Guitar Lesson - A Hard Day's Night - Beatles

http://www.goldhat.net

Category:

Music

Tags:

• goldhat3
• guitar
• lesson
• beatles
• hard
• days
• night

[jerml21]

Regarding the opening chord -- everyone is wrong. It's a D7sus4th with a G bass (the 4th is played on both the 1st and 6th string). The reason I call it that voicing is because the beginning chord for the lyric is a G. D7 of course resolves to a G. Below is the fingering with the fret position of each string (X means the string is damped):

E - A - D - G - B - E

3 - X - 0 - 2 - 1 - 3

[goldhat3]

@jerml21 I think you are right. Yours is the same as mine except the A note on the second string: 3x0213 versus 3x0013. You can clearly hear the third string A note being picked in the fade out at the end of the song, so it is most likely the same chord at both ends of the song. So what is the most famous chord in rock and roll? You be the judge.

[bill3979]

Beautiful job, goldhat. Just two questions, since you obviously know your Beatles. 1)Did George ever discuss how he came up with that brilliant opening chord? I've never read anything where he talked about it. 2)Do you know how much truth there is to the rumor that John and Paul wrote the song in just a few hours toward the end of filming the movie, when a producer supposedly sheepishly told them the decision had been made to title it "A Hard Day's Night" and they needed a song by that name?

[goldhat3]

1) I haven't heard anything about it either.

2) A Hard Days Night was another Ringo-ism. It was discussed in anthology that they did write the song in a couple hours based on the phrase.

[artienp]

Very nice, what guitar brand and model is that ? What's the best electric guitar to play just like the album (of course apart from the talent, lol) ?

[goldhat3]

This one is an Epiphone acoustic 150. On the album the Beatles used a rickenbacher 12 string electric guitar and a gibson acoustic.

[NeilFraudstrong]

Indeed it is. It sounds okay if you play it with the open G, but the actual chord used was an Fadd9, but it takes multiple instruments to make it sound right. Just on that chord alone they had George Martin on piano, Ringo with a light hit of the snare and ride cymbal, John's 325 and George's 360-12. It was very layered for an opening chord, but as you said, it's an Fadd9. George has even said this which should put the speculation to rest.

[variousthings]

There's an insanely detailed analysis of the chord in Dominic Pedler's book "The Songwriting Secrets of the Beatles". It takes up a whole chapter, and he not only quotes that George Harrison interview, but summarises how other musicologists (Alan W. Pollack, Ian MacDonald, Walter Everett etc) have labelled the chord, uses bootlegs to analyse what was done on every take of the song, and interviews one of the Bootleg Beatles tribute band to ask how they perform it. Like I said - insanely detailed!

[jimihendrix1975]

@jerml21 yes u are right dude!!!!

[moeandhisguitar]

@jerml21

believe it or not you are actually wrong. the beatles have said before in an interview its an Fadd9, however if you take into account what the bass is playing and all the other notes, and you try to play it by yourself it is a G7add9sus4 or some variant of that nature. its been confirmed with ringo starr that the actual chord played by the guitar (guitar only) is an Fadd9

(6th string to 1st) X X 3 2 1 3

[lukedekacosta]

nice video thanks

[boblpage]

So silly! Why do rank amateurs post stuff like this? If you want to see how anything is played correctly just type in "Buddy Clontz" here on YouTube. He'll show you how to play this the way it's really played -- as well as virtually anything else.

[jamiegtr2007]

@jerml21 Try Gsus 4/A 553533, hard to fingwer, but i think nearer, but not up for debate =), just adding my wee bit , cheers, James

[NeilFraudstrong]

Sorry to comment again, but Paul also played the D string at the 12th fret and Ringo lightly hit the snare and ride cymbal. George Martin played an Fadd9 on piano to complete the chord.

[NeilFraudstrong]

@NeilFraudstrong

At the same time that George played an Fadd9, John played 353533 on his Rickenbacker 325.

[NeilFraudstrong]

@jerml21

George himself said it was an Fadd9 with a G on top.

[joriszsz]

The opening chord is a G7sus4, I think...

EADGBe

3535333

[outerrealm]

Close but no guitar. Play the A string open and you've got it