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Disturbed / Simon & Garfunkel

1 guitar song · Tabs, Lessons & Tone Guide Alternative Rock

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About This Collection

This collection brings together two radically different worlds: Simon & Garfunkel's iconic 1960s folk-rock songwriting and Disturbed's thunderous 2000s Hard Rock reimagining. Simon & Garfunkel, the legendary duo of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, crafted "The Sound of Silence" in 1964 as a delicate acoustic folk piece built on fingerpicked nylon-string patterns and thoughtful chord voicings. Paul Simon's guitar work on the original is a masterclass in economy, using arpeggiated minor chord progressions that create an atmosphere of tension and melancholy without ever overplaying. For acoustic guitarists, the original version is essential study in dynamics, fingerpicking independence, and how simple progressions (Am, G, F, C) can sound profoundly emotional when voiced and delivered with intention. Disturbed's 2015 cover, performed by vocalist David Draiman and guitarist Dan Donegan, completely transformed the song into a slow-building epic that moves from whisper-quiet clean tones to crushing, distorted power chords. Dan Donegan's arrangement is a lesson in how electric guitarists can use dynamics, gain staging, and layered textures to tell a story. The cover starts with sparse, clean arpeggios and gradually introduces overdriven chords and sustained, reverb-drenched power chords that crescendo into a massive wall of sound. Donegan's restraint in the early sections and explosive release in the climax make this version a perfect study in the art of the build. For guitarists, learning both versions of "The Sound of Silence" is an incredible exercise. The Simon & Garfunkel original teaches fingerpicking, clean tone management, and subtle dynamics on acoustic guitar. Disturbed's version teaches gain control, clean-to-distortion transitions, atmospheric effects usage, and how to make power chords hit with maximum emotional impact. Difficulty-wise, neither version is extremely technical, but both demand maturity and feel. The Simon & Garfunkel arrangement sits at a beginner-to-intermediate acoustic level, while the Disturbed version is intermediate for electric players who need to nail the dynamic arc and tone shifts. Together, they show that great guitar playing is about serving the song, not shredding over it.

What Makes Disturbed / Simon & Garfunkel Essential for Guitar Players

  • Paul Simon's original fingerpicking pattern on "The Sound of Silence" uses a steady bass note with arpeggiated upper strings, making it an excellent exercise for developing thumb independence on acoustic guitar. Practice keeping the bass notes rock-solid while letting the treble strings ring out evenly.
  • Dan Donegan's electric arrangement relies heavily on clean channel arpeggios in the verses, using the neck pickup position for a warm, glassy tone. The key technique here is controlling your pick attack so that each note blooms naturally without harsh transients.
  • The dynamic build in Disturbed's version is achieved through gradual gain staging: moving from a pristine clean tone to light crunch and finally into full high-gain power chords. Practice switching between these gain levels smoothly, either with your guitar's volume knob or a boost pedal.
  • Power chord voicings in the Disturbed climax sections use sustained, ringing fifth intervals with heavy reverb and delay, creating an almost orchestral wall of sound. Focus on letting chords sustain fully and using palm-muting release to control when the sound opens up.
  • The original Simon & Garfunkel chord progression (Am, G, F, C) is deceptively simple but teaches proper voice leading between chords. Pay attention to how the top notes of each chord create a descending melodic line, and try to emphasize that inner melody as you transition between shapes.

Did You Know?

Paul Simon originally recorded "The Sound of Silence" as a purely acoustic track in 1964, and it flopped. Producer Tom Wilson overdubbed electric guitar, bass, and drums without telling Simon or Garfunkel, and that remixed version hit number one in 1966. It's one of the most famous unauthorized overdubs in rock history.

Disturbed's 2015 cover was recorded for their album "Immortalized" and became a viral sensation, eventually surpassing one billion views on YouTube. Dan Donegan has said the hardest part of the guitar arrangement was knowing when NOT to play, letting silence and space do the heavy lifting.

Dan Donegan is known for tuning down to Drop D and Drop C on many Disturbed tracks, but for "The Sound of Silence" he kept standard tuning to preserve the open, resonant quality of the clean chord voicings.

Paul Simon played a Martin 00-21 acoustic guitar on many early Simon & Garfunkel recordings. The smaller parlor-style body contributed to the intimate, focused tone that defined their folk sound.

The electric guitar overdub on the 1966 remix of "The Sound of Silence" was played in a style influenced by the Byrds' jangly Rickenbacker tone, which was the dominant electric folk-rock sound of the era.

Dan Donegan has cited his use of the Digitech Whammy pedal as a signature part of his sound on other Disturbed songs, but for "The Sound of Silence" he stripped his pedalboard down to reverb, delay, and a clean boost to keep things minimal and emotional.

Disturbed's version demonstrated to a new generation of guitarists that covering a classic song effectively is not about adding more notes but about reimagining the dynamics and tonal palette. It became a go-to example in guitar forums for discussing arrangement versus technique.

Essential Albums for Guitarists

Immortalized 2015

This Disturbed album contains the iconic cover of "The Sound of Silence" and is the essential starting point for learning Dan Donegan's approach to dynamic electric guitar arrangement. The title track and "The Vengeful One" also offer great practice for drop-tuned riffing, palm-muted chugging, and controlled distortion techniques.

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Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. 1964

Simon & Garfunkel's debut features the original acoustic version of "The Sound of Silence" along with other fingerpicked folk arrangements. This album is perfect for acoustic guitarists looking to develop clean fingerpicking, arpeggiated chord transitions, and dynamic control at low volumes.

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Sounds of Silence 1966

This album includes the electrified hit version of "The Sound of Silence" with the famous overdubbed electric guitar part. Studying tracks like "Blessed" and "Richard Cory" alongside the title track gives guitarists a crash course in 1960s folk-rock electric tone, jangly strumming patterns, and how electric guitar can complement an acoustic foundation.

Spotify Apple Music

How to Practice Disturbed / Simon & Garfunkel on GuitarZone

Every Disturbed / Simon & Garfunkel song page on GuitarZone includes a built-in Practice Toolbar. No app to download, no account needed. Open any song, then use the toolbar to slow the video to 0.5× speed, set an A/B loop around the exact riff you're working on, and jump between song sections instantly.

The toolbar appears automatically on every guitar tab, lesson, and cover page. Pick a song below, hit play, and start practicing at your own pace.

Practice The Sound of Silence - Guitar Cover