While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Written by George Harrison of The Beatles for their double album The Beatles (also known as The White Album)

Published: 01 Oct 2011 Updated: 08 Aug 2020Visits: 11Code: UL517

Category: BeatlesInstrument: Any Subjects: Repertoire • Rock

Share While My Guitar Gently Weeps on: Bluesky facebook twitter (X)

All 3 sample page(s) are viewable on-line.

If you are a registered site member, have verified your email address, and have the correct permissions you can view ALL the pages of this PDF or Samples pages at a larger size using the LearningUkulele.com Online PDF Viewer .

View the Main Song Downloads section below to download the song files for the complete and most up-to-date versions.

While My Guitar Gently Weeps

While My Guitar Gently Weeps is a song written by George Harrison of The Beatles for their double album The Beatles (also known as The White Album). The song was ranked #135 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time and #7 on their list of the 100 greatest guitar songs of all time.

The song was ranked #135 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time and #7 on their list of the 100 greatest guitar songs of all time.

Inspiration for the song came to Harrison when reading the I Ching, which, as he put it, "seemed to me to be based on the Eastern concept that everything is relative to everything else...opposed to the Western view that things are merely coincidental." Taking this idea of relativism to his parents’ home in northern England, Harrison committed to write a song based on the first words he saw upon opening a random book. Those words were “gently weeps”, and he immediately began the song. As he said:

"I wrote While My Guitar Gently Weeps at my mother's house in Warrington. I was thinking about the Chinese I Ching, the Book of Changes... The Eastern concept is that whatever happens is all meant to be, and that there's no such thing as coincidence - every little item that's going down has a purpose." — Groege Harrison

While My Guitar Gently Weeps…

While My Guitar Gently Weep was a simple study based on that theory. I decided to write a song based on the first thing I saw upon opening any book - as it would be a relative to that moment, at that time. I picked up a book at random, opened it, saw 'gently weeps', then laid the book down again and started the song.sGeorge Harrison

  • George Harrison – double-tracked vocal, backing vocal, acoustic guitar, Hammond organ
  • Paul McCartney – backing vocal, piano, organ, bass
  • John Lennon – electric guitar
  • Ringo Starr – drums, tambourine
  • Eric Clapton – lead guitar

Common Keys: Am, First Melodic Interval: P5 ↑ M2

The Curt Sheller Jazz Trio

World One Recording at 2014 Philadelphia Folk Festival

Performance Notes

For the slash chords, the Am/G, Am/F# and Am/F. You can just stick with the basic Am chords. The note after the slash is a descending bass line that we can not get in a ukulele with a high fourth string.

Additional Resources & Links

Main Song Download(s)

The main downloads for this Song.

SL209

While My Guitar Gently Weeps - Melody and Chord Ukulele Arrangement, Key of Am

Updated: 31 Dec 2016

This is my take on the George Harrison classic. Suitable for low or high G, C tuning. Standard music notation and Ukulele TAB.

SL206

While My Guitar Gently Weeps - Chord Lead Sheet, Key of Am

Updated: 31 Dec 2016

Videos

Related Videos for While My Guitar Gently Weeps.

While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Updated: 01 Jan 2003

The George Harrison classic for solo ukulele.

While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Updated: 01 Jan 2003

A Curt Sheller Trio performance for the Berks Jazz Fest. While My Guitar Gently Weeps is a song written by George Harrison.

Related Songs

Related Songs for While My Guitar Gently Weeps.

UL421

Stairway to Heaven

Updated: 04 Jan 2023

Stairway to Heaven is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released in late 1971. It was composed by guitarist Jimmy Page and vocalist Robert Plant for the band's untitled fourth studio album (usually referred to as Led Zeppelin IV). The song, running eight minutes and two seconds, is composed of several sections, which increase in tempo and volume as the song progresses. The song begins as a slow acoustic-based folk song accompanied by pan flutes (recorder per Jimmy Page), before electric instrumentation is introduced.

Related Song Files, Resources and Assets

Related Assets for While My Guitar Gently Weeps.

WEB_CONTENT_ONLY

QuickStart Progressions Blues Track 3 - Light Rock, Play-long Track

Updated: 31 Dec 2016

Light Rock play-along track for exploring the Blues scale from the QuickStart Scale and Arpeggio Series of books.

WEB_CONTENT_ONLY

A to Z Blues Progressions for Ukulele - Example P

Updated: 31 Dec 2016

Site Access Plans for LearningUkulele.com

Forever Access - With Forever Premium Access, you get ALL the benefits of a Premium Access Subscription such as Unlimited 24/7 access to ALL lessons, downloads, songs, play-along jam tracks, videos, email access to Curt, resources, related assets, and ALL books by Curt as FREE downloads. Pretty much everything on the site, and NEVER worry about a subscription or surprise payment again. And jump the queue for responding to any questions.

If you're anything like me (Curt) and getting Subscription overloaded with everything and everybody on-line wanting money from you once a month — I'm with you. For like-minded individuals, this forever plan is a pay once, and you're done.

The price for Unlimited Forever access is right around the cost of a few months of private lessons. I can guarantee there is more than enough material on-line to keep you busy for a long, long time. And, you get all of my books for FREE. That alone is more than the cost of this plan.

Premium Access - This premium gives you Unlimited 24/7 access to ALL lessons, downloads, songs, play-along jam tracks, videos, email access to Curt, resources and related assets. As well as ALL books by Curt Sheller as FREE downloads.

Basic Access - A limited selection of basic lessons — ( currently over 140 ) and 100+ songs for ukulele as well as basic general music reference material — Completely FREE — Simply Register/Signup. HOWEVER - I've been doing ukulele and LearningUkulele.com since 2003 and probably have given too much away already - as reflected in my income from the site in relationship to the time spent on the site. So help support this site and its continued development by signing up for one of the below Premium Access Plans or buy a few of my books. - Thanks, Curt

NOTE: Each higher access level includes ALL the benefits of the lower levels. Private Lessons include all the benefits of a Premium Access Plans as long as you remain a student on the schedule.

Just browsing over both books, they look fantastic! I'm a guitarist and uke player for over 25 years and was thinking about writing a ukulele book but you've already written what I think are the best, most comprehensive and thorough books I've ever seen for the instrument. I just might end up buying every book you've written and I'll be giving my highest recommendation for your books to my friends and students. Thank you so much for taking the time to write such great books!Peter Rhee

Aloha, Curt, All I can say is WOW! What you have accomplished is simply incredible! All the bestGlen Hirabayashi, The Aloha Boys

Folks, if you haven't stopped by Curt's site, do so right now! ..And get his books, they are fantastic. This guy knows his stuff and is able to pass it along too.Alan Johnson Proprietor, The 4th Peg

I can highly recommend Curt's Uke books — I have four of them and they are excellent.fatveg — Portland

Want to drop LearningUkulele.com & Learning Ukulele with Curt a nice comment . We always like to know how we are and you are doing. We'll post any comment, quotes throughout the site and you can help spread the word .

Thanks for visiting and checking out the site!

curtieAnim.gif rw.vg.gif

Original Curtie Animation from 1987 for my first web site on a Macintosh II, 37 years ago. Man, does time fly.

“Built for myself (Curt), and sharing with the `Ukulele community!”

LearningUkulele.com has one of the largest collections of lessons, songs, and TABS, Luthiers, ukulele builders, ukulele festival and club information, and, ukulele links on the web. Curt has been on the ®Internet since the early 1990's and This site just never stops growing!!!

Content is added and updated daily — so check back often. I really do need to get out more ;-)

Love LearningUkulele.com? • Show your support!
Support development via a monthly membership or a one-time forever membership!