I must say, I have been playing guitar for 36 years, I gig regularly and I am a near-lifelong professional audio engineer and I teach guitar as well.... so I felt a great need to tell you that your lesson was one of the clearest, well-done tutorials I have seen in years. Great job.Sometimes you just have to pat somebody on the back ...
He shows us and teaches us...(professional), not rants on about himself like you. If you're such an awesome guitarist, why you watching guitar lessons on UA-cam? You sound like a blowhard!!!You get your example from T-Rump????
This is THE song that forced me to learn some finger picking. I had to learn this song at all cost's. Still dont have it down but "It's getting better all the time."
Best part of this video is when he says "I guarantee it will happen.. you will get it". It took me 2 weeks to get this finger picking down. But he was right. I finally got it.
As a beginner this can seem impossible, I was at that stage too, but with good practise you will accomplish this. All of a sudden your fingers will start to play without thinking and the sense of joy you will get is priceless, coupled with a huge grin that would need a jackhammer to chisel off your face. The unsung heroes are people like "shut up & play" who remove the mystery of songs allowing everybody no matter what skill level to enjoy music. For many of us this guy is the de facto guitar channel and a total legend. Kind regards. A. Fender.
Lennon what a freakin GENIUS composer. To think he just came up with this to get a meditation student out of her room and played it to her and she came out to play after 3 days locked inside!!!
It amazes me that he was able to put together some of these chord progressions without any musical theory knowledge. He just had a great ear and a natural ability to find chords that work well together.
@@bendagostino2217 the thing is, even with music theory how the fuck would u think to come up with that specific chord sequence from the top of the guitar. its one of those things where once you see it or hear it youre like “oooh how did i not think of that”. but to come up with it from scratch, with or without knowledge on theory, is impressive
@@bassesatta9235 Donovan taught him a basic finger pick exercise in India, Lennon then ran with it and I absolutely agree with you, incredible chord pattern
Thanks for the compliment. I appreciate you watching. Yeah I remember those days of dropping the needle on the vinyl too. And that was if you had the record, and if you didn't you'd have to save up and buy it. It's much easier for guitarists these days, thankfully. Cheers man.
First of all, your youtube videos are far and above some of the best tutorials anywhere. Your patience and detailed explanations are simply amazing. You have over 70,000 thousand subscribers. We should all send him a dollar of month. That's less than a cup of coffee a month for the best tutorials on the planet by some of the greastest song every written. He should be able to sit home and devote his time to more videos. 12 dollars over the course of a year is meaningless to us for all we get back. I am headed to paypal to give him 12.00 now. I challenge all of you to do the same. Let the man do what he does!
That's a really fantastic idea. This guy's work is absolutely worth that. It's actually far more valuable. I've been teaching music lessons for many years as I'm a symphonic violist. I'm also a very inexperienced guitar player. I stumbled upon this channel so I could learn how to play a few songs on guitar. I've been playing the viola professionally for 25 years and played my first ever guitar gig a week ago. This man taught me how to play Heroes! I'm super thankful for that. When I saw that Heroes was on the set-list I was not remotely excited by the prospect. What the hell was i to do in that song without feeling like a complete dork?! This guy helped me own that in a huge way. I was convinced it'd be the cheesiest thing I'd ever done in my life. We rehearsed it once. It was, for my extremely limited experience in my first ever gig as a guitar player, a very positive experience. I think it conveyed some familiar vibes and decent tones shared in the original recording. I was so fearful of it being a truly shameful experience and this man completely removed that feeling. That alone is worth a bucket full of goodies and a substantial financial offering. This guy has an awesome channel. I've had the chance to work with many of the world's greatest conductors, who are essentially teachers. I had a wonderful education with great teachers. I paid for that then and continued paying for many years afterwards. This guy gives it his all and he gives it for free right here on UA-cam. It's absolutely top-notch instruction. It's not charity, it's insurance. If one gives 500€ a year for lessons once a week, that's less than a tener per week. There are exactly zero music teachers that would accept such a paltry sum. Then there are people like this, Let's just pay the man.
So appreciate your approach! It is refreshing to hear a teacher simply show the student where the fingers are placed and simply name the note he's on. By the time most teachers get through telling me where the "pinky", "pointer finger", "ring finger" and "bad" finger go on this or that string and this or that fret, I have done lost track of what it is I am learning and where I am in the process. I just want them to "get to the point", and that is exactly what you do. As a result, I learn faster from your videos than any I have tried. I play by ear also, and your approach works for me. You got skills, bro. Thank you!
It's a weird thing-no really... I mean getting the picking right. I was doing my nut trying to get my thumb to do the base crotchet rhythm and then play the syncopated treble picking with the two fingers over the top. I began to think that there was something mentally wrong with me because I just couldn't do it and was ready to throw my guitar out of the window. Then, suddenly, it just came together and I could do the picking with ease, as if it was natural. Clever little brain cells making connections. It just works! So if anyone else is in the same boat and ready to give up... DON'T! It'll all "come together" (sorry for the Beatles pun). Fantastic tutorial and thanks for your patience in teaching it to us.
I've played guitar for over 50 years. Over the years there are so many songs that I've wanted to learn, but never did. This is one of them. You are an extremely gifted player and teacher. Thank you so much.
I've said it before, I'll say it again...Andy, you're the only one that really nails the originals as they deserve...on top of that you convey it to all of us in a simple yet precise way...on top of that my perception is that you're not only skillful and musically knowledgeable, but also a kind and generous person. Keep on. Thanks.
I will never not upvote this guy. You're truly one of the web's greatest teachers and resources. Thank you for all your contributions. May you never tire!
For the F>Ab>G (9:00) section I like to keep the same picking pattern on the bottom 3 strings. (5-4-6-4-5-4-6-4, etc) and play the major triads on the top 3 strings. (2 on G, 1 on B, 1 on E, etc. 5-4-4, 4-3-3. A little dissonance sounds good.
Wanted to share a playing tip / suggestion for this song. Because we all have different finger / hand sizes, I found one passage in this lesson that’s easier for me to play using my pinky instead of the middle finger as is demonstrated in this great video. The passage I’m referring to is the main riff part which takes place at the 2nd fret using the baby d shape. Specifically, the first bass note run down on the 5th string, third fret. I just can’t seem to play the open 4th string without it being muted by my middle finger which is holding down the 3rd fret 5th string. I found if I bring my pinky finger over to fret that C note, the D string then rings clear! Hope this helps others who might find this part challenging too.
This is the best tutorial of this song I have found online. The picking pattern is tricky but it's worth sticking with till you get it right. Great work! I will be watching this over and over!
Until I'm cold and dead the intro to this song will send chills through my bones all the way to my ancestors.. I'm a bassist, this will be the first song I'll learn on 6 string. Thnx for the help...
Excellent, Sir!! As a lifelong Beatles fan I've been playing these songs with only a faint whisper of a likeness to the recordings...this is so much more fun!!
D chord in this tuning is a beast. Never knew it since I learn this song. But, I feel like the very first picking of the song sounds better with the first and the fourth string. The next chord goes like you suggest; the first and the fifth.
Amazing how Lennon learned to play these incredible chords in such a short time. I started at 32 messing and was shown 3 chords and I was hooked. I had the talent and never knew it. I bought my first real guitar in Rochester ny house of guitars and was playing in a band by my 33rd birthday. Its great for anxiety and PTSD. IM 60 now and still play Lennon, Oasis, matchbox 20, Country a must in Florida and I’m Rican from NYC.. I CAN HEAR AND PLAY ALSO READ MUSIC AND TABS. AWESOME HOBBY. I WAS MARRIED AND COULDNT BE A ROCK STAR LOLOLOLOL THANK YOU FOR GREAT LESSON .....
What a great guitar lesson. I have been a Beatles fan since the age of seven and have 4 Beatles guitar music books that I play songs off of. The books though never teach you how to actually play the song like it was recorded. Your video was so cool! I had not picked up my guitar for over six months and after watching your video I sat down with my Washburn guitar and started practicing. Although I do not have the picking quite right yet, I learned the majority of the song in one night. You are a great teacher and you have brought me a new found love for my guitar. This was a great gift on the day before Christmas. I am going to subscribe to your videos on UA-cam and learn all the songs that you have posted. Thanks so much and Merry Christmas!
I started that fingerpicking style 3 months ago after this video just to learn this song. It took about a week and about a milion times practice but it open a world to you as musician. Now the hardest part is to keep a clean sound on D/C chord. Anyway thank you sir
I may be late to your party but just keep playing the D shape with your 3 fingers and add your 4th finger to play the C note. The guy in the video complicates this part too much. :)
What I admire from you is that you reach perfection, always playing the exact note & chord just like the original. I'm hoping for a composition of your own, you have the gift to do it! And what is highly appreciated from you is you answer to all comments!! It's the 1st time I've seen someone doing this. Thank you, you're amazing!
mich0008 Thanks so much for the kind words bud. I have a lot of respect for all of these songs and I think it's important to honor them by trying to play them as close as possible to the original versions. As far as writing goes, I just don't have that "gene". In my experience, good guitar players are pretty common, but good songwriters are rare! I'm going to try to keep up on the comments as long as I can, but with the growth of the channel it's actually starting to take up a big chunk of my time! Thanks again bud. cheers
Really appreciate your style of teaching these courses with the black background, it helps in not getting distracted. Your abilities as a instructor is well thought out.Keep up the good work. Love all the Beatles songs..if only I could sing.omg.
At 70 now and learning this off the vinyl lifting the needle up when this albumn actually came out decades ahead of the internet you all have it made and a tutor like this😌👍well done my man and exactly perfect and yes i wore out pretty much atleast a couple albumns each teachin myself the structure of the tunes 😆 thank GOD for a decent job Christmas and birthdays and a girlfriend or two 🎸 🎶
Really want you to know that you have the perfect balance of playing, showing and describing, which is so hard to find in many tutorials; I have overcome my fear of Travis picking through practice, which I have you to thank for- as silly as it might sound, it is, as you said, just a matter of practice. Great content and great playing. Thank you so much for proving such an excellent guitar-playing community service to us all.
I'd like to add a comment on your "finger picking will probably screw you up". Back in the day (pre-Beatles, or at least pre-Sgt. Pepper), pickers came from folk and blues traditions. We only ever did "Travis" picking, aka "Alternating Thumb". Rock and Pop were almost exclusively chord strumming, or the "advanced" boom-chuck, bass-strum-bass-strum. To master alternating bass finger-picking, we spent anywhere from a week to a month playing just bass string 6 - bass string 4 - bass 6 - bass 4 ad nauseum. You knew you had it when you woke up playing alternating bass, and could keep the thumb going while you watched TV with full comprehension, or carry on a political discussion and the bass line never wavered. It was pretty hard on everybody in the house, but at the end, your thumb played that bass line without occupying any of your attention at all. In a matter of days, we'd add in a simple melody on the beat. As our teacher tells us, one day it just clicks in, and you can play almost anything, with style. Then move some of the melody notes 'between the beats' and throw in some hammer-ons. slides and pull-offs, give it some swing, and you had a really good version of Song #1 on full auto-pilot. You learned Song #2 in a day or so, and pretty quick had it on full auto. Song #3 went faster still, and you discovered you could play almost anything with pattern picking, and you were what everyone aspired to. Things are way more complicated now, but it remains true that if you once train your thumb to work with a mind of its own, you can train it to do something more creative still on full autopilot, and you only have to learn half a song at a time. So if you haven't done it already, spend that week or two or more with a guitar glued to your hands and being the most annoying person in town. Then start learning a new song or two every day. Honestly. It works.
I love all your videos bro. Especially, since I'm missing my pinky on my chording hand. There's been several times you've saved me a world of hurt and aggravation by showing some short cuts. Thank you so much for your very excellent and informative videos! God bless!
I've been trying to Travis pick for ages. Yesterday, in trying out my new Martin SM, the lightbulb went on! Thank you! I haven't got it up to speed yet, but now I'm confident that I will. If I can get a handle on this technique, my playing will jump to a whole different level. I'm already a good player, but this... I will have doors that were always closed open up.
A very well-done instructional video. I've played the tune for many years myself almost exactly as you've shown it. (I'd worked it out from the original LP with my turntable slowed down and my guitar lowered a bit to match.)
I’ve always wanted to sit down and play this the right way. Once you get the picking pattern on auto pilot it transforms to beautiful music. Thank you!!!!
Once again another GREAT instruction - Thank You - I've learn a lot from you - I do find it easier to use my pinky on the C (A-3) second descending root chord - BIG FAN Cheers, Dan
Real nice tutorial man!! Been playing about 4 years now. All through playing on my own and learning songs via UA-cam. I have "my version" of this song. Mostly because the "Travis Picking"....much like you say...just isn't clicking quite yet. Close...but still no cigar. Your tutorial is concise and to the point!!
Studying classical guitar when I was a kid really opened up a whole new world later on when I found Rock. I was a teen in the 1970s when Sooooo much timeless music came out.
Dude! Awesome lesson... I'm not much of a finger picker but this demonstrates very clearly why it's an important skill to acquire. Thanks so much for posting this!! :-)
Thanks for the lesson The "light" never came on, I just had to repeat it incredibly slowly, starting with just using the high E string for teaching my brain the rhythm on the high notes. Then after hours/days of repeating the full 3 high strings, from incredibly slow, to slightly faster, I had it. I am in awe of people who can just try it a few times and have it down in a few minutes. I am obviously a lower life form, haha! The lucky part about my brain, is that I can sing/scat completely different rhythms/notes over it while I play now ( after the days of metronome speed improving mantra/torture ), so I maybe a bad guitar player, but a natural singer/player I could never do 2 hands on piano very well either, but could always sing different rhythms over just my right hand etc! So, for all those that took days to get this down, you are not alone!
CaribSurfKing1 I wouldn't feel bad about taking a while to learn the fingerpicking...in fact, I don't (I'm struggling). I suspect that people who pick up a new song quickly have already learned some fingerpicking on some other song(s). Can anybody comment on that? Can some people pick it up very quickly, or are they "pre-trained", as it were, by having worked it out on other songs? I don't know if I'm kidding myself on that.
Thanks for the lesson man. Great balance of clarity and directness. You're super clear but leave the figuring out up to the student. I just got the fingerpicking bit after hours and hours. Thanks a lot and keep up the good work
"If you're not used to fingerpicking, it'll probably really screw you up." I laughed. I appreciate your candor. I knew a guy who learned Leo Kottke songs off of vinyl records and man, it was amazing.
Been playing it semi fingerpicking style for years, i.e. badly until I found this. Two hours of brain pain to get the pattern into my head and I now sound much more authentic (ish). I have to use my pinkie on the 3rd fret B string for the D chord as I can't get the D string to ring clear otherwise during the descend. Useful tip if any one else is finding it hard to make the D string ring out.
Just realised after 10 years or more I've been playing the intro to this a bit wrong, but it sounds better to me. I've been playing the D shape at the 7th fret as the same shape as the first 2 shapes(on the 5th fret) only one note change though. Don't forget the little slide on the outro too. Love that bit
I haven't even tried finger picking. That pattern is doing my head in lol! Those chords are so timeless aren't they.......so mesmerising .....very moving
I've been playing this song for a couple of years, but had a couple of the finer points wrong. Thanks for helping me get this right -- and actually making it EASIER with all the proper chord forms.
Truly a great song and lesson. it's interesting that John- with the incredible dissonance in the song and drone (from drop D) seems to evoke 'India' more than Harrison's sitar ever did. Not that I don't love Harrison's sitar - but this is TRULY an evocative, brilliant piece. For EVERYONE learning: record into a DAW - I have an expensive one, Audacity is free. Then "play along," double-track yourself. INFINITELY easier this way. Then, discard the double-track when mastered...
There was an old VHS tape and I can’t remember the name of the guitar player who had this lesson along with Julia and another that shared the same picking pattern. There are a couple of spots where there is a minor change in the picking pattern I believe on Julia. But these are excellent songs and like anything worthwhile it takes time to commit them to muscle memory. But once you have that down, it’s fantastic you just sing and don’t even think about your fingers anymore. The funniest thing, don’t expect Non musicians to appreciate the time and effort it takes to do something like this, but other guitar players will be wowed. One of the keys to this once you work your way down the neck to where the song versus begins as I always tell people, when you’re doing the walk down, you have to keep that sharp covered on top. There are so many songs where you pulled it off on the walk down but this isn’t one of them and it makes a huge difference in the sound. Excellent video!
Thanks for the tutorial, your method of teaching is awesome, i dislike tutorials that take a half an hour just to learn an intro. Hence your channel title.
Thanks for the video! After reading the comments, it seems I have the opposite problem from most people here - the picking wasn't really a problem, the chords are. I've always played much more than I practiced, seems I'm missing some basic skills here.
Love the structure of your lessons. Accurate, great detail, easy, well thought out explanations. Hands down the best I've found. Thank you for sharing.
Super, I got it... I just can´t do it with 3 fingers, I had to use the ring finger too, and in the D part can´t do it barring the strings, I used the D shape and did the trick with my pinky... Thanks bro.... by the way, I did it in 2 hours.
Guys, I know I’m late, but I found out a way to do the fingerpicking pattern in only like 10 mins or so. You do the bass pattern over and over until you can talk normally while still picking at a consistent tempo. I did the same thing for the high notes and now I can do this. (I still need to perfect it, but if you have nothing else to do then this should really help)
I'm good, lol, I just can't get the fingering down on the e d and a. I've got a new challenge. I realized the Beatles and David gilmoure use alot of the same chording on some stuff. Well done man.
I like drop d tuning songs.. like "the end".. man my picking really needs work. Thank you for teaching the hard picking parts and making it seem easy enuff to try!
He seems to play it more relaxed. I've seen other UA-cam how to play it videos where it the guitarist seems to be rushing through it. Sounds better when it's not rushed.
Great tutorial! It took me six five-minute blocks to get picking down (don't give up people). I find it easier to play the descending d-chord progression--starting in normal d position and playing the C with my pinkie. Then, your fingers are already in position for the next two step downs.
I found the best way for me is to start that progression playing the D chord with pinky on the 2nd string 3rd fret (instead of 3rd finger) and keeping it there, then the 3rd finger is free to hit the C and the 1st and 2nd fingers can stay in place, 1st finger going to B and Bb as needed. With your way my pinky doesn't stretch that way too well.
Thanks JACOB. I put a huge amount of time and effort into making these videos. I like to keep them free for those that can't afford it, but if you can, please support what I do. Cheers, Andy www.shutupandplay.ca/donate.html
Не знаю английский язык, но, и так понятно.. интуитивно, понимая, что происходит.. будет время - обязательно вернусь к этому обзору/уроку - это одна, из любимых мной, композиций The Beatles.. спасибо! ✌😃
Absolutely fantastic! Your clarity and everything about your lesson is thee best I've ever come across. You're right it's gonna take me a while to get that finger picking pattern. (It's hard not to cheat :) I can't thank you enough.
Hey Dean, I'm glad that you're getting something from this lesson. I would ask that you take a look here at some point: www.shutupandplay.ca/donate.html cheers Andy
musically..the song has a meditative peaceful tranquil feel to it...fitting that he wrote that in india on a meditation retreat...the mood totally reflects what he was experiencing..lyrically is is spot on in regards to prudence farrow who would not come out of her hut...i love the acoustic guitar part john constructed...the he played it and what he played...what chords...nobody today could write this..the slop they have ed sheeran is an imposter next to these great masters
This was a very difficult song for me to learn due to the Travis Picking, which is relatively new to me. Your advice to slow it way down worked for me ... with lots of repetition.
With this video, I learned the finger picking pattern and the chords. But the biggest hurdle IMO is being able to master one or the other (or both) without looking. The finger picking is so difficult to do blindly except for when I look. And when I look, I can’t focus on getting the chords perfect so I mess those up. What a challenge but I will get it soon!! Went from nothing to just about to put it together within 4 days
Thanks dude. Just chipped in 10 euro for the awesome lessons. Specially the travis picking on julia and dear prudence helped me a lot. The only lesson missing (on youtube) is Happiness is a warm gun. I think he uses travis picking there as well. Just a suggestion.
I'm so pleased with your tutorials. Been playing some (not all) of my Beatle favorites slightly wrong for the last 40 years. Thanks for filling in the blanks, it's given me new inspiration to learn new music instead of the same couple hundred songs I've been playing forever. Thanks. How about posting a short bio on yourself?
Nice lesson. On the intro first bar you show 14-12-14 (GBe) going to 12-10-12. Sounds good. I saw another tab 11-10-12 for second chord position. I’ll stick with your interpretation.
Hi, professional keyboard player and wannabe shredder here. Love your lessons, you sound great and play the right chords! I absolutely can't play the D/C chord without my major finger muting the D string. I've tried everything! It seems easy for you but man... ; ) I know practice makes perfect but do you have some advice on something i may be doing wrong? I know it's hard for you without seeing my actual hand position... TIA
CC64 Hey bro, thanks for the nice comment! Well, most of the time I find that guys play with the wrist of their fretting hand too close to the neck, if you place your wrist as far away form the fretboard and as high as you can go, it's let your fingertips come more down on the strings and hopefully help with the muting problem. Good luck with it. cheers
I must say, I have been playing guitar for 36 years, I gig regularly and I am a near-lifelong professional audio engineer and I teach guitar as well.... so I felt a great need to tell you that your lesson was one of the clearest, well-done tutorials I have seen in years. Great job.Sometimes you just have to pat somebody on the back ...
Stone Soup Thanks! cheers
Gee, how honored...there is always some jackass that has to be the imaginary expert, shut up stone soup, go away
@@MrJuliesguy huh?
AMEN!!!!
He shows us and teaches us...(professional), not rants on about himself like you. If you're such an awesome guitarist, why you watching guitar lessons on UA-cam? You sound like a blowhard!!!You get your example from T-Rump????
I can't stop hearing Paul's bass in my head.
so do i ta da -ta -ta ta la-tata
Look around
maybe its because the guitar is playing it too with that alternate bassline
Definitely one of his best
The bass in this song was a work of art.
This is THE song that forced me to learn some finger picking. I had to learn this song at all cost's. Still dont have it down but "It's getting better all the time."
Can't get no worse (in my case!)
Donovan Leitch taught John the claw hammer picking technique when Donovan was with the Beatles in India. Then John came up with this.
Best part of this video is when he says "I guarantee it will happen.. you will get it". It took me 2 weeks to get this finger picking down. But he was right. I finally got it.
@@paulwitveendaal3381 And it would have taken you no time at all to not be a dick about it.
Tijmen Hoff lol
Cha Feel? There used to be some other comments before mine, but they seem to have been removed haha
Tijmen Hoff savage🤣
@@WALTERNA1 Thanks for explaining your comment - I was scratching my head. Far as I could tell, the OP didn't say anything dickish.
As a beginner this can seem impossible, I was at that stage too, but with good practise you will accomplish this. All of a sudden your fingers will start to play without thinking and the sense of joy you will get is priceless, coupled with a huge grin that would need a jackhammer to chisel off your face. The unsung heroes are people like "shut up & play" who remove the mystery of songs allowing everybody no matter what skill level to enjoy music. For many of us this guy is the de facto guitar channel and a total legend.
Kind regards.
A. Fender.
This is true.
Lennon what a freakin GENIUS composer. To think he just came up with this to get a meditation student out of her room and played it to her and she came out to play after 3 days locked inside!!!
That wasn't just a meditation student that was Mia Farrows sister
It amazes me that he was able to put together some of these chord progressions without any musical theory knowledge. He just had a great ear and a natural ability to find chords that work well together.
@@bendagostino2217 the thing is, even with music theory how the fuck would u think to come up with that specific chord sequence from the top of the guitar. its one of those things where once you see it or hear it youre like “oooh how did i not think of that”. but to come up with it from scratch, with or without knowledge on theory, is impressive
@@bassesatta9235 Donovan taught him a basic finger pick exercise in India, Lennon then ran with it and I absolutely agree with you, incredible chord pattern
@@truckerkevthepaidtourist Of course. He wouldn't have done it for just anybody.
Thanks for the compliment. I appreciate you watching. Yeah I remember those days of dropping the needle on the vinyl too. And that was if you had the record, and if you didn't you'd have to save up and buy it. It's much easier for guitarists these days, thankfully. Cheers man.
First of all, your youtube videos are far and above some of the best tutorials anywhere. Your patience and detailed explanations are simply amazing. You have over 70,000 thousand subscribers. We should all send him a dollar of month. That's less than a cup of coffee a month for the best tutorials on the planet by some of the greastest song every written. He should be able to sit home and devote his time to more videos. 12 dollars over the course of a year is meaningless to us for all we get back. I am headed to paypal to give him 12.00 now. I challenge all of you to do the same. Let the man do what he does!
+1luckycat challenge accepted
That's a really fantastic idea. This guy's work is absolutely worth that. It's actually far more valuable. I've been teaching music lessons for many years as I'm a symphonic violist. I'm also a very inexperienced guitar player. I stumbled upon this channel so I could learn how to play a few songs on guitar. I've been playing the viola professionally for 25 years and played my first ever guitar gig a week ago. This man taught me how to play Heroes! I'm super thankful for that.
When I saw that Heroes was on the set-list I was not remotely excited by the prospect. What the hell was i to do in that song without feeling like a complete dork?! This guy helped me own that in a huge way. I was convinced it'd be the cheesiest thing I'd ever done in my life. We rehearsed it once. It was, for my extremely limited experience in my first ever gig as a guitar player, a very positive experience. I think it conveyed some familiar vibes and decent tones shared in the original recording. I was so fearful of it being a truly shameful experience and this man completely removed that feeling.
That alone is worth a bucket full of goodies and a substantial financial offering. This guy has an awesome channel. I've had the chance to work with many of the world's greatest conductors, who are essentially teachers. I had a wonderful education with great teachers. I paid for that then and continued paying for many years afterwards.
This guy gives it his all and he gives it for free right here on UA-cam. It's absolutely top-notch instruction. It's not charity, it's insurance. If one gives 500€ a year for lessons once a week, that's less than a tener per week. There are exactly zero music teachers that would accept such a paltry sum. Then there are people like this,
Let's just pay the man.
So appreciate your approach! It is refreshing to hear a teacher simply show the student where the fingers are placed and simply name the note he's on. By the time most teachers get through telling me where the "pinky", "pointer finger", "ring finger" and "bad" finger go on this or that string and this or that fret, I have done lost track of what it is I am learning and where I am in the process. I just want them to "get to the point", and that is exactly what you do. As a result, I learn faster from your videos than any I have tried. I play by ear also, and your approach works for me. You got skills, bro. Thank you!
It's a weird thing-no really... I mean getting the picking right. I was doing my nut trying to get my thumb to do the base crotchet rhythm and then play the syncopated treble picking with the two fingers over the top. I began to think that there was something mentally wrong with me because I just couldn't do it and was ready to throw my guitar out of the window. Then, suddenly, it just came together and I could do the picking with ease, as if it was natural. Clever little brain cells making connections. It just works! So if anyone else is in the same boat and ready to give up... DON'T! It'll all "come together" (sorry for the Beatles pun). Fantastic tutorial and thanks for your patience in teaching it to us.
I've played guitar for over 50 years. Over the years there are so many songs that I've wanted to learn, but never did. This is one of them. You are an extremely gifted player and teacher. Thank you so much.
That took me ages to learn. Someone should write alternative lyrics to the tune. New Title: "Dear Patience". Thank you a lot for the inspiration.
I've said it before, I'll say it again...Andy, you're the only one that really nails the originals as they deserve...on top of that you convey it to all of us in a simple yet precise way...on top of that my perception is that you're not only skillful and musically knowledgeable, but also a kind and generous person. Keep on. Thanks.
I will never not upvote this guy. You're truly one of the web's greatest teachers and resources. Thank you for all your contributions.
May you never tire!
For the F>Ab>G (9:00) section I like to keep the same picking pattern on the bottom 3 strings. (5-4-6-4-5-4-6-4, etc) and play the major triads on the top 3 strings. (2 on G, 1 on B, 1 on E, etc. 5-4-4, 4-3-3. A little dissonance sounds good.
Wanted to share a playing tip / suggestion for this song.
Because we all have different finger / hand sizes, I found one passage in this lesson that’s easier for me to play using my pinky instead of the middle finger as is demonstrated in this great video.
The passage I’m referring to is the main riff part which takes place at the 2nd fret using the baby d shape.
Specifically, the first bass note run down on the 5th string, third fret.
I just can’t seem to play the open 4th string without it being muted by my middle finger which is holding down the 3rd fret 5th string.
I found if I bring my pinky finger over to fret that C note, the D string then rings clear!
Hope this helps others who might find this part challenging too.
thank you! this was really helpful. Would you still play it like this?
This is the best tutorial of this song I have found online. The picking pattern is tricky but it's worth sticking with till you get it right. Great work! I will be watching this over and over!
This is maybe my favorite song ever. Awesome chord progression. Nobody wrote songs like the Beatles
best instruction I've heard. drop d travis picking kicks butt. this tutorial is a major challenge I accept. this song been in my head since 1969
Until I'm cold and dead the intro to this song will send chills through my bones all the way to my ancestors..
I'm a bassist, this will be the first song I'll learn on 6 string.
Thnx for the help...
Excellent, Sir!! As a lifelong Beatles fan I've been playing these songs with only a faint whisper of a likeness to the recordings...this is so much more fun!!
OH this song is so beautiful but learning it makes me wanna strangle my guitar
Same here
😂
I had the first part down in a day then the rest was hard
Those droning ‘D’ strings with the melody on top - so beautiful.
@@misterj9619 other than Julia and Dear Prudence, what are the other Jonh Lennon Travis Picking songs?
D chord in this tuning is a beast. Never knew it since I learn this song. But, I feel like the very first picking of the song sounds better with the first and the fourth string. The next chord goes like you suggest; the first and the fifth.
Amazing how Lennon learned to play these incredible chords in such a short time. I started at 32 messing and was shown 3 chords and I was hooked. I had the talent and never knew it. I bought my first real guitar in Rochester ny house of guitars and was playing in a band by my 33rd birthday. Its great for anxiety and PTSD. IM 60 now and still play Lennon, Oasis, matchbox 20, Country a must in Florida and I’m Rican from NYC.. I CAN HEAR AND PLAY ALSO READ MUSIC AND TABS. AWESOME HOBBY. I WAS MARRIED AND COULDNT BE A ROCK STAR LOLOLOLOL THANK YOU FOR GREAT LESSON .....
bought my first guitar at the HOG also (in 1967)
What a great guitar lesson. I have been a Beatles fan since the age of seven and have 4 Beatles guitar music books that I play songs off of. The books though never teach you how to actually play the song like it was recorded. Your video was so cool! I had not picked up my guitar for over six months and after watching your video I sat down with my Washburn guitar and started practicing. Although I do not have the picking quite right yet, I learned the majority of the song in one night. You are a great teacher and you have brought me a new found love for my guitar. This was a great gift on the day before Christmas. I am going to subscribe to your videos on UA-cam and learn all the songs that you have posted. Thanks so much and Merry Christmas!
I started that fingerpicking style 3 months ago after this video just to learn this song. It took about a week and about a milion times practice but it open a world to you as musician. Now the hardest part is to keep a clean sound on D/C chord. Anyway thank you sir
I may be late to your party but just keep playing the D shape with your 3 fingers and add your 4th finger to play the C note. The guy in the video complicates this part too much. :)
What I admire from you is that you reach perfection, always playing the exact note & chord just like the original. I'm hoping for a composition of your own, you have the gift to do it!
And what is highly appreciated from you is you answer to all comments!! It's the 1st time I've seen someone doing this. Thank you, you're amazing!
mich0008 Thanks so much for the kind words bud. I have a lot of respect for all of these songs and I think it's important to honor them by trying to play them as close as possible to the original versions. As far as writing goes, I just don't have that "gene". In my experience, good guitar players are pretty common, but good songwriters are rare! I'm going to try to keep up on the comments as long as I can, but with the growth of the channel it's actually starting to take up a big chunk of my time! Thanks again bud. cheers
Really appreciate your style of teaching these courses with the black background, it helps in not getting distracted. Your abilities as a instructor is well thought out.Keep up the good work. Love all the Beatles songs..if only I could sing.omg.
At 70 now and learning this off the vinyl lifting the needle up when this albumn actually came out decades ahead of the internet you all have it made and a tutor like this😌👍well done my man and exactly perfect and yes i wore out pretty much atleast a couple albumns each teachin myself the structure of the tunes 😆 thank GOD for a decent job Christmas and birthdays and a girlfriend or two 🎸 🎶
Really want you to know that you have the perfect balance of playing, showing and describing, which is so hard to find in many tutorials; I have overcome my fear of Travis picking through practice, which I have you to thank for- as silly as it might sound, it is, as you said, just a matter of practice. Great content and great playing. Thank you so much for proving such an excellent guitar-playing community service to us all.
Sean Earl Thanks so much for this really nice comment Sean. I appreciate it! cheers
I'd like to add a comment on your "finger picking will probably screw you up". Back in the day (pre-Beatles, or at least pre-Sgt. Pepper), pickers came from folk and blues traditions. We only ever did "Travis" picking, aka "Alternating Thumb". Rock and Pop were almost exclusively chord strumming, or the "advanced" boom-chuck, bass-strum-bass-strum. To master alternating bass finger-picking, we spent anywhere from a week to a month playing just bass string 6 - bass string 4 - bass 6 - bass 4 ad nauseum. You knew you had it when you woke up playing alternating bass, and could keep the thumb going while you watched TV with full comprehension, or carry on a political discussion and the bass line never wavered. It was pretty hard on everybody in the house, but at the end, your thumb played that bass line without occupying any of your attention at all. In a matter of days, we'd add in a simple melody on the beat. As our teacher tells us, one day it just clicks in, and you can play almost anything, with style. Then move some of the melody notes 'between the beats' and throw in some hammer-ons. slides and pull-offs, give it some swing, and you had a really good version of Song #1 on full auto-pilot. You learned Song #2 in a day or so, and pretty quick had it on full auto. Song #3 went faster still, and you discovered you could play almost anything with pattern picking, and you were what everyone aspired to. Things are way more complicated now, but it remains true that if you once train your thumb to work with a mind of its own, you can train it to do something more creative still on full autopilot, and you only have to learn half a song at a time. So if you haven't done it already, spend that week or two or more with a guitar glued to your hands and being the most annoying person in town. Then start learning a new song or two every day. Honestly. It works.
According to Donovan he taught John finger picking this way when they were both in India in '68 and I guess the result was that John wrote this song.
Thanks! gotta be good for the brain/nervous system
I love all your videos bro. Especially, since I'm missing my pinky on my chording hand. There's been several times you've saved me a world of hurt and aggravation by showing some short cuts. Thank you so much for your very excellent and informative videos! God bless!
At last, after about 50 years of playing it ( frustratingly )not quite right, the puzzle’s solved and I’m a happy old picker!
Beautiful masterpiece from Lennon and a superb tutorial:) Thank you.
Absolutely a great job on the illustration. You made that so easy to learn. A big thumbs up!
nice pace to your teaching style. The repetition and pausing to explain shapes and picking is crystal clear. thanks
I've been trying to Travis pick for ages. Yesterday, in trying out my new Martin SM, the lightbulb went on! Thank you! I haven't got it up to speed yet, but now I'm confident that I will. If I can get a handle on this technique, my playing will jump to a whole different level. I'm already a good player, but this... I will have doors that were always closed open up.
A very well-done instructional video. I've played the tune for many years myself almost exactly as you've shown it. (I'd worked it out from the original LP with my turntable slowed down and my guitar lowered a bit to match.)
I’ve always wanted to sit down and play this the right way. Once you get the picking pattern on auto pilot it transforms to beautiful music. Thank you!!!!
🎵 For more information on this lesson and the TAB: www.shutupandplay.ca/dear-prudence--acoustic.html
Once again another GREAT instruction - Thank You - I've learn a lot from you - I do find it easier to use my pinky on the C (A-3) second descending root chord - BIG FAN Cheers, Dan
You were right. The "light" went on....it took about 3 hrs of practice, and the picking suddenly got easy and made sense. Thanks!
Real nice tutorial man!! Been playing about 4 years now. All through playing on my own and learning songs via UA-cam. I have "my version" of this song. Mostly because the "Travis Picking"....much like you say...just isn't clicking quite yet. Close...but still no cigar. Your tutorial is concise and to the point!!
Studying classical guitar when I was a kid really opened up a whole new world later on when I found Rock. I was a teen in the 1970s when Sooooo much timeless music came out.
Dude! Awesome lesson... I'm not much of a finger picker but this demonstrates very clearly why it's an important skill to acquire. Thanks so much for posting this!! :-)
Thanks for the lesson
The "light" never came on, I just had to repeat it incredibly slowly, starting with just using the high E string for teaching my brain the rhythm on the high notes. Then after hours/days of repeating the full 3 high strings, from incredibly slow, to slightly faster, I had it.
I am in awe of people who can just try it a few times and have it down in a few minutes. I am obviously a lower life form, haha!
The lucky part about my brain, is that I can sing/scat completely different rhythms/notes over it while I play now ( after the days of metronome speed improving mantra/torture ), so I maybe a bad guitar player, but a natural singer/player
I could never do 2 hands on piano very well either, but could always sing different rhythms over just my right hand etc!
So, for all those that took days to get this down, you are not alone!
CaribSurfKing1 Thanks for watching bud.
CaribSurfKing1 I wouldn't feel bad about taking a while to learn the fingerpicking...in fact, I don't (I'm struggling). I suspect that people who pick up a new song quickly have already learned some fingerpicking on some other song(s). Can anybody comment on that? Can some people pick it up very quickly, or are they "pre-trained", as it were, by having worked it out on other songs? I don't know if I'm kidding myself on that.
Thanks for your lessons. I definitely consider them among the most authoritative on UA-cam.
You're Taylor Mini sounds great...
Thanks for the lesson man. Great balance of clarity and directness. You're super clear but leave the figuring out up to the student. I just got the fingerpicking bit after hours and hours. Thanks a lot and keep up the good work
Excellent lesson!
When I clicked play, it took me back to the day. The days. It's still the same today.
"If you're not used to fingerpicking, it'll probably really screw you up." I laughed. I appreciate your candor. I knew a guy who learned Leo Kottke songs off of vinyl records and man, it was amazing.
Been playing it semi fingerpicking style for years, i.e. badly until I found this. Two hours of brain pain to get the pattern into my head and I now sound much more authentic (ish). I have to use my pinkie on the 3rd fret B string for the D chord as I can't get the D string to ring clear otherwise during the descend. Useful tip if any one else is finding it hard to make the D string ring out.
Just realised after 10 years or more I've been playing the intro to this a bit wrong, but it sounds better to me. I've been playing the D shape at the 7th fret as the same shape as the first 2 shapes(on the 5th fret) only one note change though. Don't forget the little slide on the outro too. Love that bit
Thanks "A" Man...for all of your great tutorials...please continue to help all of us plunkers out with the music of our youth!!
I haven't even tried finger picking. That pattern is doing my head in lol! Those chords are so timeless aren't they.......so mesmerising .....very moving
The Beatles did love that D chord
It's in Here Comes the Sun, We Can Work it Out and this obviously and tons of other stuff from them
Almost half of Norwegian Wood runs around that D chord
I've been playing this song for a couple of years, but had a couple of the finer points wrong. Thanks for helping me get this right -- and actually making it EASIER with all the proper chord forms.
Truly a great song and lesson. it's interesting that John- with the incredible dissonance in the song and drone (from drop D) seems to evoke 'India' more than Harrison's sitar ever did. Not that I don't love Harrison's sitar - but this is TRULY an evocative, brilliant piece.
For EVERYONE learning: record into a DAW - I have an expensive one, Audacity is free. Then "play along," double-track yourself. INFINITELY easier this way. Then, discard the double-track when mastered...
Excellent tutorial. I believe Donovan showed John and Paul this style of playing while they were on a retreat in India.
my favourite channel, no BS just the music
Just wanted to thank you for all of your tutorials. I've learned a lot of great music. This one in particular was great. Short and to the point.
There was an old VHS tape and I can’t remember the name of the guitar player who had this lesson along with Julia and another that shared the same picking pattern. There are a couple of spots where there is a minor change in the picking pattern I believe on Julia. But these are excellent songs and like anything worthwhile it takes time to commit them to muscle memory. But once you have that down, it’s fantastic you just sing and don’t even think about your fingers anymore. The funniest thing, don’t expect Non musicians to appreciate the time and effort it takes to do something like this, but other guitar players will be wowed.
One of the keys to this once you work your way down the neck to where the song versus begins as I always tell people, when you’re doing the walk down, you have to keep that sharp covered on top. There are so many songs where you pulled it off on the walk down but this isn’t one of them and it makes a huge difference in the sound.
Excellent video!
Thanks for the tutorial, your method of teaching is awesome, i dislike tutorials that take a half an hour just to learn an intro. Hence your channel title.
Thanks for the video! After reading the comments, it seems I have the opposite problem from most people here - the picking wasn't really a problem, the chords are. I've always played much more than I practiced, seems I'm missing some basic skills here.
Thank you for such a clear and effective way to play this (apparently simple) style/pattern. Peaceandlove.
This is a great lesson brother!!! Wow!!! I needed this!!! THANK YOU!!
Wow! You are talented, these lessons are great! Thank You
You can also play it with the Julia right hand technique and use 4 fingers with your thumb only touching the low E (drop D) and A strings.
beautiful tutorial-smart and to the point. Why can't more be like this?
OMG I DID IT TO THE LETTER AND CAUGHT ON IN 10 minutes thank you brother
awesome lesson. i really enjoy all of your lessons, especially the lennon/mccartney songs. thanks!
Love the structure of your lessons. Accurate, great detail, easy, well thought out explanations. Hands down the best I've found. Thank you for sharing.
Diz Francisco Thanks Diz!
Super, I got it... I just can´t do it with 3 fingers, I had to use the ring finger too, and in the D part can´t do it barring the strings, I used the D shape and did the trick with my pinky... Thanks bro.... by the way, I did it in 2 hours.
really great, the voicings are dead-on and your explanations and modeling are crystal clear! Many thanks!
Guys, I know I’m late, but I found out a way to do the fingerpicking pattern in only like 10 mins or so. You do the bass pattern over and over until you can talk normally while still picking at a consistent tempo. I did the same thing for the high notes and now I can do this. (I still need to perfect it, but if you have nothing else to do then this should really help)
Mighty fine. You are gonna make me sound like I know what I am doing!
Why, why! You make me want to play guitar more and more, but I'm liking it and thank you very much for your fantastic lessons. Osu Sensei.
I'm good, lol, I just can't get the fingering down on the e d and a. I've got a new challenge. I realized the Beatles and David gilmoure use alot of the same chording on some stuff. Well done man.
I like drop d tuning songs.. like "the end".. man my picking really needs work. Thank you for teaching the hard picking parts and making it seem easy enuff to try!
He seems to play it more relaxed. I've seen other UA-cam how to play it videos where it the guitarist seems to be rushing through it. Sounds better when it's not rushed.
MJ1341 Thank you.
Great tutorial!
It took me six five-minute blocks to get picking down (don't give up people).
I find it easier to play the descending d-chord progression--starting in normal d position and playing the C with my pinkie. Then, your fingers are already in position for the next two step downs.
I found the best way for me is to start that progression playing the D chord with pinky on the 2nd string 3rd fret (instead of 3rd finger) and keeping it there, then the 3rd finger is free to hit the C and the 1st and 2nd fingers can stay in place, 1st finger going to B and Bb as needed. With your way my pinky doesn't stretch that way too well.
It's basically theft of knowledge with videos like these , wow my fav song I've learned for free , thank you sire
Thanks JACOB. I put a huge amount of time and effort into making these videos. I like to keep them free for those that can't afford it, but if you can, please support what I do. Cheers, Andy www.shutupandplay.ca/donate.html
Не знаю английский язык, но, и так понятно.. интуитивно, понимая, что происходит.. будет время - обязательно вернусь к этому обзору/уроку - это одна, из любимых мной, композиций The Beatles.. спасибо! ✌😃
Absolutely fantastic! Your clarity and everything about your lesson is thee best I've ever come across. You're right it's gonna take me a while to get that finger picking pattern. (It's hard not to cheat :) I can't thank you enough.
Hey Dean, I'm glad that you're getting something from this lesson. I would ask that you take a look here at some point: www.shutupandplay.ca/donate.html cheers
Andy
Muchas gracias por enseñar la forma correcta de tocar Dear Prudence como debe ser...felicitaciones por el video!..excelente!!
musically..the song has a meditative peaceful tranquil feel to it...fitting that he wrote that in india on a meditation retreat...the mood totally reflects what he was experiencing..lyrically is is spot on in regards to prudence farrow who would not come out of her hut...i love the acoustic guitar part john constructed...the he played it and what he played...what chords...nobody today could write this..the slop they have ed sheeran is an imposter next to these great masters
Dean Martin well maybe not so much an imposter as a different style. But I can dig what u mean by slop, there is a lot of that today
This was a very difficult song for me to learn due to the Travis Picking, which is relatively new to me. Your advice to slow it way down worked for me ... with lots of repetition.
With this video, I learned the finger picking pattern and the chords. But the biggest hurdle IMO is being able to master one or the other (or both) without looking. The finger picking is so difficult to do blindly except for when I look. And when I look, I can’t focus on getting the chords perfect so I mess those up. What a challenge but I will get it soon!! Went from nothing to just about to put it together within 4 days
I love your simple straight forward instruction.
Thanks dude. Just chipped in 10 euro for the awesome lessons. Specially the travis picking on julia and dear prudence helped me a lot. The only lesson missing (on youtube) is Happiness is a warm gun. I think he uses travis picking there as well. Just a suggestion.
Your encouragement for finger picking was great. Just what I needed! Go raimh mile maith agat ( thanks a million ).
I'm so pleased with your tutorials. Been playing some (not all) of my Beatle favorites slightly wrong for the last 40 years. Thanks for filling in the blanks, it's given me new inspiration to learn new music instead of the same couple hundred songs I've been playing forever. Thanks. How about posting a short bio on yourself?
Very nice lesson. Thank you from Italy.
Nice lesson. On the intro first bar you show 14-12-14 (GBe) going to 12-10-12. Sounds good. I saw another tab 11-10-12 for second chord position. I’ll stick with your interpretation.
Hi, professional keyboard player and wannabe shredder here. Love your lessons, you sound great and play the right chords! I absolutely can't play the D/C chord without my major finger muting the D string. I've tried everything! It seems easy for you but man... ; ) I know practice makes perfect but do you have some advice on something i may be doing wrong? I know it's hard for you without seeing my actual hand position... TIA
CC64 Hey bro, thanks for the nice comment! Well, most of the time I find that guys play with the wrist of their fretting hand too close to the neck, if you place your wrist as far away form the fretboard and as high as you can go, it's let your fingertips come more down on the strings and hopefully help with the muting problem. Good luck with it. cheers
@@ShutupAndPlayGuitarTutorials Thanks S U and P. That's helpful for me too. Pays to read comments.
I'm really enjoying watching your videos! Extremely helpful and I can't wait to go home and pick up my guitar!!🎸🎸🎸
brilliant song and a brilliant lesson to compliment it
Wonderful Lesson!
Thanks for your beautifully detailed and well explained way of demonstrating how to play this beautiful song!
sunsmashers Thanks!
Some people or natural teachers. We all remember we had one or two in school. This guy has it. Just a natural.
"I got blisters on my fingers"! Thanks. My Grand daughter is named Prudence and I want to learn it for her.