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Pink Floyd - Fat Old Sun - Guitar Solo Tab

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BPM
Key D major
Pink Floyd - Fat Old Sun guitar tab video
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Atom Heart Mother album cover
Atom Heart Mother
1970 5:24
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Pink Floyd Progressive Rock 1970 D major
Capo Advisor 0 D major · Original key

About Fat Old Sun

Few tracks in the Progressive Rock catalogue reward slow, patient practice quite like "Fat Old Sun." The song centers on a fingerpicked or hybrid-picked arpeggiated figure in D major that loops hypnotically, so clean left-hand fretting and consistent right-hand articulation matter more here than speed. At 120 BPM the tempo feels relaxed, but keeping the arpeggio pattern even and ringing while chord shapes shift underneath is where most players start to slip. The lead guitar passages that build later in the track ask for a lyrical, singing tone with gentle vibrato, the kind of phrasing that is harder to nail than any fast run. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop those lead sections slowed down until the phrasing feels natural rather than mechanical. Pink Floyd recorded the track in E Standard tuning, so no retuning is needed, but dialing in a clean, warm amp tone with just a touch of reverb will bring you much closer to the feel of the original.

  • The core guitar part is a repeating arpeggio pattern in D major, so smooth chord transitions with clean note separation are the main technical hurdle.
  • Recorded in E Standard tuning, meaning no alternate tuning is required before you start working through the tab.
  • The extended lead guitar section rewards slow, deliberate practice of vibrato and note sustain, and looping it slowed down in the Practice Toolbar is the most effective approach.

How to Play Fat Old Sun

Tuning: E Standard · Key: D major · Tempo: 120 BPM

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 120 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.

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