Bookends cover

America

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Simon & Garfunkel

Bookends (1968)folk rockHigh3:46SpotifyYouTubeApple Music
Key: B minorestTempo: 170 BPMestTime signature: 3/4

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92%10 tracks · 5,450 notes · B minor · 170 BPM· 3:46Recommended
Practice Play
Intro
Verse
Verse
Verse
Verse
Verse
Lead Vocals 1
Lead Vocals 2
Guitar 1
Guitar 2
Guitar 3
Organ
Sax
Strings
Bass
Drums

Musical analysis below is derived from the recommended version —10 tracks · 3:46

About this song

America by Simon & Garfunkel is in B minor (estimated), around 170 BPM, 3/4 time. This 10-track arrangement runs 3:46 (Drawbar organ, Acoustic guitar (steel), Electric guitar (clean), Electric bass (finger), Violin, Soprano sax, and Drums), with an intro, 5 verses, and an outro. 1 version available to play and practice.

Difficulty by instrument

How hard each detected part is to play in the recommended version.

GuitarAdvanced
14.73 notes/sec
KeysIntermediate
0.96 notes/sec
OtherIntermediate
0.47 notes/sec
BassBeginner
1.17 notes/sec
DrumsBeginner
2.37 notes/sec
OtherBeginner
0.08 notes/sec
VocalsBeginner
1.17 notes/sec

Chord progressionsestimated

Roman numerals (transposable to any key) over the actual chords. Play a section, or hover any chord for its piano & guitar shape and a play button.

Intro
Verse
Outro

Song structure

The shape of the recording — tap a section to jump the player there.

0:001:002:003:003:46
Intro0:00Verse0:17Verse0:52Verse1:18Verse1:48Verse2:23Outro3:04

Vocal range

The span of the lead vocal line — see at a glance whether it sits in your range.

C2C3C4C5G2E4

G2 – E4 · 21 semitones (~1.8 octaves)

About the key of B minor

B minor is the 4th most common key in our catalog. Its three core chords are Bm, Em, and F♯m.

Browse all songs in B minor Build a chord progression in this key

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Featured in

America appears on the soundtrack of Almost Famous (Music From the Motion Picture).