Creator Area
Sign in Creator Area

Practice Studio

Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb Pt.1 - All Rhythm Guitar Parts - Guitar Lesson

Sections · Loop · Speed · Metronome

Not in tune?

Select a Loop

Start of your loop
End of your loop

Speed Control

Speed
100%

Tools

BPM
Key B minor
Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb Pt.1 - All Rhythm Guitar Parts guitar lesson video
Guitar 365
Guitar 365 Top Contributor
YouTube: 1.6Msubs 555Kviews
Creator Page →
PLAY WITH BACKING TRACK
·
–50¢ 0 +50¢
· Tap to start

Your browser will ask for microphone permission.

Amp Settings

Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Master7
AI tone preset

AI-selected preset based on genre and era — adjust the knobs to taste.

Roll back the gain slightly and pick near the neck for a warmer, more open crunch.
Listen on Spotify
Pink Floyd Progressive Rock B minor
Capo Advisor 0 B minor · Original key

About Comfortably Numb Pt.1 - All Rhythm Guitar Parts

Few rhythm guitar parts in rock demand as much restraint as those in "Comfortably Numb." Pink Floyd built this track on a foundation of carefully voiced chords that support the vocal melody without ever crowding it, and that balance is what makes the rhythm work genuinely tricky to nail. Playing in B minor, the chords need to sit back in the pocket rather than push forward, which means your right hand has to stay controlled and deliberate through every stroke. Pay close attention to the dynamic shaping: sections swell and pull back, so a flat, even strum throughout will miss the point entirely. The chord voicings themselves are not exotic, but locking their timing and feel to the track is the real challenge. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop individual sections slowed down, especially any transitions where the harmonic movement shifts, until the dynamics and timing feel natural rather than mechanical.

  • The rhythm parts sit in B minor and rely on clean, controlled strumming dynamics rather than distortion or complex technique.
  • Careful attention to swell and decay within each chord is more important here than speed or technical difficulty.
  • Looping shorter sections slowed down with the Practice Toolbar is the most effective way to internalize the subtle timing feel.

How to Play Comfortably Numb Pt.1 - All Rhythm Guitar Parts

Key: B minor · Tempo: 126 BPM

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 126 BPM to build it up to tempo.

Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Gilmour's 1969 Black Strat is his primary instrument, offering glassy neck pickup tones perfect for his singing bends and the warm, rounded character that defines Pink Floyd's melodic solos without harsh brightness.

Fender Telecaster
Guitar

Fender Telecaster

This workhorse guitar provided Gilmour with a brighter, more cutting tone for rhythm work and alternative textures, offering the snap and clarity needed for Pink Floyd's diverse sonic palette across studio and live performances.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Gilmour's 1955 Les Paul Goldtop, fitted with original P-90 pickups, delivers the thick, gritty midrange essential for iconic solos like Comfortably Numb's outro, providing tonal weight and sustain that Strats cannot match.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

Though less documented than the Goldtop, this model would offer similar thick, sustained tones with enhanced versatility through multiple pickup switching, supporting Gilmour's need for varied textures within complex Pink Floyd arrangements.

Fender Twin Reverb
Amp

Fender Twin Reverb

Gilmour used Twin Reverbs for their exceptional clean headroom and built-in reverb, creating spacious, shimmering textures that complement his delay-heavy effects chain and define Pink Floyd's atmospheric, three-dimensional soundscapes.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

The Cry Baby opens Gilmour's effects chain, allowing expressive vocal-like phrasing on solos, integral to Pink Floyd's emotional delivery and creating dynamic dynamic tonal sweeps that enhance the band's psychedelic and progressive character.

Recommended for You

Play with Backing Track

Play with Backing Track

Solo (Backing Track)

Solo (Backing Track)