@@LCBSeniorLivingLLC Not reading music is not a barrier to writing great songs. The barrier is lack of experience and absorbing oneself into as many different styles as possible. All great writers have done this and The Beatles did this as you can hear them play so many songs in the Get Back videos. Also they had to know hundreds of songs whilst they were in Germany playing 8 hr sets for passing punters. As Ringo said they had already written all their bad songs so they were ready to unleash themselves on the world around 62-63.
@@LCBSeniorLivingLLC Y donde esta el problema? Alguien tan excepcionalmente talentoso como Paul Mccartney no se detuvo ni se detiene para componer algunas de las canciones mas emblemáticas de la época contemporánea. No comentes a lo 🐂
I’ve always been fascinated by the way Paul plays the piano. He always seems to have unconventional fingering with very little use of the thumb unless absolutely necessary. Almost every video I’ve seen of Paul I always pay attention to how he plays the piano. For example the first few chords of Let it Be he plays with first finger, second finger and pinky. Similar to the opening chords of Maybe I’m Amazed, the Hulu doc shows some of his piano playing in one scene and others concert videos on UA-cam. I think because they weren’t classically trained they just did whatever felt comfortable and produced some remarkable music.
Yes, I’m the same. I actually can’t believe how he makes this work sometimes. I mean, the thumb is virtually always at the bottom when playing chords. Like you say it’s probably because he learns everything his own way and doesn’t care about the rules. Pure instinct with Paul - and that’s why we love him!!
I just saw One Hand Clapping in the theater. I have a renewed appreciation for Paul’s piano playing abilities. He was the was musician of the 4 Beatles.
John said that at a certain point he started to compose more on the piano because he was more able to surprise himself as he didn't know the keyboard as well as the guitar fretboard. On the guitar his fingers would tend to automatically go towards the/a standard next chord and it was harder to be original. It wouldn't surprise me if Paul and George did the same, whether on not they consciously realized it.
Wow. That makes a lot of sense. I know that feeling but going the other way (piano to guitar). It is a curious feeling of finding chords but not knowing what they are and so you can judge in a pure way whether you like the progression or not. I can totally see how this would take John to new places. :)
I'm fine at piano - I can play basic chords and that's it really but I'm a high intermediate on bass so if I want to write a chord progression I write it on piano then copy the notes onto the bass to figure out what chords/notes they are then rinse and repeat@@martinfinnpiano
@@SandalwoodBros id say very few of george's songs were written on piano, coz he wasnt very good / was very limited, but obviously pro level on gat. ps- 'old brown shoe' is insipid uninspired rubbish, like many of his songs.
It’s amazing how their personalities almost come out in their piano playing. Paul is whimsical, intricate, writing beautiful melodies etc. John’s playing is very rhythmic and stabbing but has an undeniable beauty to it. Ringos playing is simple and direct but has high entertainment value for how simple it is. George is somewhat experimental, dissonant, sort of a means to an end. The get back documentary was absolutely fascinating for a Beatles fan
John was dominant in the first half of the Beatles and then it was much more Paul in the second half. John's melodies were more close in harmony wise where as Paul's were more leaping in melody. John was often using static melody allowing the chords to shift below the melody and Paul did this to great effect in Another Day where he literally sings 17 notes all the same note in the verses. John would do things like play 3 minor chords in a row or in I Am The Walrus there are 16 chords and not a single minor chord in the entire song which is quite unusual. Both writers used modulation in very interesting ways such as Penny Lane where Paul shifts downwards for the chorus so you get verses in Bmaj and choruses in Amaj which is traditionally the opposite way round. One of their finest pieces of music is indeed the song Martha My Dear. The left hand is typically Paul yet together with the right hand Paul weaves a very beautiful movement somewhat reminiscent of what I would consider the quality of a Mozart piece. For a while I really thought the song must of been mostly written by George Martin as I found it hard to believe anyone could of written it without the necessary hard classical training, yet it was entirely written by Paul himself and you can hear Paul working through it on the outakes whilst he is talking about the scales he had learned. Yes it is that good and far beyond the skills of even a good songwriter since the 50s.
@@dunki-dunki-dawgnot true. John was not more dominant in the first half. Paul’s song was the first they recorded as the Quarrymen. Then it was another Paul song that got them signed. He also led them musically from the very beginning and I’ll leave the quotes below that prove it. The only album John had more songs on was A Hard Day’s Night and even during that time, Paul was also giving away more songs. For example, A World Without Love by Paul was a worldwide number 1 hit for Peter and Gordon. So Paul was every much John’s equal since the beginning and it could be argued he was even the dominant one “I can well remember even at the rehearsal at his house in Forthlin Road, Paul was quite specific about how he wanted it played and what he wanted the piano to do. There was no question of improvising. We were told what we had to play. There was a lot of arranging going on even back then." - John Duff Lowe pianist on their first ever recording, In Spite of All the Danger "I don’t want to take anything away from anyone, but production of the Beatles was very simple, because it was ready-made. Paul was a very great influence in terms of the production, especially in terms of George Harrison’s guitar solos and Ringo’s drumming. The truth of the matter is that, to the best of my memory, Paul had a great hand in practically all of the songs that we did, and Ringo would generally ask him what he should do. After all, Paul was no mean drummer himself, and he did play drums on a couple of things. It was almost like we had one producer in the control room and another producer down in the studio. There is no doubt at all that Paul was the main musical force. He was also that in terms of production as well. A lot of the time George Martin didn’t really have to do the things he did because Paul McCartney was around and could have done them equally well… most of the ideas came from Paul". - Norman Smith, the Beatles engineer up until Rubber Soul
@@ewest14 I have a totally different perspective. John was the powerhouse. He was a force of nature, a titan. He was a far deeper person than Paul, a far more powerful soul. He was extremely spiritual. He lifted Paul up. Paul could not have created as he did were he not in the presence of John. Paul owes him so much.
They were so insanely talented. Paul was always more technically proficient than John but John compensated with an extraordinary taste and ear for riffs.
I always thought that Paul's piano style is very "lefty" and "bassy", which fits him to a T. Like there's always these cute little bass fills he does with his left hand, which makes so much sense for a left-handed bassist.
I think Paul knew a lot about theory just from playing so many covers, it just comes. He played tons of songs as a kid too for his father and family gatherings. You really can tell he knew these old pop jazz tunes and styles .
You forgot Paul told the story about how they couldn't get Obla de Obla da done right. John was getting annoyed by Paul about it. He stomped out of the studio but the next day Paul was still working on it. John, being very spry that day after coming back, sat down at the piano and said this is how it should go. And he banged out the piano of Obla de Obla da. And that's what you hear. John playing it
Obi is not everyone's favourite song but that opening is really a cracker, and just one example of that strangely symbiotic relationship that produced music others could only dream of. The John fans would strenuously argue the piano opening is actually the best part of the song! and they may have a point. Personally I like the bassline - it's simple, but very effective (like the one in Listen to What the Man Said) - and those sax lines. I also think that in the late 60s when people were beginning to take themselves a bit seriously, it was good to hear that side of Beatles where they goofed and used the studio for fun! Obi is one example of that - though apparently it was less than fun getting the recording 'just right'.
Paul also wasn’t satisfied in the recording process until he convinced the sound engineers to turn up the volume on his acoustic guitar to the point where the needle went into the red zone.
@@RadicalCaveman He didn't hate it, he just hated how much time they spent on it. Paul was very much a perfectionist in the studio, something he picked up from Brian Wilson.
I have a theory that the reason there were so many brilliant English musicians in the 1960’s and 70’s is at least partly down to a piano in many English homes. Musical ability is down to a genetic predisposition but also requires exposure to music before the age of 7 to open the mind to music.
You know, you could be right there. Its presence and importance had to have been a big contributor and without an iPhone what else are you going to do?
It's been my experience that many American homes had a piano or organ in the 1950s-70s. I don't know if it was a social status thing or just wanting the kids to learn an instrument. Maybe it was just for entertainment. And of course, every church I've seen had a piano in the church and many had one in a less formal area, for Sunday School or youth group. In my church, every kid liked to mess around on piano, both at home and at church.
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I just love Martha My Dear. Such wonderful piano chops.
@@martinfinnpiano Couldn't agree more. That weird lead he pulls in Taxman... That scratching background he does in the studio version of Maybe I'm Amazed... That slightly awkward lead in Too Many People... he can shred when wants, too
Are you daft? John and Paul came up with these riffs. Original stuff by them. That's the same mentality that so many have with oh satisfaction and jumpin Jack flash are really easy to play. Easy to play very hard to come up with on your own.
@@donquicke8240 The hardest songs to write are the simple ones especially love songs. McCartney would write in 3rd person and this way he could almost take a cold look at a relationship breakup as in For No one for example. Love songs can get really sentimental or sappy which isn't the taste for many people yet Beatles love songs and lullabies are always really beautiful IMHO.
For me, one of the highlights of that brilliant Beatles documentary was when they asked Billy Preston if he would like to be their keyboard player. The look on his face!
Excellent! Paul's superb piano intros to both "While My guitar Gently Weeps" and "Sexy Sadie" bring enormous power and beauty to those two songs and would merit analysis. Looking forward to your video on Nicky Hopkins! (Elton John would be another one...)
@@gettinhungrig8806Yeah, the first half is this one dramatically rhythmicized note, followed by a brilliant variation of the second half of the verse melody. You could not improve this intro if you tried a million years.
Sorry for the second comment, but you pointed out one of my favourite moments of the entire Get Back documentary! I point it out to everyone and they don’t get why it’s so cool: when George asks Billy what chord he’s playing! THAT!! That is what makes their talent so incredible. They wrote this entire catalog of beautiful, inventive, at times genius music over a few years and they have NO idea how music theory works. How to even read or write music on a page! That. Is. Insane! The definition of a true, natural gift.
I've heard it said by several musicians over the years that knowledge of a lot of music theory can be a drawback as it may prevent you from experimentation. For example, dissonance (Where 2 notes when struck together can sound horrific if they are not in harmony) I am guessing is frowned upon by music teachers. However, don't quote me as I cannot read or write music so play by ear. However, if you are given a set of rules you can end up in fear of breaking them and so avoid doing something that might actually sound great in the context of your own song/instrumental sounding perhaps less original.
@@davidc.williams-swanseauk3623 Yep and yep (though, dissonance is a real technique composers use, like Stravinsky). I also play by ear, which I think is why I adore that The Beatles do this. It reinforces my excuse for not taking the time to learn music theory. 🤪
Yes, that's true. There are those who can just feel it and it gives their music a particular kind of freedom and rawness that maybe the trained musician can't get to...
@@martinfinnpiano I'm reminded that Gershwin wanted formal musical training and that both Ravel and Nadia Boulanger (and possibly others) turned him down, because they were afraid of destroying his gift.
Such a wonderful video...much appreciated! George Martin also contributed significantly to The Beatles’ music with his piano skills. For example, he played the piano solo on “In My Life.” Martin recorded the solo at half speed and an octave lower than the final version. When the tape was played back at normal speed, the piano sounded twice as fast and an octave higher, giving it a distinctive timbre reminiscent of a harpsichord. He also played the piano solo on “Good Day Sunshine” and contributed the piano part for “Lovely Rita.” In “Rocky Raccoon,” Martin used the same sped-up piano technique as in “In My Life.” Additionally, he played the harpsichord on “Fixing a Hole” and an electric harpsichord on “Because.”
Thank you! You've pretty much just written the script for my George Martin video! You're right on all counts. He was a wonderful talent and a huge part in The Beatles success. In fact, without his vision they may have lost heart and never got the chance. For that matter, it could have all been down to George Harrison's jibe about not liking his tie!!
@@martinfinnpiano Well, thank you! I'm in the very early stages of learning how to play piano, and I really appreciated your video. (I'm a big Beatles fan.) So far, this is the only video of yours I have watched, and I'm sure I'll watch it many more times. I've been chipping away at McCartney's 'Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five' and Lennon's 'Watching the Wheels' for a week or so. Maybe Nicky Hopkins' special piano on 'Jealous Guy' will be a goal, too. I look forward to discovering the rest on your channel.
@martinfinnmusic The first of many cheeky Beatles comments I knew about! Cracking good sense of humor helped their rise in the States enormously. Nobody did that, except comics doing a stand up routine.
@@martinfinnpiano I must agree. Augmented by the fact that I can actually play it! Fantastic, dramatic, piano song. Maybe I'm Amazed is up there too..A later one that's nice but more understated is Beautiful Night. Lovely chords in that one.
The verb ‘play’ is key to everything the Beatles did and what makes the best music so beautiful and brilliant. It’s about playing in the same spirit of what we did when we were young.
Great video. One of my favourite Paul piano parts has always been "Sexy Sadie". It not only works as a pleasant composition in its own right but it enormously strengthens John's vocal melodies. . When I first heard John's original guitar demo recordings, I was struck by how unpromising the song sounded as a whole. It seemed as if John was choosing the "wrong" chord progressions just for the sake of it but Paul's piano arrangement makes it all sound coherent although still ear-catchingly quirky. It's always been one of my favourite tracks on the White Album. (On a side note, I think one of the biggest things we lost when the Beatles split was Paul's special ability to help John develop some of his most original ideas into unique and highly memorable finished works. E.g., it's Paul's bass lines in "Happiness Is A Warm Gun" that unifies all those very rough sketches of the separate parts of the song which John was still fiddling about with. )
Agreed on everything here. It is amazing on how much an arrangement can make a song come to life. I think P and J needed each other for different things and it was an amazing symbiosis while it lasted.
That's a great comment, Gerry. I think you've just perfectly articulated what everyone knew intuitively. I also think that while Paul's swiftly developing genius threatened to over-shadow both the group and the Lennon-McCartney song-writing partnership, it is all true that Paul's contributions to both John's and then George H's song recordings, it was not a fully balanced exchange. Yes, George's 4 note intro to And I Love Her was sublime, and John's BV answer 'It couldn't get much worse' in Getting Better is both funny and intuitively clever, they are additions, rather than fundamentally substantive contributions to the composition. You can't really compare John recommending Paul keep the line 'the movement you need is on your shoulder' in Hey Jude with Paul writing the whole verse countermelody in Help. George's lead guitar on Paul's compositions is good and sometimes great, but overall he is in debt to Paul for all the excellent harmony vocals and sublime bass-playing on George's songs, from If I Needed Someone right through to those two brilliant songs of George's on Abbey Road. What has often not been fully appreciated is that George was a very capable harmony singer despite being rather less adept and versatile as a lead singer. Creative collaboration isn't a mathematical 'by the numbers' process, but the facts remain the facts. Paul got to the point where he was giving more than he was getting and he tended to boss the others so they felt they had less chance to actively contribute. He clearly needed to have a crack at running his own band of not-equals (sidemen) because, by then, the Beatles were also not-equals - if indeed they ever quite were. Their initial image was an image - truth is always more complex. And ultimately their brave internal democracy came undone.
You're right. Lovely Moog parts on that album. Imagine.. synthesizer on a Beatles album. It just goes to show how they were always moving with the times. :)
@@martinfinnpiano The synth on Beatles records is so tastefully done that it's easy to forget that they used one, given how cheap and nasty a lot of later synth in pop sounded. Another composer who used synth tastefully early on was John Barry on themes like The Persuaders, The Adventurer and On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The synth is used for it's own texture and doesn't sound like a merely money-saving and inappropriate substitution for "real" instruments as so many later film and tv soundtracks do.
Besides the ones mentioned, John’s playing on “Love” is beautiful. And Paul’s playing on Maybe I’m Amazed” and “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five” is greatness.
George being my favorite beatle, yet asking about chords and stuff makes me feel a lot better about learning piano, that even the greats dont know every little thing and its helping put this all into perspective
Beautiful to see song writers having a great time building out every chord with such innocent joy. Being a Beatle was like a frolicking good time. ✨🎖️🏆💯🙏🌠🪲🪲🪲🪲✨
Brilliant video. As a guitar player its very interesting to see their piano skills/styles. "Martha my dear' and 'Oh my love' were the peak of beauty and melody on the piano from Paul & John, as you commented.
Piano is technically both a string instrument and a percussion instrument. The Beatles played it more percussively with the exception of some of Paul’s songs you mentioned.
Guitar players frequently do: it's like strumming. A good example is Roger Hodgson of Supertramp: a guitar player who plays keys. His partner Rick Davies is radically different in style.
Wonderful! Thank you for this. So glad you included John's beautiful Oh My Love piano part, (thank you for doing a Nicky Hopkins video!) and Paul's Martha My Dear which I taught myself years ago. Fascinating to see each style showcased.
This was really interesting and informative! I've heard Paul say that he doesn't consider himself as a great piano player but only sufficient. But this demonstration proves that wrong. Just like Karen Carpenter considering herself as a drummer first then a singer.
Nice one, Paul! In the same way as Frank Sinatra was a 'sufficient' singer - as indeed was Mick Jagger. Not great, you understand, but 'sufficient' - that famous British gift for understatement is charmingly alive and well. May it ever be so. You know, as in, Pink Floyd and Queen were 'quite good' too.
I know quite a lot about the Beatles and their music (like msany people do), but I know fairly nothing about piano playing, so this helps me to understand their music even better. THNX
Their piano ability proves that the best art is direct, concise and to the point. They were by no means classical pianists but could play a basic progression with feel and get an emotional idea across that almost everyone can appreciate.
@@martinfinnpiano Great comment in that it evokes the 'cooking' analogy. In relation to a comment further up, I nearly wrote that not knowing all the theory of music means you can explore and try what you want to try and develop your own tastes and preferences without any unnecessary fear of breaking rules. It's like a cook who can create some great dishes and full 3 course meals with learning all the theory of food down to its chemical composition and acquiring a deep understanding why certain foods blend well. The Beatles did acquire an understanding through exposure to many, many great examples of others successful pop songwriters. Brian Wilson is probably the best known example, but they were listening to a LOT of others in the early part of their career as evidenced for the breadth of covers they learned during the Cavern/Hamburg part of their evolution. There was material from Paul's love of vaudeville and show tunes right through to the black music of Little Richard, Arthur Alexander, Isley Brothers and Motown (like the Shirelles and Cookies - and Smoky Robinson). Add also a liberal dose of Chuck Berry and Carl Perkins who were favourites of John and George. And Ringo loved his country. The Beatles' personal mix was completely unique and special but the range ingredients were very broadly sourced.
Of course, George played the final sustained C chord on the piano at the end of A Day in the Life. I was very amazed and impressed watching Paul and Ringo play their piano duet in the let it be documentary.
George Martin, an engineer (maybe Geoff Emrick) and Ringo all played the final chord of A Day in the Life, perhaps with George as well. Martin brought in extra pianos for that chord and they did several takes to get it right with all of them in the pocket.
George also did piano on I Want To Tell You (one of his great wack George things is that E with an F) and the organ on It's All Too Much (which is all pedal point but like, man, the way it sounds, he was a natural producer).
I came here to say this. He did mention the 6th Beatle (the wonderful Billy Preston) but George M was composing and playing piano parts on Beatles tracks (including intricate and tricky baroque counterpoint, as on "In My Life") years before Billy came along.
@@tbkih It seems to me that the trickiness of counterpoint is largely to do with how contrasting simultaneous melody lines are interwoven, independent of their speed. When I learned to play that solo, I slowed it down in UA-cam to half speed (ie original performance speed, which is what the Beatles would have heard, liked and approved when GM first floated it), and it sounded just as intricate and tricky -- in the sense I meant above.
This is a fascinating and extremely informative video! I'm a lifelong guitar player who's always loved piano music, and I found this lovely bit of insight into the band's various styles to be most enjoyable indeed. Thank you for posting.
I don´t often like or comment on videos on UA-cam. But I want to after seeing this. It was really informative and I absolutely loved watching this. Thank you!
And where would he have got the idea of Going to Carolina? Well, apparently Ringo and George helped out Paul when working on that Apple album of James Taylor's which was done in 1968 only the year before Get Back. I always thought that line James wrote about 'a holy host of others standing round me' in the Carolina song was such a lovely tribute to the power and influence of the Beatles on other musicians. Then James went and outdid himself yet again by writing the 'dark side of the moon' line straight after - a whole 5 years before Pink Floyd adopted it as perfect for their 1973 masterwork only 5 years later. And wasn't Dark Side of the Moon also recorded at Abbey Road? Was it the same studio even?! Heady days indeed.
When I first saw it was not the videos of their actual playing I was a bit turned off, but you made a great job simulating their styles, adding stories behind them, and also nailed it at the end with hypothesizing about how George would have arrived into Something. Thanks.
Thank you very much. Someone else thought that too but seems to have not stuck around when he saw it was a simulation not an isolation. Thanks for staying with me!
Paul's proficiency at piano, bass and guitar are only the beginnings of his musical genius. All that... and he writes songs that have gone into the canon of Twentieth Century popular music.
@@martinfinnpianoI never checked the credits so I always thougth John played the piano... but yes, it is true, Paul played it. Makes all sense , he was the piano man, as you said... thank you!
History usually overlooks that original drummer Pete Best was a classically trained and very accomplished pianist under maestro Sven Hoffmeister. The Silver Beetles weren't a "piano band" according to John, and so Best's immense talent was sidelined to fill the rhythm section of a Rock and Roll band to less effect.
Nicky Hopkins please! His work with the Stones and some of the San Francisco bands is outstanding! Also, a good addendum for teh Beatles would be Georg Martin. Not sure if any one else beside Billy preston played piano on Beatle tracks. Considering how many pianos and piano players there were at Abbey Road....
I'm hearing a lot of love for Nicky Hopkins. I think that the Jealous Guy arrangement is sublime and mostly beacuse of his playing. Leave it with me. Also GM and BP are major contributors to the keyboard playing on the albums, yes. :)
@sslaytor Speaking of "How many pianos", The Beatles are the only group I know that used two pianos in many of their songs ("Good Day Sunshine" is one, "God" by Lennon solo is another that immediately comes to mind). And it never sounds like too much.
@@tr5947 YES - as well as Oh My Love mentioned in the video. Legend has it they wheeled in all the pianos they could fine (FIVE) into Studio 2 to get that monstrous crashing E chord at end of A Day in the Life. The Beatles' creativity is a gift that keeps on giving: 60 years and counting!
This is a very, very important video if you wanna understand the Beatles. Listen to their chord changes, Bass notes, etc. this guy’s got it down Pat I love it.
Lovely, lovely analysis of the playing styles. I've tried for years to learn piano on my own, but finally gave up when a classically trained person said my sense of harmony was terrible. So I picked up my guitar, went home, and decided instead to learn music theory on my own. I'm not an expert, but I was totally able to understand your analysis. Thank you for this post!! Chuck in Northern New England
Thank you so much! You know, Chuck, music theory is just a book of what works based on what sounds good and what is practical. For me as a visual learner I had to find my own entry points and learned it my own way and that was mainly through playing lots and lots of the songs I loved and noticing the patterns. If you love it, never give up because of what someone says. :)
@martinfinnmusic Thank you for the encouragement, Martin. I am so immersed in music theory now that I am finding a different source of fulfillment than when I started on this musical journey. The keyboard remains gathering dust, I'm afraid. But I now use my guitars for the deep dive into theory, learning how to play many different types of songs I've admired for years.
Hello Matin! I'm a beginner on the piano and your videos have been extremely useful. I'm a huge stones fan so I would be delighted if you made a video about Nicky Hopkins. Keep up the good work. :)
Hi there, I'm delighted that you find my videos useful. Yes, he was the main studio and touring man with the stones, right? I will put it on the list for sure. Thanks!
@@martinfinnpiano Thanks Martin! I've already watched the video and have started working on a few of the tunes. I didn't know Hopkins played on Sunny Afternoon! What a legacy he left behind! Have you ever heard of Uncle Floyd? He's a local legend in the New York/New Jersey area who produced a public access variety show called "The Uncle Floyd Show" in the 70's. David Bowie was a fan and wrote a tribute song for Uncle Floyd called "Slip Away". When asked how he had learned of the show, Bowie said that "John Lennon told me about it." Floyd is one of my piano idols and I thought you might be interested if you didn't already know about him. I'll attach a few of my favorite performances. Best wishes! ua-cam.com/video/4nnnnzfJ0P8/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/_kkWCbEhoFc/v-deo.html
That's the way Paul tells it. They started work on the song before John arrived and were having trouble with the start. John showed up, sat down at the piano, and boom!
In the Complete Beatles Recoding Sessions by Mark Lewisohn it mentions John becoming bored after playing take after take and smashing the keys in frustration. That's the take they ended up using.
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Paul is a rare example of someone who is technically gifted but also has an ear for catchy riffs
But he had (and has) no idea how to read music. Pure instinct.
You’re right. He’s a master in both respects.
But he knew his circle of 4ths and 5ths, an absolute must for good songwriting.@@LCBSeniorLivingLLC
@@LCBSeniorLivingLLC Not reading music is not a barrier to writing great songs. The barrier is lack of experience and absorbing oneself into as many different styles as possible. All great writers have done this and The Beatles did this as you can hear them play so many songs in the Get Back videos. Also they had to know hundreds of songs whilst they were in Germany playing 8 hr sets for passing punters. As Ringo said they had already written all their bad songs so they were ready to unleash themselves on the world around 62-63.
@@LCBSeniorLivingLLC Y donde esta el problema? Alguien tan excepcionalmente talentoso como Paul Mccartney no se detuvo ni se detiene para componer algunas de las canciones mas emblemáticas de la época contemporánea. No comentes a lo 🐂
I’ve always been fascinated by the way Paul plays the piano. He always seems to have unconventional fingering with very little use of the thumb unless absolutely necessary. Almost every video I’ve seen of Paul I always pay attention to how he plays the piano. For example the first few chords of Let it Be he plays with first finger, second finger and pinky. Similar to the opening chords of Maybe I’m Amazed, the Hulu doc shows some of his piano playing in one scene and others concert videos on UA-cam. I think because they weren’t classically trained they just did whatever felt comfortable and produced some remarkable music.
Yes, I’m the same. I actually can’t believe how he makes this work sometimes. I mean, the thumb is virtually always at the bottom when playing chords. Like you say it’s probably because he learns everything his own way and doesn’t care about the rules. Pure instinct with Paul - and that’s why we love him!!
@@martinfinnpiano maybe it could be the fact that he's left handed to... Thx for the video, that was great!
I just saw One Hand Clapping in the theater. I have a renewed appreciation for Paul’s piano playing abilities. He was the was musician of the 4 Beatles.
@@martinfinnpiano
There seems to be LOTS of Thumb in the Paul section of your video..?
@@juliuscepeda9655 very true
John said that at a certain point he started to compose more on the piano because he was more able to surprise himself as he didn't know the keyboard as well as the guitar fretboard. On the guitar his fingers would tend to automatically go towards the/a standard next chord and it was harder to be original.
It wouldn't surprise me if Paul and George did the same, whether on not they consciously realized it.
Wow. That makes a lot of sense. I know that feeling but going the other way (piano to guitar). It is a curious feeling of finding chords but not knowing what they are and so you can judge in a pure way whether you like the progression or not. I can totally see how this would take John to new places. :)
I'm fine at piano - I can play basic chords and that's it really but I'm a high intermediate on bass so if I want to write a chord progression I write it on piano then copy the notes onto the bass to figure out what chords/notes they are then rinse and repeat@@martinfinnpiano
George talks about doing exactly this in Get Back, but I forget what song specifically he was referring to
As a guitarist can confirm moving to piano feels more freeing.
@@SandalwoodBros id say very few of george's songs were written on piano, coz he wasnt very good / was very limited, but obviously pro level on gat. ps- 'old brown shoe' is insipid uninspired rubbish, like many of his songs.
It’s amazing how their personalities almost come out in their piano playing. Paul is whimsical, intricate, writing beautiful melodies etc. John’s playing is very rhythmic and stabbing but has an undeniable beauty to it. Ringos playing is simple and direct but has high entertainment value for how simple it is. George is somewhat experimental, dissonant, sort of a means to an end. The get back documentary was absolutely fascinating for a Beatles fan
John was dominant in the first half of the Beatles and then it was much more Paul in the second half. John's melodies were more close in harmony wise where as Paul's were more leaping in melody. John was often using static melody allowing the chords to shift below the melody and Paul did this to great effect in Another Day where he literally sings 17 notes all the same note in the verses.
John would do things like play 3 minor chords in a row or in I Am The Walrus there are 16 chords and not a single minor chord in the entire song which is quite unusual. Both writers used modulation in very interesting ways such as Penny Lane where Paul shifts downwards for the chorus so you get verses in Bmaj and choruses in Amaj which is traditionally the opposite way round.
One of their finest pieces of music is indeed the song Martha My Dear. The left hand is typically Paul yet together with the right hand Paul weaves a very beautiful movement somewhat reminiscent of what I would consider the quality of a Mozart piece. For a while I really thought the song must of been mostly written by George Martin as I found it hard to believe anyone could of written it without the necessary hard classical training, yet it was entirely written by Paul himself and you can hear Paul working through it on the outakes whilst he is talking about the scales he had learned. Yes it is that good and far beyond the skills of even a good songwriter since the 50s.
Different genre but I feel like Paul:John is analogous to Puccini:Verdi
@@dunki-dunki-dawgnot true. John was not more dominant in the first half. Paul’s song was the first they recorded as the Quarrymen. Then it was another Paul song that got them signed. He also led them musically from the very beginning and I’ll leave the quotes below that prove it. The only album John had more songs on was A Hard Day’s Night and even during that time, Paul was also giving away more songs. For example, A World Without Love by Paul was a worldwide number 1 hit for Peter and Gordon. So Paul was every much John’s equal since the beginning and it could be argued he was even the dominant one
“I can well remember even at the rehearsal at his house in Forthlin Road, Paul was quite specific about how he wanted it played and what he wanted the piano to do. There was no question of improvising. We were told what we had to play. There was a lot of arranging going on even back then."
- John Duff Lowe pianist on their first ever recording, In Spite of All the Danger
"I don’t want to take anything away from anyone, but production of the Beatles was very simple, because it was ready-made. Paul was a very great influence in terms of the production, especially in terms of George Harrison’s guitar solos and Ringo’s drumming. The truth of the matter is that, to the best of my memory, Paul had a great hand in practically all of the songs that we did, and Ringo would generally ask him what he should do. After all, Paul was no mean drummer himself, and he did play drums on a couple of things. It was almost like we had one producer in the control room and another producer down in the studio. There is no doubt at all that Paul was the main musical force. He was also that in terms of production as well. A lot of the time George Martin didn’t really have to do the things he did because Paul McCartney was around and could have done them equally well… most of the ideas came from Paul".
- Norman Smith, the Beatles engineer up until Rubber Soul
@@ewest14 It's in the Beatles stats for hits and number of songs written between the two. John worked out at 48% Paul 52% There is no doubt about it.
@@ewest14 I have a totally different perspective. John was the powerhouse. He was a force of nature, a titan. He was a far deeper person than Paul, a far more powerful soul. He was extremely spiritual. He lifted Paul up. Paul could not have created as he did were he not in the presence of John. Paul owes him so much.
They were so insanely talented. Paul was always more technically proficient than John but John compensated with an extraordinary taste and ear for riffs.
That’s a good sum up and that contrast really worked well for the band.
John has an incredible talent for dramatic chords and shifts. Also for thinking outside the box as far as progressions and song structures went.
@@johnmc3862 Exactly. John often breaks time signatures, and changes tempos.
Yes
Paul had mind but John had soul
Our lives are so much richer thanks to these guys. So glad that they found eachother.
Yes, what a blessing!
Hear! Hear! Something so uplifting about their music, even the saddest songs.
I always thought that Paul's piano style is very "lefty" and "bassy", which fits him to a T. Like there's always these cute little bass fills he does with his left hand, which makes so much sense for a left-handed bassist.
Yes, actually it all makes more sense when you realise he is a lefty and bass player. Funny how these things inform a piano players output.
I think Paul knew a lot about theory just from playing so many covers, it just comes. He played tons of songs as a kid too for his father and family gatherings. You really can tell he knew these old pop jazz tunes and styles .
That’s it. I agree. You can “feel” changes like 2, 5, 1 after a while and just build on those.
Yes, westernized classical theory can be learned completely through the ear.... Especially when you have a 4 1/2 octave range
You forgot Paul told the story about how they couldn't get Obla de Obla da done right. John was getting annoyed by Paul about it. He stomped out of the studio but the next day Paul was still working on it. John, being very spry that day after coming back, sat down at the piano and said this is how it should go. And he banged out the piano of Obla de Obla da. And that's what you hear. John playing it
Yes, indeed. I left it out due to time contraints but it is on the in-depth Lennon piano video. :)
Obi is not everyone's favourite song but that opening is really a cracker, and just one example of that strangely symbiotic relationship that produced music others could only dream of. The John fans would strenuously argue the piano opening is actually the best part of the song! and they may have a point. Personally I like the bassline - it's simple, but very effective (like the one in Listen to What the Man Said) - and those sax lines. I also think that in the late 60s when people were beginning to take themselves a bit seriously, it was good to hear that side of Beatles where they goofed and used the studio for fun! Obi is one example of that - though apparently it was less than fun getting the recording 'just right'.
The funny part was, John hated that song. Or so he claimed.
Paul also wasn’t satisfied in the recording process until he convinced the sound engineers to turn up the volume on his acoustic guitar to the point where the needle went into the red zone.
@@RadicalCaveman He didn't hate it, he just hated how much time they spent on it. Paul was very much a perfectionist in the studio, something he picked up from Brian Wilson.
As a 73 year old who's been listening to the Beatles since I was a teenager ( I'm also learning piano ), that was a super video, thanks 😊
Thank you very much! I loved making it. Great to hear that you've loved The Beatles that long. :)
💯 💶
I have a theory that the reason there were so many brilliant English musicians in the 1960’s and 70’s is at least partly down to a piano in many English homes. Musical ability is down to a genetic predisposition but also requires exposure to music before the age of 7 to open the mind to music.
You know, you could be right there. Its presence and importance had to have been a big contributor and without an iPhone what else are you going to do?
Also Jazz was the most popular music during their youth which was a high degree of musicality and complexity burned into their ears
Agreed.
Your instincts are correct on this theme.
According to McCartney, his dad used to get the whole family round the piano and they’d sing harmonies.
It's been my experience that many American homes had a piano or organ in the 1950s-70s. I don't know if it was a social status thing or just wanting the kids to learn an instrument. Maybe it was just for entertainment. And of course, every church I've seen had a piano in the church and many had one in a less formal area, for Sunday School or youth group. In my church, every kid liked to mess around on piano, both at home and at church.
I just love Martha My Dear. Such wonderful piano chops.
Beautiful, isn't it! And so different.
Is it pork chops on piggies?
Love Martha My Dear as well. Don't forget Paul's intro on piano to John's Sexy Sadie - intoxicating!
The opening riff on Hey Buldog is one of the bet ever! :)
Absolute class.
Paul's bass playing on Bulldog is outstanding
Paul is a fantastic guitar player, too, extremely unorthodox!
Yes! I love it. Imagine.
@@martinfinnpiano Couldn't agree more. That weird lead he pulls in Taxman... That scratching background he does in the studio version of Maybe I'm Amazed... That slightly awkward lead in Too Many People... he can shred when wants, too
This guy knows how to record piano it sounds amazing.
Thanks! It’s a Rhapsody Grand synth!
@@martinfinnpianothat's a synth???? i really thought that was a regular ol grand!
Everyone is talking about how talented the Beatles are but this guy just encapsulated all of their styles in a single video
Thank you for that. Straight into no.1 comment of all of these!!! :)
Are you daft? John and Paul came up with these riffs. Original stuff by them. That's the same mentality that so many have with oh satisfaction and jumpin Jack flash are really easy to play. Easy to play very hard to come up with on your own.
@@donquicke8240 And that's is right there.
no offense, but imitation is pretty easy if you've got a little talent
@@donquicke8240 The hardest songs to write are the simple ones especially love songs. McCartney would write in 3rd person and this way he could almost take a cold look at a relationship breakup as in For No one for example. Love songs can get really sentimental or sappy which isn't the taste for many people yet Beatles love songs and lullabies are always really beautiful IMHO.
My belief is that all of them were clear channels for the inflow of inspiration from beyond us.
That is certainly how it feels. Like the hand of fate was guiding them all.
For me, one of the highlights of that brilliant Beatles documentary was when they asked Billy Preston if he would like to be their keyboard player. The look on his face!
I take it that was a yes?
@@deborahchasteen3206 A definite yes
Excellent!
Paul's superb piano intros to both "While My guitar Gently Weeps" and "Sexy Sadie" bring enormous power and beauty to those two songs and would merit analysis.
Looking forward to your video on Nicky Hopkins! (Elton John would be another one...)
You're right. Great intros. Couldn't imagine those songs without those intros. I'll get to NH. I've done Elton already. :)
Mostly just one note used in the 'Gently Weeps' intro. Very simple.
@@gettinhungrig8806Yeah, the first half is this one dramatically rhythmicized note, followed by a brilliant variation of the second half of the verse melody. You could not improve this intro if you tried a million years.
I would add Billy Preston, another keyboardist that worked a lot with The Beatles (and the Stones).
If all of the Beatles played piano... it could explain the incredible harmonies they created.
Sorry for the second comment, but you pointed out one of my favourite moments of the entire Get Back documentary! I point it out to everyone and they don’t get why it’s so cool: when George asks Billy what chord he’s playing! THAT!! That is what makes their talent so incredible. They wrote this entire catalog of beautiful, inventive, at times genius music over a few years and they have NO idea how music theory works. How to even read or write music on a page! That. Is. Insane! The definition of a true, natural gift.
I've heard it said by several musicians over the years that knowledge of a lot of music theory can be a drawback as it may prevent you from experimentation. For example, dissonance (Where 2 notes when struck together can sound horrific if they are not in harmony) I am guessing is frowned upon by music teachers. However, don't quote me as I cannot read or write music so play by ear. However, if you are given a set of rules you can end up in fear of breaking them and so avoid doing something that might actually sound great in the context of your own song/instrumental sounding perhaps less original.
@@davidc.williams-swanseauk3623 Yep and yep (though, dissonance is a real technique composers use, like Stravinsky). I also play by ear, which I think is why I adore that The Beatles do this. It reinforces my excuse for not taking the time to learn music theory. 🤪
@@heatherqualy9143 Apparently, Danny Elfman gets by without any formal musical training. Mind you, I think John Williams has had a few lessons (LOL)
Yes, that's true. There are those who can just feel it and it gives their music a particular kind of freedom and rawness that maybe the trained musician can't get to...
@@martinfinnpiano I'm reminded that Gershwin wanted formal musical training and that both Ravel and Nadia Boulanger (and possibly others) turned him down, because they were afraid of destroying his gift.
Such a wonderful video...much appreciated! George Martin also contributed significantly to The Beatles’ music with his piano skills. For example, he played the piano solo on “In My Life.” Martin recorded the solo at half speed and an octave lower than the final version. When the tape was played back at normal speed, the piano sounded twice as fast and an octave higher, giving it a distinctive timbre reminiscent of a harpsichord. He also played the piano solo on “Good Day Sunshine” and contributed the piano part for “Lovely Rita.” In “Rocky Raccoon,” Martin used the same sped-up piano technique as in “In My Life.” Additionally, he played the harpsichord on “Fixing a Hole” and an electric harpsichord on “Because.”
Thank you! You've pretty much just written the script for my George Martin video! You're right on all counts. He was a wonderful talent and a huge part in The Beatles success. In fact, without his vision they may have lost heart and never got the chance. For that matter, it could have all been down to George Harrison's jibe about not liking his tie!!
@@martinfinnpiano Well, thank you! I'm in the very early stages of learning how to play piano, and I really appreciated your video. (I'm a big Beatles fan.) So far, this is the only video of yours I have watched, and I'm sure I'll watch it many more times. I've been chipping away at McCartney's 'Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five' and Lennon's 'Watching the Wheels' for a week or so. Maybe Nicky Hopkins' special piano on 'Jealous Guy' will be a goal, too. I look forward to discovering the rest on your channel.
@martinfinnmusic The first of many cheeky Beatles comments I knew about! Cracking good sense of humor helped their rise in the States enormously. Nobody did that, except comics doing a stand up routine.
What they all share is the love of music that comes through in their playing. It’s love and it comes from the heart. Just beautiful - all of them.
I think youve just helped me understand why The Beatles loved Something so much
Great stuff. Something is probably just under Hey Jude at no. 1 in favourite Beatles songs.
Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five is Paul's best piano composition in my opinion
Great song. I must put it in to a video one of these days.
@@martinfinnpiano I must agree. Augmented by the fact that I can actually play it! Fantastic, dramatic, piano song. Maybe I'm Amazed is up there too..A later one that's nice but more understated is Beautiful Night. Lovely chords in that one.
The verb ‘play’ is key to everything the Beatles did and what makes the best music so beautiful and brilliant. It’s about playing in the same spirit of what we did when we were young.
You're right! It was play and not just playing. The Get Back documentary brought that home to us better than anything could. :)
This is brilliant Martin thank you and yes a Nicky hopkins deep dive would be a dream, esp the stuff he did with the Stones
It's gotta be done. I'm working on it at the moment and I cannot believe how much he's played on and the people he worked with!! It's coming..
Nicky Hopkins had many great moments. I love his piano on Jigsaw Puzzle from Beggar’s Banquet
As promised: ua-cam.com/video/6k0avo_Y0a4/v-deo.html
That "Old brown shoe" rhythm is so amazingly driving.
Great, isn’t it?
oh Darlin is how i recognized augmented chords in ear training class
Haha! Me too. :)
@@martinfinnpiano Me as well. It's unmissable. Otherwise I'd miss it.
Oh boy! When you played Let it be you made me feel on Heaven! Marvellous!
Hey, that’s great. My pleasure!
Great video.
One of my favourite Paul piano parts has always been "Sexy Sadie". It not only works as a pleasant composition in its own right but it enormously strengthens John's vocal melodies. .
When I first heard John's original guitar demo recordings, I was struck by how unpromising the song sounded as a whole. It seemed as if John was choosing the "wrong" chord progressions just for the sake of it but Paul's piano arrangement makes it all sound coherent although still ear-catchingly quirky. It's always been one of my favourite tracks on the White Album.
(On a side note, I think one of the biggest things we lost when the Beatles split was Paul's special ability to help John develop some of his most original ideas into unique and highly memorable finished works. E.g., it's Paul's bass lines in "Happiness Is A Warm Gun" that unifies all those very rough sketches of the separate parts of the song which John was still fiddling about with. )
Agreed on everything here. It is amazing on how much an arrangement can make a song come to life. I think P and J needed each other for different things and it was an amazing symbiosis while it lasted.
That's a great comment, Gerry. I think you've just perfectly articulated what everyone knew intuitively. I also think that while Paul's swiftly developing genius threatened to over-shadow both the group and the Lennon-McCartney song-writing partnership, it is all true that Paul's contributions to both John's and then George H's song recordings, it was not a fully balanced exchange.
Yes, George's 4 note intro to And I Love Her was sublime, and John's BV answer 'It couldn't get much worse' in Getting Better is both funny and intuitively clever, they are additions, rather than fundamentally substantive contributions to the composition. You can't really compare John recommending Paul keep the line 'the movement you need is on your shoulder' in Hey Jude with Paul writing the whole verse countermelody in Help. George's lead guitar on Paul's compositions is good and sometimes great, but overall he is in debt to Paul for all the excellent harmony vocals and sublime bass-playing on George's songs, from If I Needed Someone right through to those two brilliant songs of George's on Abbey Road. What has often not been fully appreciated is that George was a very capable harmony singer despite being rather less adept and versatile as a lead singer.
Creative collaboration isn't a mathematical 'by the numbers' process, but the facts remain the facts. Paul got to the point where he was giving more than he was getting and he tended to boss the others so they felt they had less chance to actively contribute. He clearly needed to have a crack at running his own band of not-equals (sidemen) because, by then, the Beatles were also not-equals - if indeed they ever quite were. Their initial image was an image - truth is always more complex. And ultimately their brave internal democracy came undone.
Loved it! I am a fan of The Beatles and didn't know that Ringo and George also played the piano!
There you go! To be honest I had no idea GH did either at the start of this!
George also played some simple Moog Synth parts on a few songs on Abby Road
You're right. Lovely Moog parts on that album. Imagine.. synthesizer on a Beatles album. It just goes to show how they were always moving with the times. :)
@@martinfinnpiano The synth on Beatles records is so tastefully done that it's easy to forget that they used one, given how cheap and nasty a lot of later synth in pop sounded.
Another composer who used synth tastefully early on was John Barry on themes like The Persuaders, The Adventurer and On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The synth is used for it's own texture and doesn't sound like a merely money-saving and inappropriate substitution for "real" instruments as so many later film and tv soundtracks do.
@keithdf2001 George also played keyboards on "Blue Jay Way" and "Only A Northern Song".
Besides the ones mentioned, John’s playing on “Love” is beautiful. And Paul’s playing on Maybe I’m Amazed” and “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five” is greatness.
People seem to be saying that Phil Spector played in Love. Too lazy to check. You’re right about the Paul songs though!
Awesome, they were and still are gods to me
Gods is the right word. :)
George being my favorite beatle, yet asking about chords and stuff makes me feel a lot better about learning piano, that even the greats dont know every little thing and its helping put this all into perspective
Beautiful to see song writers having a great time building out every chord with such innocent joy. Being a Beatle was like a frolicking good time.
✨🎖️🏆💯🙏🌠🪲🪲🪲🪲✨
Indeed. It was all so raw and fun the way they did it.
The chord structure on Sexy Sadie is awesome
Awesome. Such love for this song in particular in the comments.
their personality's are so clear in your presentation, beautiful job.... so much fun , thank you ( hell im gonna watch it again !! )
Wow, thanks! Lovely to hear. My love for those men and their music is translating. ❤️❤️😃😃
This is one of my favorite UA-cam videos ever. Thank you
Wow, thank you! I'm delighted to hear it. :)
Brilliant video. As a guitar player its very interesting to see their piano skills/styles. "Martha my dear' and 'Oh my love' were the peak of beauty and melody on the piano from Paul & John, as you commented.
Thank you very much. I love both of those too. There is something so pure about them.
Piano is technically both a string instrument and a percussion instrument. The Beatles played it more percussively with the exception of some of Paul’s songs you mentioned.
Yes, you’re right actually. Very percussive on the whole. 🙏
Guitar players frequently do: it's like strumming. A good example is Roger Hodgson of Supertramp: a guitar player who plays keys. His partner Rick Davies is radically different in style.
That’s why its rock n roll
Long and winding road is so much better stripped back, as proven by this video.
Interesting concept for a Beatles video! I really enjoyed it !
Absolutely. It’s a bit swamped on the official one.
Thanks for that. Very interesting. 😀
Thank you! I'm glad you liked it. :)
It amazes me how talented each Beatle was. They were a super rock/pop group. Why was it that four incredibly talented young men came together?
Why was it? Because God decided to bless anyone with ears.
@@martinfinnpiano No kidding! But don't you think it is amazing that all four Beatles had super talent.
Piano is a beautiful instrument.
Yes, indeed!
Wonderful! Thank you for this. So glad you included John's beautiful Oh My Love piano part, (thank you for doing a Nicky Hopkins video!) and Paul's Martha My Dear which I taught myself years ago. Fascinating to see each style showcased.
My pleasure! I love that song so much - Oh My Love. For me it is a perfect song because it satisfies at every turn.
@0:24 ...Or George Martin
Video on GM coming soon.
This was really interesting and informative! I've heard Paul say that he doesn't consider himself as a great piano player but only sufficient. But this demonstration proves that wrong. Just like Karen Carpenter considering herself as a drummer first then a singer.
Hal Blaine played drums on the Carpenters records. (The Wrecking Crew).
Everybody knows that. But Hal himself said that she was a fantastic drummer, but just couldn't take the rigors of the recording sessions.
Nice one, Paul! In the same way as Frank Sinatra was a 'sufficient' singer - as indeed was Mick Jagger. Not great, you understand, but 'sufficient' - that famous British gift for understatement is charmingly alive and well. May it ever be so. You know, as in, Pink Floyd and Queen were 'quite good' too.
They're all my Kings of Rock N Roll .
Mine too! Thanks 🙏
I know quite a lot about the Beatles and their music (like msany people do), but I know fairly nothing about piano playing, so this helps me to understand their music even better. THNX
Really? Well, this should certainly give you a start. I’m glad. I have two in-depth videos on Paul and John’s piano style too.
I was genuinly happy throughout your video and hardly even noticed. Thank you.
What a lovely comment. That made my day. 🙏🙏
Paul's piano on 'You Know My Name', recorded in 1967 is top notch. You might not be alble to play it yourself.
I love that song. I must have a proper go.
Thanks Martin for the video! This is a great video!
Thank you very much, sir!
Their piano ability proves that the best art is direct, concise and to the point. They were by no means classical pianists but could play a basic progression with feel and get an emotional idea across that almost everyone can appreciate.
Yes, you’re right. Simple, direct and very pure I think. John in particular wanted to do everything right away so it was fresh.
@@martinfinnpiano Great comment in that it evokes the 'cooking' analogy. In relation to a comment further up, I nearly wrote that not knowing all the theory of music means you can explore and try what you want to try and develop your own tastes and preferences without any unnecessary fear of breaking rules. It's like a cook who can create some great dishes and full 3 course meals with learning all the theory of food down to its chemical composition and acquiring a deep understanding why certain foods blend well. The Beatles did acquire an understanding through exposure to many, many great examples of others successful pop songwriters. Brian Wilson is probably the best known example, but they were listening to a LOT of others in the early part of their career as evidenced for the breadth of covers they learned during the Cavern/Hamburg part of their evolution. There was material from Paul's love of vaudeville and show tunes right through to the black music of Little Richard, Arthur Alexander, Isley Brothers and Motown (like the Shirelles and Cookies - and Smoky Robinson). Add also a liberal dose of Chuck Berry and Carl Perkins who were favourites of John and George. And Ringo loved his country.
The Beatles' personal mix was completely unique and special but the range ingredients were very broadly sourced.
Of course, George played the final sustained C chord on the piano at the end of A Day in the Life. I was very amazed and impressed watching Paul and Ringo play their piano duet in the let it be documentary.
Actually that was an E chord but you're right in that they all played the piano for that so technically they did all play piano on a Beatles record!
George Martin, an engineer (maybe Geoff Emrick) and Ringo all played the final chord of A Day in the Life, perhaps with George as well. Martin brought in extra pianos for that chord and they did several takes to get it right with all of them in the pocket.
Very well done video, very professional love it!
Thank you very much for your kind words.
George also did piano on I Want To Tell You (one of his great wack George things is that E with an F) and the organ on It's All Too Much (which is all pedal point but like, man, the way it sounds, he was a natural producer).
That chord is really making a statement alright. George did a lot more than me realise.
Thank you for making and sharing with us this gift of a video. Lovely.
My pleasure!! I’m thrilled you liked it.
You forgot to include George Martin the 5th Beatle
I came here to say this. He did mention the 6th Beatle (the wonderful Billy Preston) but George M was composing and playing piano parts on Beatles tracks (including intricate and tricky baroque counterpoint, as on "In My Life") years before Billy came along.
And forgot the 6th beatle that plays the piano in the roof top concert
@@Gottenhimfella It sounds tricky because they sped it up :-) EDIT: ua-cam.com/video/W0MY-T0Rz3Y/v-deo.html
@@tbkih It seems to me that the trickiness of counterpoint is largely to do with how contrasting simultaneous melody lines are interwoven, independent of their speed. When I learned to play that solo, I slowed it down in UA-cam to half speed (ie original performance speed, which is what the Beatles would have heard, liked and approved when GM first floated it), and it sounded just as intricate and tricky -- in the sense I meant above.
Yes! Wow, a lot of likes on that one. Gotta do him after Nicky Hopkins.
Really interesting video, thank you 🙏🏴🇬🇧♥️
Thank you for this :)
That was a great little video. Thank you
Much appreciated. 🙏🙏
This is a fascinating and extremely informative video! I'm a lifelong guitar player who's always loved piano music, and I found this lovely bit of insight into the band's various styles to be most enjoyable indeed. Thank you for posting.
Thank you! It’s great to hear your story and I’m delighted you found it good. I try to make things as accessible as possible. :)
This video was the best part of my day today thank you
What a lovely thought. Thank you!
Great video. Interesting and fascinating that after all these years our love of those four lads has never diminished.
It's amazing how fresh their sound always is. There are such depths to explore. :)
Loved this, great stuff. I wish you played every song from start to finish.
Thank you! Believe me, I would if I thought I'd get away with it!
I don´t often like or comment on videos on UA-cam. But I want to after seeing this. It was really informative and I absolutely loved watching this. Thank you!
Well, thank you. I really appreciate that. I love that you enjoyed it so much. :)
John is a surprisingly compelling piano man!
Right?!!
Agree. Watch a UA-cam video of John and George composing Oh My Love - John plays it so hauntingly beautiful
Loved this video!!! Thank you, Martin!!
Thank you too!! I'm so happy you like it. :)
Ringo's "song" was "Going to Carolina", not "California". He also played piano on "Don't Pass Me By" and organ on "I'm Looking Through You".
You’re right. My bad. Never rely on your memory when making videos!
And where would he have got the idea of Going to Carolina? Well, apparently Ringo and George helped out Paul when working on that Apple album of James Taylor's which was done in 1968 only the year before Get Back. I always thought that line James wrote about 'a holy host of others standing round me' in the Carolina song was such a lovely tribute to the power and influence of the Beatles on other musicians. Then James went and outdid himself yet again by writing the 'dark side of the moon' line straight after - a whole 5 years before Pink Floyd adopted it as perfect for their 1973 masterwork only 5 years later. And wasn't Dark Side of the Moon also recorded at Abbey Road? Was it the same studio even?! Heady days indeed.
Maybe he was going to Carolina FROM California.
@@RadicalCaveman😅
When I first saw it was not the videos of their actual playing I was a bit turned off, but you made a great job simulating their styles, adding stories behind them, and also nailed it at the end with hypothesizing about how George would have arrived into Something. Thanks.
Thank you very much. Someone else thought that too but seems to have not stuck around when he saw it was a simulation not an isolation. Thanks for staying with me!
PLEASE do a video on Nicky Hopkins, his playing on Oh Yoko is absolutely beautiful
Nicky is the man. I will indeed. And I know what you mean about Oh Yoko. Gorgeous!
As promised: ua-cam.com/video/6k0avo_Y0a4/v-deo.html
I haven't seen anyone do a beatle piano comparison. Nice idea. And, it reveals a lot about them as musicians.
Nice one, la
Tony
My pleasure, Tony. I make the videos I would love to see myself. :)
My understanding is that Paul was the piano player for the Beatles in Hamburg, especially when his guitar broke.
he even cut strings out of one of the clubs pianos to string his bass - lol, that had to be hard on the fingers.
Thank you, sir. You play beautifully and explain simply.
Thank you! I appreciate your kind words.
Paul's proficiency at piano, bass and guitar are only the beginnings of his musical genius. All that... and he writes songs that have gone into the canon of Twentieth Century popular music.
I know, you’re right! There are so many facets to Paul’s talent. To read any musical biography of him is to be in awe of what he achieved.
Kisses on the bottom
I've heard Paul sings a bit too!
Excellent! I've been avoiding this for days, thinking it was just the usual click-bait, but it was actually very interesting. Thank you.
I know what you mean nice found I have to make the thumbnail super sweet to get people in and it works!
My favourite song by John ,at the piano, is Sexy Sadie, from the white album.
Beautiful. So many people have referenced this! It was Paul though on piano. 😬
@@martinfinnpianoI never checked the credits so I always thougth John played the piano... but yes, it is true, Paul played it. Makes all sense , he was the piano man, as you said... thank you!
Mind blown! Thank you Martin!
Hey, my pleasure. Thanks!
History usually overlooks that original drummer Pete Best was a classically trained and very accomplished pianist under maestro Sven Hoffmeister. The Silver Beetles weren't a "piano band" according to John, and so Best's immense talent was sidelined to fill the rhythm section of a Rock and Roll band to less effect.
Now THAT I didn't know! Question is, did he go on to do anything with that training?
Heehee. Stay tuned - I'm a mine of Beatles facts and thoughts
Incredible profiling of each Beatle's stylistic range & compositional flavours, Martin!! Play On!! 🎶🌞👍Kind regards. Sherri. Mississippi Delta💙🎶
Thank you, Sherri! Love the comment. I will play on!
George offered some suggestions to Ringo on the writing of Octopus's Garden using the piano.
I saw that. So cool to see them working together like that.
WOW! A piano lesson with The Beatles! 😂 Great STUFF! ❤
Nicky Hopkins please! His work with the Stones and some of the San Francisco bands is outstanding! Also, a good addendum for teh Beatles would be Georg Martin. Not sure if any one else beside Billy preston played piano on Beatle tracks. Considering how many pianos and piano players there were at Abbey Road....
I'm hearing a lot of love for Nicky Hopkins. I think that the Jealous Guy arrangement is sublime and mostly beacuse of his playing. Leave it with me. Also GM and BP are major contributors to the keyboard playing on the albums, yes. :)
@@martinfinnpiano Yes, Nicky Hopkins' playing in Jealous Guy is pure genius.
@sslaytor Speaking of "How many pianos", The Beatles are the only group I know that used two pianos in many of their songs ("Good Day Sunshine" is one, "God" by Lennon solo is another that immediately comes to mind). And it never sounds like too much.
@@tr5947 YES - as well as Oh My Love mentioned in the video. Legend has it they wheeled in all the pianos they could fine (FIVE) into Studio 2 to get that monstrous crashing E chord at end of A Day in the Life.
The Beatles' creativity is a gift that keeps on giving: 60 years and counting!
As promised: ua-cam.com/video/6k0avo_Y0a4/v-deo.html
This is a very, very important video if you wanna understand the Beatles. Listen to their chord changes, Bass notes, etc. this guy’s got it down Pat I love it.
Thank you very much. I appreciate this lovely little review. It was a lot of fun to make and I learned a lot about how they all use the piano.
Don't forget the organ played by Ringo in I'm looking through you !😁😁
Did he? Cool!
Lovely, lovely analysis of the playing styles. I've tried for years to learn piano on my own, but finally gave up when a classically trained person said my sense of harmony was terrible. So I picked up my guitar, went home, and decided instead to learn music theory on my own. I'm not an expert, but I was totally able to understand your analysis. Thank you for this post!!
Chuck in Northern New England
Thank you so much! You know, Chuck, music theory is just a book of what works based on what sounds good and what is practical. For me as a visual learner I had to find my own entry points and learned it my own way and that was mainly through playing lots and lots of the songs I loved and noticing the patterns. If you love it, never give up because of what someone says. :)
@martinfinnmusic Thank you for the encouragement, Martin. I am so immersed in music theory now that I am finding a different source of fulfillment than when I started on this musical journey. The keyboard remains gathering dust, I'm afraid. But I now use my guitars for the deep dive into theory, learning how to play many different types of songs I've admired for years.
Hello Matin! I'm a beginner on the piano and your videos have been extremely useful. I'm a huge stones fan so I would be delighted if you made a video about Nicky Hopkins. Keep up the good work. :)
Hi there, I'm delighted that you find my videos useful. Yes, he was the main studio and touring man with the stones, right? I will put it on the list for sure. Thanks!
As promised: ua-cam.com/video/6k0avo_Y0a4/v-deo.html
@@martinfinnpiano Thanks Martin! I've already watched the video and have started working on a few of the tunes. I didn't know Hopkins played on Sunny Afternoon! What a legacy he left behind!
Have you ever heard of Uncle Floyd? He's a local legend in the New York/New Jersey area who produced a public access variety show called "The Uncle Floyd Show" in the 70's. David Bowie was a fan and wrote a tribute song for Uncle Floyd called "Slip Away". When asked how he had learned of the show, Bowie said that "John Lennon told me about it." Floyd is one of my piano idols and I thought you might be interested if you didn't already know about him. I'll attach a few of my favorite performances. Best wishes!
ua-cam.com/video/4nnnnzfJ0P8/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/_kkWCbEhoFc/v-deo.html
This was lovely. Lots of fun. I'm a musician. I play guitar and sing. I enjoyed this so much!
I'm delighted to hear that. Thanks for the lovely comment and good luck with the playing!!
didn’t John also come up with the intro to Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da?
Bang on, You're right. In my video on John's style I cover it. :)
@@martinfinnpiano Ahh, I think I remember that!
That's the way Paul tells it. They started work on the song before John arrived and were having trouble with the start. John showed up, sat down at the piano, and boom!
In the Complete Beatles Recoding Sessions by Mark Lewisohn it mentions John becoming bored after playing take after take and smashing the keys in frustration. That's the take they ended up using.
Excelent report, Martin!! Remember Ringo's basic piano contribution on "Don't Pass me by" and intro on "You're Sixteen".
Yes! Yes! Thank you. I will remember that. Love Ringo to bits.
Very enjoyable, thank you.
Thank you for saying so. I loved making it!
That’s why I always say they were 4 masters
Indeed. It was such a perfect symbiosis!!
The Beatles: Talent Explosion. Period
That's a good description. Unreal, right?!
Paul is so good.
Unreal. Just unreal. Thank God for him.
Thanks!
Thank you so much. You are always so kind. 🙏🙏
George's best piano chord appeared on Revolver, "I want to tell you" with those great "jazz" dissonances.
Ooh yeah. That was stand-out cheeky. That was extra spicy - almost too much for that particular recording.
Amazing, no one has shown anything like this. As a lifelong Beatles fan and guitar player I learned a lot and really enjoyed it, thank you
Thank you for the lovely comment. Made my day.
George also played the Hammond organ on several of his songs, such as, Only a Northern Song, Blue Jay Way and It's All Too Much..
You are right. Great parts they are too!
Yay I was so happy to see this show up in my feed
Hey, I'm delighted it did too! Glad you enjoyed it. I hope you learned something. :)