Want to learn some Beatles songs

Joe Lindley · #1 03-14-2009, 01:59 PM

I'm wanting to learn some Beatles songs. I've tried to break the ones I'm interested in into groups, according to their difficulty, like this:
Easy: The Word
Moderately easy: Fixing a hole, Sgt. Peppers reprise, Taxman
Moderately difficult: All my loving, Come together, Something, Drive my car
Hardest: Dear Prudence, Penny lane, Rain

The hardest one are hard for different reasons: Rain is just hard to play so fast, Penny Lane is a lot of different notes, and so is Dear Prudence.

Any comments? And does anyone recommend any others that are easy to moderately easy? Paul's the man, IMO!

shamus63 · #2 03-14-2009, 02:05 PM

With exception to "All My Loving", everything else listed is from '65 (Rubber Soul) - on.

Check out the earlier stuff: Baby's In Black, Don't Want To Spoil The Party, Tell Me Why, Happy Just To Dance With You, The Night Before.

Hell, I could on with easy-to-moderate Beatle tracks that groove.

Ben1123 · #3 03-14-2009, 02:13 PM

I would try Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da, Im learning it now and i have only been playing for about 5 months. Its a easy pattern to learn but its good if you need to practice changing strings or frets.

dougjwray · #4 03-14-2009, 02:31 PM

There are so many.
"I Saw Her Standing There", "Nowhere Man", "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds", "Lovely Rita", "Baby You're a Rich Man", "Everybody's Got Something to Hide (Except For Me and My Monkey)", "Hello Goodbye", "Think For Yourself", "Day Tripper", "Drive My Car" (George supposedly played bass on that one)... I could go on... these are off the top of my head...

Joe Lindley · #5 03-14-2009, 02:32 PM

Thanks for the suggestions. Is it just me or does anybody else think Rain is hard?

cowsgomoo · #6 03-14-2009, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Lindley

Thanks for the suggestions. Is it just me or does anybody else think Rain is hard?

it depends on where you are in your playing... it's not as hard as "Donna Lee", but it's got those hammer ons up and down the strings. so yeah, it's one of his harder ones

I think 'Lovely Rita' is the hardest thing he did because I can never remember the notes.... he has a peculiar note choice when he does his 'walking' thing, and Lovely Rita just doesn't compute with me... I'm sure I could nail it with a bit of time spent on it, but unlike a lot of Paul's fantastic Beatle bass lines it just doesn't sink into my brain effortlessly

xaxxat · #7 03-14-2009, 06:04 PM

Just play along with this guy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LM6sY...0DA1CE&index=3

Joe Lindley · #8 03-14-2009, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xaxxat

Just play along with this guy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LM6sY...0DA1CE&index=3

Good advice. Those videos are really helpful to us noobs. I'll look at his other ones. This guy has been real helpful for me trying to learn Penny Lane: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNPE76zQg60

GianGian · #9 03-14-2009, 06:50 PM

Try things from a the Hard Day's Night album. They are all very easy and they are all great great song...anyway, which one of them is not?

scotty77 · #10 03-14-2009, 07:20 PM

I got a digital audio cd for learning the beattles songs on guitar and was plesantly surprised when I realized it had all the bass notation as well. And you can choose the instrument you want to learn and it will feature that instrument. You can also spead up or slow down the tempo. It comes from RW home recording. I got it off ebay for about 8 bucks plus shipping. Well worth it.
Scott

Joe Lindley · #11 03-14-2009, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scotty77

I got a digital audio cd for learning the beattles songs on guitar and was plesantly surprised when I realized it had all the bass notation as well. And you can choose the instrument you want to learn and it will feature that instrument. You can also spead up or slow down the tempo. It comes from RW home recording. I got it off ebay for about 8 bucks plus shipping. Well worth it.
Scott

What is that? I looked but couldn't find what you mean on ebay.

85vf500rr · #12 03-14-2009, 07:52 PM

I started with Eight Days a Week. Pretty easy pattern, but fun to play. My son has learned the chords on his guitar, so we try to play together. We're both new, so that's taking some getting used to. I try to play along with the CD when I can, but for some reason, when I run it through the CD input on my amp, Paul's basslines drop off significantly compared to playing it through the stereo. I guess that's okay since I'm replacing his playing with mine, but it made it difficult at first. I'm trying to get better at using the metronome to nail my timing. It's been a LOOOOONNNNG time since I worked with one in Jr. high band...

dougjwray · #13 03-14-2009, 08:08 PM

I just watched the video of the guy playing along with "Penny Lane" and he missed a few things, for example the double stops in the choruses. Just wanted to mention that, in case anyone is expecting to learn the part note-for-note.

Joe Lindley · #14 03-14-2009, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dougjwray

I just watched the video of the guy playing along with "Penny Lane" and he missed a few things, for example the double stops in the choruses. Just wanted to mention that, in case anyone is expecting to learn the part note-for-note.

Thanks. I'll try to find that, but I'm not sure if I will pick it up. I'm struggling a little trying to get the notes right on the beginning of the chorus right now.

tobie · #15 03-16-2009, 12:02 AM

You might be interested in 'Paul McCartney Bassmaster: Playing the Great Beatles Basslines' (http://www.amazon.com/Paul-McCartney...7183211&sr=8-1). It covers 10 songs, including 'Rain'.

Joe Lindley · #16 03-17-2009, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tobie

You might be interested in 'Paul McCartney Bassmaster: Playing the Great Beatles Basslines' (http://www.amazon.com/Paul-McCartney...7183211&sr=8-1). It covers 10 songs, including 'Rain'.

I need to get that one.

bassmam53 · #17 03-19-2009, 11:39 AM

Eight Days a Week
Lady Madonna

dougjwray · #18 03-20-2009, 06:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassmam53

Eight Days a Week
Lady Madonna

Two really good ones.

"Eight Days a Week" is an example of his fine feel for walking (and Ringo always swings beautifully, right along with him).

"Lady Madonna" is an example of how nicely he integrated his bass parts with his piano parts. "Martha My Dear" is another one of these.

DeaconK · #19 03-20-2009, 06:32 AM

We do Eight Days A Week and everyone either wants to run away with it or our drummer wants to drag it down.

I've played it so often (and because I'm the *original* Beatles fan) that I can nail the tempo and it gets REAL frustrating sometimes. Other than that, it's a fun piece to play.

kraigo · #20 03-20-2009, 07:01 AM

"Something" from Abbey Road. "Come Together" is great fun to play.

KO