Added: 4 years ago
From: pianojohn113
Views: 240,006
Sort by time | Sort by thread (beta)

Link to this comment:

Share to:
see all

All Comments (378)

Sign In or Sign Up now to post a comment!
  • Great tutorial as always thanks :) have u ever considered a tutorial for Paul's nineteen hundred and eighty five ?

  • @shaneb7457 Yes, good piano song, and I'll get to it eventually.

  • Could you please do a tutorial for I'm down.

  • Sorry my english is not perfect, I hope i made my question clear :p Cheers!

  • Hey John, I have to thank you again for this great lesson, and all of the others just as great !

    I have a question about this one, when you play the middle part and you say we have to practice the beats with the right hand to follow the word, is that just the way you play it, to fill with kind of a melody ? or is that the way Paul plays it on the record too ? Because I thought in the original record, the rhythm at this moment was just going 1-2-1-2... Though I may be wrong...

  • @rayanzian I do fill in the melody somewhat in the right hand, but again, this is my own arrangement of the song. Paul plays it differently on the original record. The chords are the same, but I added my own fills and RH notes. Is that what you're asking?

  • @pianojohn113 Yes, got it ! Well I guess if you play it this way it's because it sounds better like that when you don't have bass, guitars and voices with you ! So I'll keep it like that, thanks again !

  • Sos genial John! tus tutoriales me hicieron tomar la decisión de querer tocar el piano! Muchas gracias!

  • @KTignanelli  Gracias a usted, me alegro de que te gusta el video!

  • And another thing, sorry to pester you, when would you use the pedal in this song?

  • @Rboybot use the pedal on each chord, but release with each chord change. Lots of pedal work in this one, and it's necessary because otherwise the notes sound staccato with the constant chord changes. I don't have sheets for it, sorry!

  • Pleeeease could you Email or post me the sheet music, because I want to play this for my GCSE performance piece but I dont have the sheet music which I need for my teacher to mark it?

  • Hello, what sort of grade would you say this music is?

  • @Rboybot I'm not sure of the grade level, but it's up there on the difficulty scale if you're going to play with LH and RH octaves.

  • Wow, thank you very much. I have this -- and a fair other Beatles songs -- on sheet. And although I CAN read music sheets, there is something about a video tutorial that really allows me to learn more efficiently.

    Do you have any advice on incorporating the solo parts in the original song? Just mess around with the existing chords in free hand?

    Also, any advice on how to learn by ear?

    Thanks again.

  • @shazzatpm Tha'ts exactly what I do on the solo parts - just some improv, freehand, adlibs, etc. The piano on the original song is just chords on the beat, with the saxophones taking the lead, so you do just have to make something up. But that's the fun part of this song, IMO. Learning by ear is mostly just recognizing chord patterns and hearing not just major/minor, but 7ths, 6ths, aug, dim, etc. For some it's natural, others takes some practice!

  • Does anyone else think this guy sounds like Cave Johnson?

    Lol Great vid. Learned this in a day thanks to you.

  • @scribblewriter Great, good job learning it so quickly!

  • Cheers a load bud, bought my self a keyboard and your videos are helping me learn really quick!! Also all I listen to at the moment is the White Album so thanks again!!

  • @HearlessSeymour Cool, glad it helped you!

  • God you make it look easy.

  • very good, i understand every thing, although I'm a german guy

  • There is no C in the baseline during the intro/vers-part. EVER!

    

  • @vrakspade C natural is part of the A blues scale. It's in the bass line of every verse I play. Always!

  • @pianojohn113 I think he's just saying that in the recorded version, the piano doesn't play the C natural there, but rather the simpler, C#-C# octave. But you're not doing a note-for-note transcription of the piano off the record, and that C natural is definitely emphasized by other instruments, so it's all cool. Everyone plays this a bit different.

  • @pulykamell Well, I think I actually played C#-C# in this one, or at least I did on one of the segments. Some say the C natural is there on the recording, others say it isn't. I'm fine either way - I like that everyone has their own interpretation.

  • @pianojohn113 This video does have the C passing tone in it but, like I said, you do clearly state that this is your version and you're not trying to copy the recording. I almost never play the same song the same way twice, so I'm not complaining.

  • You would think that a guy that can fly an F16 could play a little old piano, however that has been my biggest struggle. i admit it I am a hack.Your tutorials have allowed me to progress leaps and bounds. i never thought I would ever be able to play songs like this and I am just about getting Lady Madonna nailed. BTW where can I find the missing Desperado Tutorial? Tussand Tak JP

  • @ujprjpr That's great, I'm glad the vids have been helpful to you. I think that even with instructions, I would never, ever be able to fly an F16, so you're way ahead of me. I will message you with a link to the Desperado tutorial - stand by.

  • Hi again John. I finally cracked this tho you did warn that you had made it far more complicated probably the hardest of all your tutorials I have attempted ( as you know, Lovely Rita scared me off lol ) . I got the impression you had either just started these vids or was a bit fed up, it shows in your presentation. Having said that, thanks to you its another beatle track I can tick off my list. Also, Your honey pie tutorial was dead easy to follow once I got the swingy rhythm. :)

  • @chalyminx Actually, I just kind of threw this one in with some others I'd done at the time, since I'd been messing around with a few different arrangements of it. I probably could or should have done a more "exact" version, but I had so much fun playing it this way that I just decided to do it as is. Glad you got it, though, and it wasn't too confusing. :-)

  • this is amazing!

    is there any way that you can put up sheet music though? cause that'd be even more amazing!

    thanks tons! :D

  • @mydisneyworld Glad you liked it, thanks. I don't have the sheets, but someone might transcribe it at some point.

  • Is it just that you have a crappy camera or was there an alien present with you.. I kept hearing this electronic gibberish ... Lol

  • @yola2345 Both.. an alien recorded this on 8mm film.

  • I have to admit. This is a bit harder than your other tutorials. I just can't seem to get the hands together, during the verses. They are two different tempos.

  • Hi John, I just want to say that I love your videos and have learned a lot from them but I am a little disappointed with this tutorial. I realise that you say "this is the way I play it" but you seem to have left the attention to detail out of this video that is present in most of the other youtube Beatles hits. The opening verse and the ending in particular are missing a couple of grace notes and it changes the sound of the song. I'm not trying to be critical just an observation.

  • @zarzoff62 This is one that I put up originally as a response to a request from someone who saw me play it on stage a few years ago. The "live" version here includes a bass part on piano, but you're right, it leaves out some details of the original, which has a much simpler piano part. But I think this version is much more fun to play.

  • you guys always talk to much. just play it. then give an explanation. all that talking and talking.

  • Brilliant, best demo dude, thanks a million.

  • Hello John, have you done a paul mac warm and beautiful tutorial?

  • @chalyminx No, haven't done that one yet!

  • Great video for a guitar player to learn the piano. Keep posting you make it enjoyable to learn.

  • Really hard for me, but I think I finally got. If anyone is having trouble, just play it a lot in a row, getting fast each time. To get the beat right, I just played the melody notes on the "Lady Madonna, children at your feet..." part until I knew how it went. Hope that helps someone, just trying to add to another one John's already AMAZING video! You rock John!

  • Dear John,

    your tutorials are the best that a Beatles fan can find, but I have a request called "All Those Years Ago" by George Harrison: may you post the part of the e. piano? Thanks a lot,

    Dario (17)

    ps. sorry for the bad english...

  • Thank you very much John for your video tutorials I find them extremely helpful ( for us non-pianists ).. I am currently working as Paul Mc Cartney in a tribute band and have found your tutorials the best on you tube !  Please keep up the good work..just one request !!.. I need to learn , back in the USSR and currently there are no tutorials available...PLease ..it would help me immensly if you could show the world this fantastic song. Much appreciated my friend if you could..

  • @T3BASSMAN Got it on the list!

  • This was fabulous! Thanks so much for the tutorial - it's a lot easier than picking it up by ear x)

    Good job!

  • When you start with the right hand on the verse you are playing a full A chord when you should leave out the "E" in the middle and just play the C# and the top A. Try it that way and it will sound better - more like the Beatles version. Sometimes less is more. Not being critical - just saying.

  • @acruda Yes, there are several good ways to play it. You can also start on the C natural on the first note instead of the C-sharp. This of course is my own quick version of the song.

  • THank you so much for making these songs so accessible. This one is great.

  • Ton of fun but getting hands to work together takes time, also that bass bit kills the pinky but great tutorial!

  • That Is Cool.

  • Are your tutorials the original writings?

  • @haydenfx Yes, although this one is my own version of the song.

  • AMAZING, your a great teacher! Love your videos. Maybe some queen songs would be cool from you.

  • the bass line in this is wrong i just asked my music teacher he said its aa c c# dd f# a then aa c c# dd ee ff gg a. its not played in an octave only single notes from a low a the first space in the bottomo fthe bass clef

  • @halofreak60 he saids the way he plays it. I think it sounds great still, so what there are little changes, play it as you like it, have fun!

  • thank you!! 04:35

  • I can easily play both hands but the different paces of the hands really messes me up. Any tips?

  • @LuminousScope I remember that same issue giving me fits as well when I first started learning this song.. Really, the best thing to do is to just work at it a little bit more, and it will come to you. Go slowly at first if you have to, but you'll get it more quickly than you might think.

  • My hands are just barely big enough to reach the octaves so me and my friend play it as a duet (I'm on bass and she plays the melody) it's alot easier that way!

  • @Rileewyliecoyote Nice - that's a great way to do it. :-)

  • Thanks a million John!!!

    BTW. McCartney plays the bass line like this: A A C#C# D D, you can see him do this in many Youtube videos (the WINGS performance and some new videos).

    Again, thanks John!!

    Barry

  • @barrydegooijer Yes, Paul does play it differently than my version here, I just embellished it a bit. Glad you liked it!

  • Try this. The first note on the right hand is a c and a at same time. The progression with the a being played continuously is C C# C B A. C# C# B A B. Try it...it blueses it up, and I believe this is what was played. Remember the A note is continuous with pinkie finger on right hand.

  • @Taccati Yes, in fact that's really probably the better (more accurate) way to play it. The C natural gives it the bluesy style, and Paul actually does that on the original recording. I really put this up to show how I have come to play the song, sort of my own semi-arrangement, but I would advise folks to try it with the opening C as you suggested.

  • I see. Hmmmm...because when you play along with the recording, it is without question being sung/played in B flat. My electronic piano is at A440 tuning, and there is no doubt that the key is B flat. So, I can only assume you are using sheet music that puts it in A, or you know it is supposed to be A and the original recording was sped up enough to sound the music in B flat. The actual music that we hear does not lie, eh?

  • @sportsmediaamerica This song is unequivocally written and played in A major. The blues scale notes of the flat third and seventh are C and G respectively and are heavily used in this song. Perhaps the recording you're listening to is off, or your piano is not in tune.

  • wow i am very impressed with how good you did this tutorial. I dont have a piano so i write down everything on a peice of paper and then learn it when i get to one. I already can tell im going to be able to learn it no prob. Thankyou so much. I am traditionally a guitarist but have been playing piano for two years. Your tutorials have been such an inspiration to me because i LOVE the beatles. Im getting very good at the piano because of this inspiration and i wouldnt be at this level without you

  • @3isallwesee I appreciate the kind comment, thanks. Enjoy this one!

  • BEST ENDING EVA

    papaaPARAAA PAPA PAP Paaaaaaa yeaaaa...

  • thank you really helped

  • Tomorrow I am playing this song at one of my school's performance show. I already knew the first part but was drastically searching for the second verse. This really helped me out and I give my greatest thanks to you.

  • where did you learn this?

  • @hello5925 I learned it mostly from listening to it over and over through the years.

  • @pianojohn113 its really good!

  • @pianojohn113 it's in B-flat, not A

  • @sportsmediaamerica The song is in A.

  • You make piano a breeze for me. You rock!

  • I've been learning from all of your tutorials. The first one I learned i didn't even know how to play piano. The first one was the end medley, that took me 2 weeks to perfect. After learning much of the others, I learned this one a couple of hours ago and I already got the whole thing down, including the singing, I'm considering playing this for my high school talent show so people will start noticing me hahaha. Thanks to your help, I can now play 5 instruments!

  • @IgnorancEnArrogance That's fantastic, to be able to learn this one and The End w/o having played before is remarkable. Kudos to you! :-)

  • Nicely done - very clear demonstration! But here are a couple suggestions to match the version on the original Beatles recording:

    (1) first two chords in RH should be: B-C-A (mash the B natural and C natural together with your thumb), followed by C#-A. No one else on YouTube seems to get this right either!

    (2) In the LH, instead of playing C and C# octaves, try walking it- ie play low C natural with the 5th finger, followed by C# an octave above with the thumb.

    Anyway just my $0.02

  • @ShirleyURJoking Yes, this is really just a tutorial of my "brief demo," which doesn't necessarily try to match the original version.. it's kind of an ad-libbed performance of the one I did on the other video. I just have so much fun playing this one that it evolved into my own version of the song! I like the LH suggestion, though, I hadn't thought of doing it that way.

  • Definitely a fun song to play! And of course McCartney never plays it live the way he did on the Beatles' recording. On the first chord, that minor 2nd (B + C natural together) gives it that dissonant bluesy sound that makes the original sound so cool. But I like your version a lot as well, and really appreciate the xcellent tutorial.

  • @pianojohn113 What about the tutorial for "Hey Bulldog"? Are you dissatisfied with the result? But I don't want to bother you. I know you're a very busy man.

  • @EltonJohnLennon7 I'm not really satisfied with it, but will post it anyway, I think.

  • @pianojohn113 very good. thank you!

  • John, I can´t belive it: I -an absolute musical nerd- can play Lady Madonna from start to end!!!! I'm much more than happy. I tryed for years to play that song with no results, but with your tutorial and practicing five days non stop hour after hour I did it!... Now, my wife and neighbours hate me, hate my piano and  hate The Beatles, but I do not care. Bless the day I founded you in Internet. Thanks from the bottom of my heart!. Next stop: Strawberry Fields Forever.

  • Woohoo! I can play me a bluesy boogie-woogie thing!! XD Phew! Thank you so much! I can't believe I can play this now!! Can't wait for Hey Bulldog! :D

  • good song. great tutorial. but 'Hey Bulldog' would be another great one to do.

  • Been wanting to learn this song for over ten years...you've made it very easy to learn. Thank you

  • Nice to see a true musician at work. respect

  • you make it sooo easy!!

  • @montmorg67 It's kind of hard to explain, but it's mostly just hitting the notes of the chord on the half beat. Sometimes I break up the chord into individual 16th notes, but that happens at random places. I'm not explaining it very well, but that's kind of what I do there.

  • I have the whole first part completed now!!! So happy! Whenever my mom hears me play it she's like "Wow!!"

  • @joshtbailey I've written a few, but they all sound like something that's already been done before.. so I just stick with arrangements now. :-)

  • How are you.

    I'm japanese.

    You are best teacher for me!

    Thank you so much!

  • Thank you for making this video. I'm an amateur when it come to the piano, but I'm slowly getting better, thanks to you!

  • Wow you are my hero

  • hey, can you do a "how to" for the intro to soft parade by the doors?

  • thank you

  • This is soo awesome!! This is way better than paying $600 a year for piano lessons! Thank you!!

  • it was very helpful!!! thanx from Brazil

  • Sos un excelente profesor ! gracias a tus lecciones aprendi ademas Imagine y Let it Be, aca te mando un video que grabe hace poco de Lady Madonna al cual le hice unos agregados, espero tus comentarios. Te mando un saludo. Carlos

  • love this video! self taught myself to play the piano for years and your videos have always helped me thnx!

    ~bryan

  • This is an excellent tutorial! I'll be checking the rest out soon.

  • I understand this wonderfully, but how in the WORLD can I play with both hands?

  • @Natashaismycodename2 This one takes some work, at least the way I show it here.. It's not impossible, of course, but it's a little higher on the difficulty scale. With some extra practice, it will hit you sooner rather than later.

  • I've been a Beatles-fan all my life and a musician as wel, so I just love your vid's, saves me a lot of work, thank you so much! All the best, Vanessa

  • Couldn't really under stand most of it but that's because I'm freakin stupid

  • Good tutorial mate, I've wanted to learn that for ages.

    Cheers!

  • Lady Madonna is always confusing, what happened on Saturday?

  • @gino066 What happened on Saturday was that it's the only day of the week with three syllables, thus sealing its demise as a participant in this song's lyrics.

  • Great, just don`t teach Lady Ga Ga or you will be torturing people

  • @JamesTKirkCobain Pleeease, don't do anything that will force us to have to see Lady GaGa. that drunken, bird flippin, ' skeezer is no lady.

  • Loving the contradiction and the immediate cover up @1:05! Its typical of a guy vs girl teaching. hehe Great video's btw way. You have a fun and Straighforward teaching style. Keep it going

  • Great tutorials! Spent hours this weekend learning some Beatles classics.  Thanks :)

  • less words man, but excelent lesson thaks !

  • Thank you SO much! I promised someone i would learn this song by the end of the week and I've learned it in two days thanks to you!

  • Thanks for the tutorial! It's great! Now I can play the song!

    Greetings from Argentina!

  • Thanks for the tutorial! It's great! Now I can play the song!

  • Thanks for the tutorial! This really helps! Do you happen to have the sheet music?

  • @MamaPeaches I don't have the sheet music, but I know there are some decent ones on the digital music websites. There are some bad ones out there too, though, so check them out ahead of time if possible!

  • I only meant that I've been playing this for over 30 years and take pride in listening carefully to every note, especially when it comes to The Beatles music - whether it's guitar or piano or bass. I painstakingly learn what they are doing and I don't feel it's impossible to achieve. I am not perfect. I've learned from videos like this and found that I was doing things incorrectly! Sorry to piss everyone off! Keep on tutoring!

  • your tutorials are great,!!!!! Thanksssssssssssssssssssssssss­ssss

  • @lukatherknopfler Glad you liked it. :-)

  • excellent tutorial! Thanks a lot..

  • @fredcarlyle769 Glad you liked it. :-)

  • 4bluesoasis, i appreciate you may be a perfectionist, but this is a really good video which teaches a simple, but affective, version of the piece to amateur pianists. it sounds close enough to the original and is impressive to an average audience. if you dont like the video then you don't have to watch it.

    well done pianojohn!!!!

  • @boz1882 Thanks very much!

  • how on earth anyone copuld criticise this video I do not know. It is 100% right. If I went to a party having learnt to play Lady Madonna from this video then I don't think I'd be going home alone.

    Keep up the good/excellent work.

  • @imajez lol, thanks, I appreciate the comment. :-)

  • there is actually an error in the middle section. try it on Dm7 and it will sound quite better

  • Thank you so much for your postings! I'm learning an Elton song. Hadn't played in years but it's all coming back now. Well done. Pay no mind to naysayers. If they can do it better, best of luck to them. Thank you for your time, generosity, and gift.

  • @highflyer584 Thanks, I appreciate the support! I'm glad the vids have been helpful.

  • SORRY, but this is incorrect...listen closer to the recording, you are missing notes and doing incorrect voicing and leaving out the grace note c natural going into the c sharp. Don't mean to be mean but if you're going to go through all this trouble to teach, you really should do it right or not at all!

  • @4blueoasis It is not incorrect. This tutorial shows how to play the song the way I played it in the demo video, NOT the original recording. I made that clear in the video notes and in my initial narrative. If you watch the demo video you'll see that I don't grace note the C, and I add my own voicings and octaves in both hands. So this video is 100% accurate. Please don't comment unless you know what the video is all about. Thanks.

  • @4blueoasis I did some research, it is almost impossible to play the exact notes from "Lady Madonna (Take 1, Orignal piano notes)", so is this is one of the most accurate version on the internet today, so burn!"

  • Comment removed

  • nice job.

  • @fpz2006 Thank you.

  • I have to play this song for my talent show, but my fingers are to short, i strain when i play the a-f part, what shold I do?

  • @ruins252 Which part are you referring to, specifically? If your fingers are too short, you can usually fix it pretty easily by leaving out either the upper or lower note.

  • @pianojohn113 Thanks , I managed to play most of the song, thank you!

  • How do u play the part at 3:15

    or 3:16, its somthing that you didnt show and i really want to know

  • @echle2 Not sure how to describe it.. are you talking about the RH part?

  • yup

  • @echle2 Hmm.. kind of hard to explain in writing.. I'm just playing the melody notes that go from C# down to the A with the thumb, while also playing the rest of the A7 chord with the other fingers above.

  • @pianojohn113 Thanks, I'm still gonna be practicing till I'm like 20... but i would like to take lessons, so hopefully that will help lol

  • John- in your right hand, instead of playing the A major chord, when you sing "Lady", try rolling from left to right C-C#-A ( thumb-index-pinky).

    That gives it that honky tonk sound that's missing from the original recording.

    Rick

  • @rkyrooty Thanks, Rick.. yes, that is a good way of doing it. I use that "bluesy" technique once in a while when I do this song, giving it a nice edgy feel to it.

  • Hey I love Bad Penny Blues

  • @steveconn That's one I'd like to learn next. There would be no "Lady Madonna" without it.

  • thank you!!! i need to bring my keyboard out to the pc and watch and do it at the same time as you are

  • @roadrunner29788 Glad it works for you! :-)

  • it's one of those songs where once you get "the hang of it" --i it's quite easy.

    Thanks John!

  • @davidllz9253 That is correct!

  • Such a funny song to play! Thanks again! :)

  • @00music0is0life00 You're very welcome. :-)

  • the guy teachin this sounds like ray manzarek!!

  • @michaelvkelly1 I actually sound like Jim Morrison doing an impersonation of Ray Manzarek.

  • @pianojohn113 ha, im pretty muisical and can play the guitar to a fairly high level. my intention is to buy a piano and just learn a load of songs by this type of method...do u think i will be able to manage it??

  • @michaelvkelly1 Yeah, that can work really well, depending on what skill level you're at musically. Since you know chords, you've already got that part down, so I think you'll be able to manage it just fine.

  • @pianojohn113 thats good to hear. im pretty determined when i put my mind to learning something so im sure i will get it eventually. i love learning new instruments and techniques and stuff but for some reason i hav an aversion to actually learning to read music so i never want to take lessons in anything!!

  • What key is this in?

  • @Sodahpop96 This song is in A major.

  • It switches a lot, but it's mainly in C and A. I think it ends on A

  • Great video :) Can you teach the instrumental like you did in the demo?

  • @Mandelbrot13 I've thought about that, but I'm not sure I can slow it down enough to analyze what I was playing there, lol :-)

  • That's fine, I can play it all and I'm sortof making up my own solo (not as good as yours) to go with it :)

  • It's now 1 week that i'm working on this song and I almost can play it ...

    Thank so much John

    from ITALY!

  • Cool.. glad it worked for you! Greetings to you in Italy from California, USA.  :-)

  • i just wish there was someone who would teach it exactly the way paul plays it without extra notes or chords

  • Hahaha...I watched ur video and i said...Im going to try this song....And then i started to learn it...and guess wat...it was too hard for meright now ..u made it look so easy lol ....once again, thank u John for everything...take care and have a nice sunday.

  • No problem, DKlassicsG, this one's a lot higher on the difficulty scale for sure!

  • Many months after the first time I've watched this video, I'm still amazed by your ability with piano!!! Also, I need to improve my personal version of "Lady Madonna" :D Thanks for your video, I would have never learned this song without it :D :D :D

  • Thanks, funzi159, I appreciate it! I'm glad the video helped you to learn the song. Have fun with it! :-)