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5 Best Beatles Songs To Learn On The Guitar   by Brian Hartzog

When the Beatles are often recognized for their songwriting and performing skills, the Beatles were just as skilled guitar players. In truth, their guitar work is typically forgotten. Did you recognize that the Beatles actually had three top notch guitar players-George, John, and Paul-all of whom routinely switched off on guitar? To really grasp how the Beatles approached the guitar, you should therefore learn several Beatles songs--one from each guitarist--to get a good idea of the style of each Beatle guitarist. Also, serious players will want to learn both acoustic and electric songs. The Beatles approached the guitar playing differently when the instrument was electrified. (Don't we all?) To help you along, I've made a list of the songs to start with. I've chosen some electric and some acoustic songs. I've even chosen some songs by Paul, some by George, and some by John. It wasn't easy to meet this criteria--especially because there are so many great Beatles songs to choose from.

Song 1. Yesterday

Paul came up with the original idea for Yesterday, and he performs the acoustic guitar on the song. In this recording, he plays acoustic guitar as he sings; no other Beatles play on this recording--the first time that this happened. (The strings which were also produced by Paul were contributed as an overdub.) Yesterday is not too difficult to play on guitar...additionally, it is by far the most recorded tune in rock 'n roll history. This makes it an extremely good song to add to your arsenal. For the more capable guitar player, this tune is a great study in groove and also in Paul McCartney's ballad guitar style. Aside from that, it does have some great chord changes, plus some very nice riffs for those who are paying close attention to each individual note. Yesterday is my pick as one of the best Beatles tunes to learn on guitar.

2. Hard Day's Night

A Hard Day's Night is a mostly John Lennon-written tune. George Harrison plays the electric guitar sections (the intro as well as the outro).John plays acoustic guitar during the entire track, providing the predominant groove. The song A Hard Day's Night opens with an Fadd9 chord played on George's twelve string electric. Simultaneously John and Paul come in as well, providing a jangly, arresting opening to the Lennon original. Many band members credit A Hard Day's Night (the song and the film) as the reason they first grabbed instruments and set up rock n roll bands. This track is fantastic fun to jam to, straight from the initial guitar chord. Electric guitar players will enjoy the intro section, outro, as well as the guitar solo, while acoustic guitar players will love hammering out the rhythm within the verses and the bridge.

Song 3. I Want To Hold Your Hand

I Want To Hold Your Hand is among my favorite Beatles tunes. It's pure excitement and is also perhaps the very best of the early Beatles tracks. According to John Lennon, he and Paul wrote this song face-to-face in Jane Asher's parents' house. The song is a ton of fun to learn on guitar. In addition, pure energy of the tune is amazing--it captured the character of the youthful Beatles and distilled it its vital parts.

4: While My Guitar Gently Weeps

The song has a handful of layers of guitars, incorporating acoustic and electric rhythm guitars and Eric Clapton's crying guitar solos. This song makes my "best of" list because of its tasty licks and its iconic sound. Really, it has something for everyone, including the acoustic rhythm players, the electric rhythm players, and the lead guitarists among you.

Have you heard the performance of this song from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame DVD? It was performed there by the make-shift supergroup of Dhani Harrison (George's son), Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne and Prince. Prince's solo will rip your face off! I'd definitely recommend that you check it out.

Song 5. Blackbird

Blackbird is a McCartney song that appears on the White Album. It is probably Paul's best acoustic guitar work, showcasing his proficiency at precisely what he does best--singing and performing concurrently. The "drums" that you can find on the track is really only McCartney's shoe tapping out the tempo on the studio room floor. The acoustic guitar work on this track is best suited for intermediate and professional players. It's a great showcase of Paul's acoustic guitar style.

About the Author

Even though the Beatles didn• t read sheet music, The Beatles sheet music is the ideal method to instantly learn their songs-no matter what instrument you play. Visit www.thebeatlessheetmusic.com to play along with the group today.

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This entry was posted on Monday, January 15th, 2007 at 12:41 pm and is filed under Games. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.