How to play "Blackbird"

An accurate lesson on how to play "Blackbird" by The Beatles

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Blackbird
• The
• Beatles
• guitar
• lesson
• how
• to

[thimsmot]

I can't understand why some people get all shitty about the exact, precise, technical minutiae of the fingering, strumming, picking, etc. After all, this is a video about how to play the damn song, not how to perfectly duplicate a particular performance on a particular recording.

[ptolemyauletesXII]

@Voovatvicky I suggest listening again to the original recording, and listening for the strumming/plucking. This is done with one finger. The pattern is Pluck/sweep/sweep/pluck/pluck/­sweep. Do not get confused by the double tracked guitar. There are two acoustic guitars playing on this track, and that causes many people to think there is more going on then there actually is. Then go search McCartney Blackbird and watch...

[MrWowman97]

@Voovatvicky shut yo face gayboy this is right u r wrong

[philtangerine]

@climbeer1 this is pretty close, but its not actually the way it is on the original. I've posted a video showing the style of the original, you can find it by searching philtangerine blackbird...have fun. This one's close though.

[nachogerfauo]

You're a genious!

[ptolemyauletesXII]

@Voovatvicky Paul McCartney - Blackbird

Live Glastonbury Music Festival 2004

Look at the close ups... Thumb, index finger... the others are just hanging there. Of course, there's nothing wrong with playing it using fingerpicking... it's just no the way Paul did it. Hope this helps.

[ptolemyauletesXII]

@Voovatvicky I am not Paul McCartney... but Paul McCartney certainly is! If you watch any of the several videos of him playing HIS OWN song on YouTube you will see that he is ONLY using his index and thumb. He uses this style on several songs. Look up mjsokes on YouTube for an explanation. Furthermore, if it is fingerpicking how do you explain the strumming sound in the song? Lastly, fingerpicking is actually EASIER than the sweep pick style McCartney uses.

[Voovatvicky]

@ptolemyauletesXII . If YOU listen closely you will find that it is fingerpicking. If you want to do it that way fine. I think it is just an excuse for people who can't do the pattern. Anyway- who are you, Paul McCartney?

[ptolemyauletesXII]

@Voovatvicky Vicky, it may not sound right to you, but this is EXACTLY as Paul plays it. If you listen carefully to the record he is not finger picking, he is... well... finger sweeping... just one finger and one thumb.

[ptolemyauletesXII]

Yes! you've got it!!! That's it exactly... the reason people think it is finger picking is because Paul double tracked the guitar. There are TWO guitars playing, and he is not a robot, hence there are slight inconsistencies. But the strum pattern is exactly as you do it, and when you watch Paul play it live you can see the thumb and finger only. It just takes practice.