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: 15Code: UL517

Category: BeatlesInstrument: Any Subjects: Repertoire • Rock

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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.

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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

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