Mrs Robinson Guitar Lesson Just Like The Record

Here’s an edgy song made famous in the classic film “The Graduate” in 1967.

It all started with a bluesy riff Paul Simon mashed together with a catchy sing-along melody that made history.   

I’m going to share facts about the song and go through some of Paul Simon’s iconic guitar work in this post. 

So grab your guitar, and let’s dive into this “Mrs. Robinson” guitar lesson.

Who Wrote Mrs. Robinson?

"Mrs. Robinson" was written by Paul Simon, one-half of the American folk-rock duo Simon & Garfunkel. The song was released in 1968 and is famously associated with the film "The Graduate," directed by Mike Nichols. 

Nichols, a fan of Simon & Garfunkel's music, initially wanted to use their existing songs for the movie's soundtrack. But Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel decided to write new material. 

At the time, Simon had been working on a song titled "Mrs. Roosevelt," which evolved into "Mrs. Robinson." Nichols didn’t like the political element so they put a tacet on the “Roosevelt” lyric.

But the iconic line “Here’s to you, Mrs. Robinson” became a memorable part of the film and captured the essence of the character’s allure and the societal undercurrents of the era. The lyrics sing about a character in "The Graduate," but also allude to broader cultural issues of the 1960s. Anne Bancroft played the iconic role of Mrs. Robinson in the "The Graduate". Her performance is one of the most memorable in film history. She brought depth and nuance to the character. Interestingly, She was only 35 years old at the time of filming, which made her just six years older than Dustin Hoffman. Despite this small age gap, Bancroft convincingly portrayed the much older, world-weary Mrs. Robinson. Her makeup, wardrobe, and demeanor were all carefully crafted to enhance the age difference between her character and Benjamin.

"Mrs. Robinson" was recorded at Columbia Studio A in New York City in 1968. The recording sessions were produced by the legendary producer Tom Wilson, who had also worked with Bob Dylan.

The song was featured on the "Bookends" album as well as the soundtrack for "The Graduate." It won a Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1969, and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States.

"Mrs. Robinson" remains a classic song of the 1960s, and continues to resonate with listeners today. 

Mrs. Robinson Guitar Chords

If you want to play “Mrs. Robinson” on guitar you need to know 8 chords G, Em, C, D, E, A7, Csus2/B, and Am. All these chords can be played in open position as (campfire) chords. Let’s next take a look at some common ways these can be played on guitar.

I play G in a folk style with just two fingers like this:

Em uses all 6 strings like this:

C is played from the 5th string down like this:

For D, aim for 4 strings down like this:

Then we have an E major, which is similar to Em, but we change one note like this:

A7 is a bluesier chord played from the 5th string down like this:

Csus2/B is used as a quick passing chord. For this one, I just play two fingers like this:

Finally, we have Am which is played from the 5th string down like this:

Is Mrs. Robinson based on a true story?

No, "Mrs. Robinson" is not based on a true story. The character of Mrs. Robinson and the story surrounding her and Benjamin Braddock in the film "The Graduate" are purely fictional. 

The film was adapted from the novel of the same name by Charles Webb. The novel itself is also a work of fiction, and while it explores themes of youth, rebellion, and societal expectations, it does not draw from any specific real-life events or individuals. The character of Mrs. Robinson, portrayed by Anne Bancroft, became iconic in popular culture, but she is a creation of the novelist and filmmakers rather than a depiction of a real person.

Mrs. Robinson Intro Guitar Riff

Paul Simon said in an interview on the Dick Cavett show that “Mrs. Robinson” was made up on the spot and it began with a little bluesy fill he was playing in the studio. A simple riff wasn’t enough though, he said it wasn’t working. So he combined the riff with a song he was also writing which was the chorus, “And here’s to you Mrs. Robinson…”

These two things together became the nucleus of the song.

The riff is based on something called the E minor blues scale. Here is an example of a riff in this style:

If you want to master this scale anywhere on the neck, so you can create your own cool riffs like this, grab my free blues scale PDF guide right here now:

Mrs. Robinson Strumming Pattern

The main underlying groove for “Mrs. Robinson” is an 8th-note feel. Strumming 8th notes on guitar means dividing each beat of a 4/4 time signature into two equal parts. 

Count each beat as "1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and".

The numbers represent the downbeats (where you strum down), and "and" represents the upbeats (where you strum up).

Start slowly and focus on maintaining a steady rhythm. 

Once you get the basic idea behind strumming 8th notes. You can try combining other rhythms like quarter notes and 8th notes together like this:

This is just one example. But it will work throughout the entire song.

What Key Is Mrs. Robinson In?

“Mrs. Robinson” as recorded by Simon & Garfunkel is in the key of G major. However,  the bridge section/bluesy riff part changes to the key of E. But the home key is G major. 

There are two main scales at play, the first would be the G major scale. The G major scale uses the notes G, A, B, C, D, E, F#, and G.

This scale can be played in 2nd position like this:

The second scale would be the E minor blues scale. This scale is very versatile and is the foundation the “Mrs. Robinson” riff was created on. Here is an easy way to play this scale in the open position:

Conclusion

To wrap it up, "Mrs. Robinson" is a classic song from the 60s that showcases Paul Simon’s genius songwriting. From its memorable riff and catchy chorus to its thoughtful lyrics and complex characters, the song continues to resonate with listeners old and new.

Keep practicing, and if you want to learn songs way faster, better understand the fretboard, and not waste years spinning your wheels with guitar, grab my free fretboard guide here right now: 

Jon MacLennan