-----3--3--3--3-3-|--------------|--3---3-3------3-3-3---------|
G|-----0--0--0--0-0-|--------------|--2---2-2------2-2-2---------|
D|-2---2--2--2--2-2-|--2--0--------|--2---2-2------2-2-2-----0---|
A|-----2--2--2--2-2-|--------2--0--|--0-------0----------0h2-----|
E|-----x--x--x--x-x-|--------------|-----------------------------|
[Measure 6]
e|-----3--3--3--3-3-|--------------|--3--3--3--3-3-|
B|-----3--3--3--3-3-|--------------|--3--3--3--3-3-|
G|-----0--0--0--0-0-|--------------|--2--2--2--2-2-|
D|-2---2--2--2--2-2-|--2--0--------|--2--2--2--2-2-|
A|-----2--2--2--2-2-|--------2--0--|--0--0--0--0-0-|
E|-----x--x--x--x-x-|--------------|--x--x--x--x-x-|
[Measure 7 - Transition to G]
e|------------------|-3--3--3--3-3-|-3--3--3--3-3-|-3--3--3--3-3-|
B|------------------|-3--3--3--3-3-|-3--3--3--3-3-|-3--3--3--3-3-|
G|------------------|-0--0--0--0-0-|-0--0--0--0-0-|-0--0--0--0-0-|
D|------------------|-0--0--0--0-0-|-0--0--0--0-0-|-0--0--0--0-0-|
A|---0-2p0------2---|-2--2--2--2-2-|-2--2--2--2-2-|-2--2--2--2-2-|
E|---------3-3--3---|-3--3--3--3-3-|-3--3--3--3-3-|-3--3--3--3-3-|
3. Acoustic Solo Tab (Guitar 2 Lead Riff)
David Gilmour's iconic acoustic lead solo played over Guitar 1's intro rhythm:
e|----------------------------------------------------------|
B|--------3------5------3-----------------------------------|
G|--2h3/4------------4-------------4\2p0--------------------|
D|------------------------------------------0---------0---0-|
A|-----------------------------------------------1/2--------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------|
e|----3/5-5\3-----------------------------------------------|
B|----3/5-5\3----3/5-5\3---------3/5-5\3-------(/0)---------|
G|---------------2/4-4\2----0----2/4-4\2p0-4----------------|
D|-----------------------------------------5----------------|
A|----------------------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|----------3-------5----5b7r5p3-----3--------------3h5--------------|
G|----2h3/4------4----------------4------2~----4b6-------4b6---2~----|
D|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|----------3------5----5b7-7r5p3--5---------------------------------|
G|----2h3/4----4-------------------------2~-------4b6r4----2~--------|
D|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
4. Practice Along with Interactive Audio Player
Practice both Guitar 1 (Rhythm) and Guitar 2 (Lead) with our interactive synthesis engine! Open GuitarPractice Wish You Were Here Track to adjust track volumes independently, loop intro sections, and view synced lyrics live during playback.