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Sam Smith - Writing's On The Wall - Guitar Cover

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Key F minor
Sam Smith - Writing's On The Wall guitar cover video
Kfir Ochaion
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Classic Rock

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Writing's On The Wall album cover
Writing's On The Wall
2015 4:39
Listen on Spotify
Sam Smith Pop Rock 2015 F minor
Capo Advisor 0 F minor · Original key

About Writing's On The Wall

Written as the theme for the 2015 Bond film Spectre, this Pop Rock ballad gives guitarists a chance to work on slow, expressive chord playing in F minor at a measured 108 BPM. The song is driven primarily by orchestral arrangement, so on guitar your job is to serve the mood: clean voicings, careful dynamics, and smooth transitions between chords matter far more than speed. E Standard tuning keeps everything familiar, but the key of F minor means you will want to get comfortable with barre chords and minor chord shapes across the neck. The challenge is not technical complexity but control, keeping your touch light and even so the emotional weight of the melody comes through. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop any chord change that feels uneven and slow it down until the movement is completely smooth before bringing it back up to tempo. Sam Smith delivers the vocal with real restraint, and your guitar playing should match that same sense of control.

  • Playing in F minor at 108 BPM, smooth barre chord transitions are the core challenge to nail before attempting the full song at tempo.
  • E Standard tuning is used, so no retuning is needed, but clean frethand muting between chord changes is essential for a polished sound.
  • The arrangement is largely orchestral, meaning a guitarist covering this song benefits most from practising light pick attack and consistent chord voicing.

How to Play Writing's On The Wall

Tuning: E Standard · Key: F minor · Tempo: 108 BPM

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 108 BPM to build it up to tempo.

Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Sam Smith's guitarists use the Strat's warm neck pickup for delicate arpeggiated ballad patterns, rolling back the tone knob for a rounder, jazzier character that complements his intimate vocal delivery without cluttering the mix.

Fender Telecaster
Guitar

Fender Telecaster

The Telecaster's bright, articulate single-coil tone cuts cleanly through dense vocal arrangements on Sam Smith tracks, maintaining note definition and picking dynamics without competing for space in the mix.

Fender Twin Reverb
Amp

Fender Twin Reverb

Set completely clean with spacious reverb, the Twin Reverb provides the expansive, warm foundation that defines Sam Smith's signature sound on ballads like 'Stay With Me,' delivering maximum headroom and clarity.

Fender Deluxe Reverb
Amp

Fender Deluxe Reverb

The Deluxe Reverb's vintage clean headroom and built-in reverb create the intimate, spacious backdrop essential to Sam Smith's stripped-back arrangements, offering slightly less power than the Twin but the same tonal clarity.

Vox AC30
Amp

Vox AC30

On its clean channel, the AC30 adds a slightly warmer, more colored character to Sam Smith's guitar tone compared to Fender amps, perfect for ballads requiring additional harmonic richness and vintage character.

Boss CE-2 Chorus
Pedal

Boss CE-2 Chorus

This subtle chorus adds width and shimmer to arpeggiated parts in Sam Smith's arrangements, enhancing the spacious, lush quality of his sound while maintaining the clarity and cleanliness his vocal-forward productions demand.

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