HOLY McCARTNEY! Beatles Complete Scores

Hambone · #1 03-08-2007, 05:05 PM

I did a search and no one seems to have talked about this tome yet but it's amazing. Here's the complete title:

The Beatles Complete Scores
Full Transcriptions From The Original Recordings
Hal Leonard 1993

This has every song the Beatles ever recorded in complete scores - whatever the instrumentation. The score for bass is in standard notation and a form of enhanced TAB having note duration notation like standard notation. I've never seen this type of thing before. The rest of the instruments are there too. Here's an example:

"A Day in the Life"
Vocal - melody line w/chords
Orchestra - single line only
Piano - standard 2 staff notation
Guitar - Chord box TAB, standard TAB, Standard notation
Bass - Standard notation & Enhanced TAB
Drums - Standard notation

"Love You To"
Vocal - melody line w/chords
Guitar - Standard Notation & TAB
Others - Sitar - Standard Notation (including backwards parts)
Bass - Standard Notation & TAB
Drums - Standard Notation

Other songs have chorus, brass, organ, and other misc. parts transcribed. These are the "as recorded" transcriptions and are going to be a blast to pour over. I highly recommend this.

Atoz · #2 03-08-2007, 05:20 PM

I really need to pick this up! Is it a single book, or a set?

Hambone · #3 03-08-2007, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Atoz

I really need to pick this up! Is it a single book, or a set?

Single book - hardbound with hard case. 1136 pages, 7 1/4" x 10 1/2"

I think the layout is a paid promotion for Kinko's!

You can get it from Amazon.com and they'll discount "The Beatles Complete Chord Songbook" that has all of the lyrics and guitar chords in a standard lyric sheet format. 401 pages, perfectbound paperback, 6 3/4" x 9 3/4"

Brian S · #4 03-08-2007, 06:41 PM

It's a book well worth having.

PolkaHero · #5 03-08-2007, 08:36 PM

Do I dare ask how much?!

synaesthesia · #6 03-08-2007, 10:37 PM

This has been out since '93 or '94. I got mine around then. There were Japanese versions of complete scores before then, which I still have. Those came out in the 80s. Largge format eaier to read and use. 10 transcribed band scores per volume across the years of '62 - 70, rather random collection of Beatles transcriptions.

If I have a comment it is the format of the book, you cannot lay it out flat and the binding for a book that thick is useless for musos.

It really should be 3 or 4 smaller ring bound books as opposed to one dictionary thick hardbound volume.

Brian S · #7 03-09-2007, 04:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PolkaHero

Do I dare ask how much?!

$50.37 at Amazon.com

Brian S · #8 03-09-2007, 04:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by synaesthesia

If I have a comment it is the format of the book, you cannot lay it out flat and the binding for a book that thick is useless for musos.

It really should be 3 or 4 smaller ring bound books as opposed to one dictionary thick hardbound volume.

+1 on that!

iamthebassman · #9 03-09-2007, 08:49 AM

It's been out for quite a while, I've probably had mine for 10 years. It's handy but has a few mistakes.

spliffnriff · #10 03-09-2007, 11:59 AM

I have had mine for years now. It has some mistakes, but what I did not like is that it is hard to read and follow since it is "the complete scores", so each page has every instrument. Overall though, I think is worth the cost and worthwhile having, if you love the beatles and want to learn from PMac's style, which is a good thing to do!

Hambone · #11 03-09-2007, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian S

$50.37 at Amazon.com

DAMN!!

I paid the full $79 price earlier last week!

Timing is everything

**Blackbird** · #12 06-17-2007, 08:03 PM

Any more comments on this? I'm about to pull the trigger.

Thanks.

oldrocker · #13 06-17-2007, 09:38 PM

The above comments about it being hard to lay flat and it having some mistakes are right on, but It's a great reference, go for it.

Alvaro Martín Gómez A. · #14 06-17-2007, 11:31 PM

I bought mine from Amazon in 1998 and I must say that it's a great aid as a guide, but not to be entirely trusted. I've found many mistakes. Anyway, it's good to see all 213 officially released Beatles songs' scores in such a neat layout (if you're used to read music scores, of course).

JimK · #15 06-18-2007, 05:08 AM

Great book, BB...I'm surprised you didn't already own it.

As mentioned, there are a few mistakes & "Not Guilty" isn't in it...stll, a good book for the 'house library', too.

**DeanT** · #16 06-18-2007, 09:56 AM

Excellent book. Only two complaints. It's expensive (sells for about $60). I got mine on eBay new for $35. Also, the music is tiny, with my old eyes it's hard to read the bass line because it's so small. But I guess it has to be so small or the book would be like 10,000 pages long!

Gard · #17 06-18-2007, 10:50 AM

Mom gave me a copy for Christmas 2001, awesome awesome awesome....everyone should have it!

spliffnriff · #18 06-19-2007, 07:21 AM

I have a copy (paid about $50US). It is a great book, but...
1) has many mistakes
2) Too big to sit on a music stand.
3) because it has complete scores, it is difficult to follow since there are about 2 bass lines per page so 1 song would take up 30+ pages. Not convenient at all.
Would I sell it? Nope, I think it is a good resource for learning specific riffs, but not a whole song!

**Blackbird** · #19 06-21-2007, 09:16 AM

Thanks.

I'm interested in it to learn not just basslines, but also the piano/guitar parts and to sightread the melodies.

JimK, I'm also surprised I held out so long before getting this book. By the way, what happenned to your avatar? The man who never changes his avatar changed his avatar! Should we be expecting horsemen?

tkozal · #20 06-21-2007, 11:55 AM

so at the Art Expo at the Javits Center in Manhattan earlier this year, an artist had taken this book, took it apart, then created an abstract "painting" collage of it. (it was pretty interesting piece) 3.5 feet by 6 feet or so...

Ya wanna take a guess at the price, I bought a 65 Jazz instead:

$10,000.....