The Beatles made many memorable songs during their run. They are the most popular band of all time. The band took their music very seriously and came up with magical songs. The songs they write are quite complex. As a beginner musician, you can face some difficulties learning their songs. So I came up with the ultimate guide of 3 most covered Beatles songs. This guide will help you learn the songs efficiently.
Instrument of Our Choice
Our instrument of choice will be the guitar. The guitar comes very handy when it comes to learning guitar. The Beatles really focused on the guitar part. So we can hope your guide will be fun, entertaining, and useful.
What can you hope after following the guide?
You will be able to play all three songs just like The Beatles. Some practices are required. You will also gain some experience with different types of chords. Last but not the least, You will be able to show off to your friends or you can sing these for your loved ones.
- “I Want to Hold Your Hand”
I Want to Hold Your Hand is one of the first songs by The Beatles. The song entered Billboard Hot 100 in 1964, standing at number 45. The song reached number one spot on the British record chart on the day it was released. There is no doubt the song was a massive hit. The song is a love song with beautiful lyrics. This might be the perfect song to impress your crush with its magical lyrics.
Chord Guide:
The verse and chorus are in the same key. But in the middle of the song, it was played in a totally different key. The song’s verse and chorus are in the key of G Major. The G Major key consist of G major, A minor, B minor, C major, D major, E minor, and F#. For the song, chords used are G major, C major, D major, E minor, and B seventh.
During the bridge of the song, it changes to the key of C major. The C Major key consists of C major, D major, E major, F major, G major, A major, and B major. The chords used in the song are D minor, G major, C Major, and A minor
Let’s take a look at the tab for a better understanding of the song. After looking at the guitar tab, we will be able to tell when and where to play the chords.
Chords Diagram for the verse and chorus
Chords for the Bridge
TAB:
[Verse]
(G) (D)
Oh yeah, I’ll tell you something
(Em ) ( Bm)
I think you’ll understand
(G) (D)
When I say that something
(Em) (B7)
I wanna hold your hand
[Chorus]
(C) (D) (G ) ( Em)
I wanna hold your hand
(C) (D) (G)
I wanna hold your hand
[Bridge]
(Dm7) (G) (C) (Am)
And when I touch you I feel happy inside
(Dm7) (G) (C)
It’s such a feeling that my love
(C) (D) (C) (D) (C) (D)
I can’t hide – I can’t hide – I can’t hide
Tab: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/the-beatles/i-want-to-hold-your-hand-chords-457088
Rhythm:
The intro starts with C major and D major chords. It is on a little off-beat. Two down stokes on C major following by two D major. Then we put multiple down-strokes on the D major, which will lead us into the song. The verse rhythm is down &, down &, down, up, down. But for the chorus, the rhythm is slightly changed. We have to play two beats per chords, which are two down-strokes. For the bridge part, the rhythm stays the same as the verse.
Video Tutorial :
Tips to Play The Song:
To learn the song, the first thing you want to do is listen to the song carefully and sync in with the tempo. Without a piece of proper knowledge about the song, it can get a little hard to play. Master one segment then move forward. Don’t rush in to learn the complete lesson. It is advised to master every part step by step. Practice, practice, and practice!
I Want to Hold Your Hand is a love song. So it is necessary to focus both on the music and the vocal. To practice vocal, try matching your vocal with the chords. This is the type of song you want to sing from the heart. But the song is difficult and is pretty hard to sing for its high notes. While you learn the song make sure you play it from the heart and the vocal to get the best possible outcome. Don’t rush in!
- Let it Be
Let it Be is the title track of their 1970 album Let It Be. The song was created by Sir Paul McCartney. It is a mixer of both pop and rock. The song reached 6 in the Billboard Hot 100 when it was released. But it took the number one stop eventually. The single version of the song was released after McCartney decided to quit.
Chord Guide:
The song is written in the key of C Major. The C Major consists of C major, D major, E major, F major, G major, and B major. The chords used in the songs are C major, G major, A minor, F major. There are three unusual chords played in the song, which are C/G, F major7, and D minor7. The C/G chord is read as C’ over G’. It is the second inversion of the C major chord. It has a different note in the bass of the chord. I am going to put the chord diagram below so that it is easier for you to find the chords.
For the verse, we are going to play C, G, Am, Fmaj7, F6 for the first line. For the second line, we Will play C, G, F, C/E, Dm7, and C.
The chorus has a different chord progression. We start with Am, C/G, F and C. We end the chorus with C/E, Dm7, C.
Guitar Tab:
[Verse]
(C) (G) (Am) (Fmaj7) ( F6)
When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me
(C) (G) (F) [(C/E) (Dm7) (C)]
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
(C) (G) (Am) (Fmaj7) (F6)
And in my hour of darkness, She is standing right in front of me
(C) (G) (F) [(C/E) (Dm7) (C)]
Speaking words of wisdom, Let it be
[Chorus]
(Am) (C/G) (F) (C)
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
(C) (G) (F) (C/E) (Dm7) (C)
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be
Source: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/the-beatles/let-it-be-chords-17427
Rhythm:
To understand the strumming pattern, we will take 1, &, 2, &, 3, &, 4, & as our base. We will say D as a down-stroke and U as an up-stroke. So for the strumming pattern for the verse will be D D D DU. So it means we will play down-stroke on 1,2,3,4 and skip on the &’s. We will play the whole pattern once per chord. But for the last & we play an up-stroke. During the C/E, Dm7, and C chord progression the strumming pattern is changed. We play the chords on 1, 2, &, 3 beat with one down-stroke on each chord.
For the chorus, the strumming pattern is the same as the verse. For the second line, it also has the same four-chord run as the verse.
Video Tutorial:
Tips to Play The Song:
The real version of the song has a nice solo to it. If you learn the original version, then I have good news for you. The original version and the acoustic version are the same, but the only difference is the solo. I will put a solo-tab so you can follow the tab and learn the solo.
Learning a solo is fun, but the key to success is you need to play the segment multiple time. Make sure you do not miss the notes or the tempo.
Let it Be, easily floods with a passionate genuineness and huge melodic push that are both recognizable characteristics regular to a lot of Paul’s best work.
- Hey Jude
Hey Jude is a pop-rock song released in 1968. The song was written by Sir Paul McCartney. The song has sold over eight million copies and stood first place on the Billboard Hot 100 for nine weeks. The song is probably one of the best creations of the band. So let’s get started with the guide!
Chord Guide:
Hey Jude is in the key of F Major. Chords in the key of F major is “F major, G minor, A minor, Bb, C major, Dm, Edim, F7, Gm7, Am7, Bbmaj7, C7, Dmin7, and Em7b5. But Chords used in the songs are F, C, C7, Bb, Bbmaj7/A, Bb/F, and Gm7.
For the first line of the verse, we are going to use F, C, C7, and F and for the second line we are playing Bb, F, C, C7, and F. Then repeat. For the chorus, there’s a change on the run. We start with F7, Bb, Bbmaj/A, Bb/F, and C.
Chords Diagram
Tab:
[Verse]
F C C7 F
Hey Jude, don’t make it bad, take a sad song and make it better
Bb F C C7 F
Remember to let her into your heart, then you can start to make it better
F C C7 F
Hey Jude, don’t be afraid, you were made to go out and get her
Bb F C C7 F
The minute you let her under your skin, then you begin to make it better
[Chorus]
F7 Bb Bbmaj7/A Gm7 Bb/F C7
And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain, don’t carry the world
F
upon your shoulders
F7 Bb Bbmaj7/A Gm7 Bb/F C7
For well you know that it’s a fool who plays it cool by making his world
F
a little colder
[Interlude]
F7 C7 or Riff
Da da da da da da da da
Rhythm:
The song follows an easy 4beat rhythm. To make the strumming pattern understandable, So 1, &, 2, &, 3, &, 4, & as our base. We will say D as a down-stroke and U as an up-stroke. So for the strumming pattern for the verse will be D D D DU. So it means we will play down-stroke on 1,2,3,4 and skip on the &’s. We will play the whole pattern once per chord. But for the last & we play an up-stroke.
In the verse section, we are going to play the whole strumming pattern twice for each chord. But with one exception being the last C, and the C7 playing once per strumming pattern.
Video Tutorial:
Tips to Play The Song:
The outro part is the best part to play. You can play the same rhythm you played through the whole song, or you can be creative with it. For example, You can play with the rhythm and vocals then add random solos too. Just have fun with the practice while you are at it.
But why a The Beatle song guide?
So you might be wondering why we wrote a song learning guide about The Beatles. The reason is quite simple. During the whole guide, you might have noticed. Each song has its unique play style and group of chords. Some of these chords are also very uncommon. The Beatles worked hard for their music. They tried to produce the best possible note for their songs. The guide’s purpose was to allow you guys to open up to new sounds through these songs.
