How To Play "Blackbird" Like Paul McCartney

[GabeRoxMySoxx]

That sounds good but ima stick with my 3 fingertpicking and for the left hand I think both ways are equally easy

Nice video though

[MikeyCano]

hahaha you are funny dude! Cool teaching too ;)

[rvrpig15]

Love the sound, what guitar are you using?

[dwodo21]

I've been playing it for forty years as well, and as far as I'm concerned, you totally nailed it, and I've been playing it 'wrong' all this time. I'm really grateful for the vid, and I'm going to relearn it your way. Thanks!

[gcomeaux]

I've been playing a clean note-for-note fingerpicked version for forty years. No "sweeps" no fancy rythnic patterns. This guy has done what he condemns: complicates an very simple finger pattern which never uses the the high E-string.

[ptolemyauletesXII]

@gcomeaux And yet, go watch a video of McCartney playing it. Your version may sound great, but McCartney is NOT finger picking, and he is ONLY using two fingers... thumb and index. And he is also CLEARLY using the high E string. I suppose it depends on how you want to play it. Ultimately you play it how it's most comfortable I guess, but don't accuse Mjsokes of over-complicating it. He's just showing people how Paul plays it.

[matco24]

two fingers?!?! I'm gonna have to try this..I've been using three...this looks simpler, for sure!

[iamthewalrus3654]

Not a bad singer.

[bob123819]

how come this song got uploaded later than the newer vids but it says that it was uploaded 8 months ago

[rivariad]

mj what kinda cam are you using?

[strawberrygirlie76]

Hey, great video! You've really captured Paul's recording - very perceptive! You're quite funny, too! :)

[BrownGuitar325]

I want to grow a mustache now....great video though thanks!

[wintersnowman]

I've tried to alternate foot tap like Paul did in one YT video, but I'm finding it difficult to play this unique strum pattern if i do that. Why is that so and any tips for me?

[mrnatehammy]

great video but try and be more confident

[mjsokes]

@mrnatehammy there's no confidence like modesty. fortune cookie wisdom from mj sokes.

[XAdrian21340]

@mjsokes nice vocals and guitar playing

[bauersnarky]

i bet if you slicked your hair back, shaved, and waited 20 years you'd look just like george martin.

[Saoff]

why is he teaching to play his own song?

[gpcgeno]

Can you please put a Jenny Wren vid up? Thanks!

[hofnersinla]

yes?

[H0TandL0W]

Can I please have the chords for this? I don't know tabs 8D

[salawasweet1989]

you are a great human being i just wanted to tell you that. you should be a guitar instructor atleast as a side job your an excellent teacher.

[sverreforfaen]

thank you! i can more or less play this song now thanks to you.

[JONESY121ACU]

OMG i have finnaly found the only video on youtube which explains the way the right hand moves

thank you sooo much

and you are a really funny guy lol

[parsonsprod]

You ARE AWESOME! I can't tell you how much I enjoy your videos. I've been playing Blackbird wrong for 20 years and now I'm going to relearn it the RIGHT way. Thanks again... Peace.

[ShaneGF7]

Alright I'm getting it! Is the tab that you think is good by Robb Anagnostis?

[cootamundra123]

Where can i get these tabs for blackbird...or chords or whateva

Thanks mj you freaken legend.

[mjsokes]

@cootamundra123 google "blackbird tab". the first result is a GREAT tab. you'll be playing like paul in no time.

[CaitlinSpain]

okay so i apologize if this is a stupid comment (i'm fairly new to all this), but do you just hit the G and B strings on the sweeps with the index finger? and mute the D & high E string?

on a side note: thank you so much for posting this! i'm very glad i stumbled upon it.

[mjsokes]

@CaitlinSpain great question! technically you "hit" the D-G-B strings on the sweeps, but the D is muted, and the high "e" gets left out. words suck at describing it, but look visually at the vid, and the other "blackbird" vid i posted. hope that helps!

[Drackorage]

Oh one more thing, you should maybe tease some of the bass stuff a bit, because I can't friggin wait to sink my teeth into all of its bassy goodness

[Drackorage]

Sokes, you're a hoss. Like seriously you're a frigging beast man, and your singing chops are actually pretty good brah.

[mjsokes]

@Drackorage thanks brah

[tenzell]

@mjsokes seriously you are the man, you seriously gotta do sexy sadie that song is one of my favs and hey bulldog and any song with lennon doing solo playing, fuck it just do every Beatles song! lol

[masonha1]

Your not that bad a singer

[mjsokes]

@masonha1 ever hear the expression "damning with faint praise"...

[masonha1]

@mjsokes jaja yes but im not kidding, you could get better. And if u really consider yourself that bad, why do u sing it? :P

[meanmrmusted88]

hey mjsokes, how positive are you that paul's doing it the way you teach...my guitar teacher says he doesnt think hes doing it the way u taught me...how do you know hes doing it this way

[mjsokes]

@meanmrmusted88 have your teacher listen to the original recording, then play my video. if he's still unsure, get a new teacher.

[Jenzemannen]

Genius!

[Marcel1978dt]

Very cool! Love the singing too ;-)

Could you explain how Paul does Calico Skies?

I´m going mad by trying that one :-(

Special Thanks from Karlsruhe/Germany

[necklines]

This is very helpful. @mjsokes what type of camera are your using? And any chance you could do a takeaway on I Want You (She's So Heavy)? 

[mjsokes]

@necklines hey man, it's a nikon coolpix p100. i'll add "i want you (she's so heavy)" to my list! thanks man.

[mjsokes]

@jhmc12 6 feet even. neither short nor tall.

[xoxonceuponatimexox]

You sing really good! I love it!!

[mjsokes]

@xoxonceuponatimexox oh hush, it was just for kicks. thanks for the kind words though!

[xoxonceuponatimexox]

@mjsokes your welcome :) but you should sing more in your videos I love it!!

[ealiagac]

Hi @mjsokes! I want to thank you for all your videos. They are very useful. There's one song I'd like you to make a lesson. It's 'Till There Was You', both lead and rhythm guitar, but if I had to choose one of them, I'd go for Lead guitar. I want to thank you again. Regards, my friend.

[sneezer]

When playing those two notes on the high e, should we be trying to mute the open B? That is to say, how does Paul play it? Probably more trouble than it's worth.

[mjsokes]

@sneezer nah let it ring out, the b. sounds like the record when you do.

[meanmrmusted88]

when you swip down with ur finger, which strings are u aiming for?

[mjsokes]

@meanmrmusted88 the strings between the bass note and the upper note.

[MegaCalvinHobbes]

Great video man, I really enjoy them.

[beatlesman135]

I never knew it was that easy. i saw some other lesson that was complicated as hell. thanks

[BookofIsaiah]

another great video, Thanks MJ !!!

[gejuje]

hey mj wish you would stop telling how easy it is don`t help my ego much he

i use fingerstyle because my bloody fingers won`t cooperate when i try this

i`ll give it another go though thanks

[mjsokes]

@gejuje just keep at it, you'll get it much quicker than you think

[blahblahgen]

Thanks:)

[aaxal]

heyyy firt time you sing :))) great

[dinasty12430]

thx mate~

[GarsinX]

holy christ thanks for this video. i thought i'd never be able to play this

[DannyDelReyo]

I have that "1-2-3-4-5-6"-phrase in my head, it will probably be stucked there for the whole day.

[daregularperson]

Aside from being an astounding guitar player, you seem to have the uncanny ability to walk the line of dry humor and unintentional hilariousness.

[mjsokes]

@daregularperson yes i am quite remarkable

[kiatmac1]

@mjsokes yes you are

[yizhan123]

So you actually use you pinkie and ring finger to stop the first string?

[mjsokes]

@yizhan123 NOT ON BLACKBIRD, only on jenny wren.

[dfrohwein]

Great job MJ- Great camera too!!

[mjsokes]

@dfrohwein thanks!

[LawlNoodle]

moar beard plz

[mjsokes]

@LawlNoodle lolz i haz beard

[michaelat348]

genius.

[ilikepennychews2]

is this the same picking pattern as her majesty?

[GarsinX]

@ilikepennychews2 I doubt it

[mjsokes]

@ilikepennychews2 actually yes it is! look for a vid friday evening that has "her majesty" as part of it...

[mtsn]

Good teachers are those that make complicated things look simple. Just like this. 1-2-3-4-5-6.

[CharGuitarGirl]

I play this the other way, makes no sense really considering my hands dont stretch properly, will have to re learn it this way! great video

[mjsokes]

@CharGuitarGirl thanks so much!

[1967beatlesfan]

"You were only waiting for this moment to be 1 2 3 4 5 6!

[superacecombat]

what made you want to sing in this? not that it's bad. you just usually don't.

[mjsokes]

@superacecombat just for kicks. it'd be boring otherwise.

[seclusive]

Now I'm suddenly eager to hear you sing some Lennon rockers. Seeing you play the Rickenbacker AND singing John's part would be amazing.

[zerobox94]

Please do Jenny Wren!!!

[AdrianRojasF]

All my life I've been only waiting for this moment to be 1-2-3-4-5-6

[rockyrigby]

Your singing's not too bad!

[Mrtuxedo220]

You should make a tutorial on "Jenny Wren" :D

[DaneFromKC]

Please make a "how to" Jenny Wren video. I've been trying to figure it out for a long time and the tablature I've seen is wrong.

[TheMicasa99]

I say forefinger...

[ShaneGF7]

Whoa just watched the vid again, and noticed your singing sounds a bit like johns! :o

[ALKOpadman]

hey mjsokes, at 3:34, you say to pluck the open D-string, but the text on the screen says G-string. just thought i should let you know.

[mjsokes]

@ALKOpadman yeah i was hoping nobody would notice. ; )

[ALKOpadman]

@mjsokes haha i can pretend i didnt if you want?  a most excellent tutorial nonetheless.

[Iszil]

@mjsokes Just add one of those text messages saying there was a typo or something...

[ShaneGF7]

What's wrong with it?

[mjsokes]

@ShaneGF7 nevermind, works now.

[ilikepennychews2]

great video! has helped perfectly!!!

[superacecombat]

You actually sang for once!

[ShaneGF7]

I wish I could play like you man, bravo!

[mjsokes]

@ShaneGF7 but you can! that's why i made the vid, dummy.

[NarutoEX100]

nice voice :)