The ULTIMATE Wish You Were Here Chords & Guitar Lesson

Picture this…

You’re outback, camping in the woods with some friends…

Nightfall hits and you build a fire…

You brought your guitar with you, and after a few shots of whiskey you decide to play a song for your friends under the stars… 

What tune are you going to play?

Well, here’s one that just might be a perfect solution.

Below I’m going to break down the guitar style behind it. So grab your axe and let’s dive into this “Wish You Were Here” chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Wish You Were Here? 

“Wish You Were Here” was originally written by Roger Waters and David Gilmour of the English rock band Pink Floyd. It was first released in 1975 as the title track of their album of the same name, and it’s gone on to be one of their most legendary songs.

It was inspired by Syd Barrett, the band’s original frontman, who left Pink Floyd due to severe drug-induced breakdowns and mental health issues. The lyrics sing about a sense of alienation, regret, and disconnect from oneself and the world.

The recording sessions for the album Wish You Were Here were done at Abbey Road Studios in London between January and July 1975. During the sessions, something Syd Barrett unexpectedly showed up after years of being out of touch. Barrett had gained a lot of weight, shaved his head and eyebrows, and was almost unrecognizable. The rest of the band members were stunned, especially Gilmour and Waters, who were deeply affected by seeing their old friend in such a state of despair. It was heartbreaking for them. Waters has talked about how Barrett was once the visionary leader of Pink Floyd. Yet now was a shadow of himself. Gilmour later said that it was one of the most emotional moments of his life.

The opening guitar riff played on 12-string guitar is iconic. This was the genesis on which Waters built the lyrics around. The song starts with a radio tuning effect, a deliberate metaphor for trying to connect to something distant and lost. The sound was created by recording a car radio, and when they stumbled upon a violin concerto by Stéphane Grappelli, they decided to leave it faintly in the background.

Gilmour’s lead vocals are blended with Waters’ voice, creating a dreamy, melancholic tone. Although never released as a single, "Wish You Were Here" has become one of Pink Floyd's most recognizable and celebrated songs. It consistently ranks on greatest songs of all time lists, including: Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Guitar World's 100 Greatest Guitar Solos. And, the album Wish You Were Here was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2007.

One other fun note is Gilmour’s "Accidental" cough: 

In the intro, you can hear Gilmour coughing slightly. He had just quit smoking, and they decided to leave it in the track.

Now, you may be wondering…

What is the tuning for Wish You Were Here?

The tuning for "Wish You Were Here" as recorded by Pink Floyd is standard tuning. It’s standard tuning for both the 12 string and the 6 string guitars used in the song. Gilmour kept things simple. Standard tuning for a guitar is spelled out as EADGBE. 

Here are the strings:

• E (6th string, lowest pitch)
• A (5th string)
• D (4th string)
• G (3rd string)
• B (2nd string)
• E (1st string, highest pitch)

Now that you know the “Wish You Were Here” tuning, let’s next talk about the…

Wish You Were Here Chords

If you want to play “Wish You Were Here” on guitar, you’ll need to know 6 main chords, they are Em7, G, A7sus4, C, D/F#, and Am. Let’s take a look at a few ways these chords can be played on the fretboard. 

Em7 I play from the 4th string down like this:

G is a very common shape. For this one, I use 4 fretting hand fingers and all 6 strings like so:

A7sus4 is played the same way as Em7 except in this one we will add the open 5th string into the mix like this:

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

D/F# is played like a typical open position D chord. However, here I add the fretting hand thumb to the 2nd fret of the low 6th string like this:

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

If you’ve struggled to understand the fretboard for RHYTHM and LEAD guitar and want to discover the easiest and fastest way. Then get your hands on my free fretboard guide PDF right here now:  

Is Wish You Were Here hard to play on guitar?

From a technical point of view it is not too complicated. There are only 6 chords, and 2 sections. However, just because it is simple does not mean nailing it like Gilmour does is easy. To strum a basic version of the song will require an intermediate level of skill. But to nail all the solos, rhythms, and vocals, that is going to require an advanced level.

What key is Wish You Were Here in?

“Wish You Were Here” as recorded by Pink Floyd is in the key of G major. The A section leans more toward the relative minor key Em. While the B section focuses more on the relative major (G major). Analyzing the melody and the chords one can clearly see the G major scale is the primarily scale. The G major scale uses the notes G - A - B - C - D - E - F# - G. 

Let’s take a look at how the chords relate in the key of G major:

Em7 (vi7) → E G B D

This is the vi7 chord (minor 7th) in G major.

The E minor (vi) chord is diatonic in G major, and adding the D on top makes it a minor 7th chord (Em7). This creates another common tone between the two chords as they shift in the intro and provides a softer, moodier sound in the key.

G major (I) → G B D

The tonic (I) chord of the key.

This is the home base of the progression and the entire song,

A7sus4 → A D E G

Technically this chord has no third in the guitar shape. So while it does not naturally occur in the key of G major, I still consider it a variation on the ii chord Am. The sus4 (D) gives it a slight tension without completely going somewhere beyond the key. 

C major (IV) → C E G

This is the IV chord, which adds a bright, open sound. It’s used for contrast in the B section and provides a nice step away from the I chord.

D/F# (V with a different bass) → F# A D

This is a D major chord (V) with F# in the bass.

The V chord (D) has strong tension and usually wants to resolve to G (I).

The F# bass note makes the movement smoother when connecting chords.

A minor (ii) → A C E

The ii chord (Am) is diatonic in G major.

This chord can be used to create subtle tension often leading to D (V), C (IV), or back home to G (I).

So that’s the theory, but remember, all of that doesn’t mean a thing without a good…

Wish You Were Here Strumming Pattern

The main underlying groove for “Wish You Were Here” is a steady 8th-note rock feel. In 4/4 time, 8th notes divide each beat into two equal parts, creating a driving, steady rhythm like this: 

1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

The numbers (1, 2, 3, 4) represent the main beats in the measure, while the "&" represents the offbeats that add energy and momentum.

When counted out loud, it sounds like: 

"One-and, Two-and, Three-and, Four-and."

However, if I were strumming this I would blend quarter notes, eighth notes, and even some sixteenth notes. Here’s an example of a strumming pattern in the style of “Wish You Were Here”: 

Wish You Were Here Guitar Solo

The primary scale Gilmour uses to solo with on “Wish You Were Here” is the G major pentatonic scale. The G major pentatonic scale is built using the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 6th degrees of the G major scale. 

Using this formula, we take the following notes from the G major scale: 

✅ G (1st)

✅ A (2nd)

✅ B (3rd)

❌ (C is skipped – no 4th degree in pentatonic scales!)

✅ D (5th)

✅ E (6th)

❌ (F# is skipped – no 7th degree!)

(See my fretboard guide for more on how to play this all over the neck.)

Conclusion

Bottom line, whether you're outback under the stars, performing at a local open mic night, or having fun at home “Wish You Were Here” is a great tune to play.

Gilmour’s guitar stylings are iconic and there is much to learn from this legendary tune. 

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