About Comfortably Numb

Comfortably Numb features two guitar solos that are consistently ranked among the greatest ever recorded. The song emerged from a creative tension between Roger Waters' lyrics about emotional detachment and David Gilmour's soaring, emotive guitar work. Based partly on Waters' experience of being injected with a tranquilizer before a concert, the song contrasts clinical verses with transcendent choruses.

Tips for Playing Comfortably Numb

• The verse is in Bm with Bm-A-G-Em-Bm progression - keep it subdued and clean

• The chorus lifts to D-A-D-A-C-G-D-A - switch to fuller strumming here

• The first solo is in Bm and uses the B minor pentatonic scale with bends

• The second solo is in D major - learn the scale positions around the 12th-15th frets

• Use a clean tone for verses and add delay/reverb for the solo sections

Fun Facts About Comfortably Numb

• Gilmour and Waters argued over the arrangement - the final version blends both visions

• The second guitar solo was done in one take

• The song was inspired by Waters receiving a muscle relaxant injection before a show

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Frequently Asked Questions