THE BEATLES' Songwriting Secret Lost To Popular Music Today

James Hargreaves Guitar
31 May 202424:49

Summary

TLDRThis video script delves into the unique songwriting techniques of The Beatles, attributing their global success to more than just hype. It argues that their mastery of chord progressions, including the use of non-diatonic chords and subliminal key changes, set them apart. The script simplifies music theory, illustrating how Lennon and McCartney's focus on intricate song structures, rather than reliance on technology or showmanship, created a timeless appeal that continues to captivate listeners.

Takeaways

  • 🎶 The Beatles' success was not solely due to their music, but their songwriting technique set them apart, especially the use of 'subliminal key changes'.
  • 👂 The script emphasizes the immediate impact of the Beatles' music on listeners, highlighting the power of their songwriting over other factors like hype or promotion.
  • 📈 The Beatles' chord progressions were more complex than today's pop music, which often sticks to basic seven-chord structures.
  • 🔑 The script introduces the concept of 'subliminal key changes' as a key technique used by the Beatles to enhance their songwriting, making it more engaging.
  • 🎸 John Lennon and Paul McCartney were deeply interested in mastering chords, which was central to their songwriting process.
  • 🛤️ The Beatles' early songs, even before meeting George Martin, were more advanced than many current top-charting songs, utilizing extended and non-diatonic chords.
  • 🔄 The script explains various techniques of key changes, including abrupt changes, major-minor switches, and the '25 turnaround' method.
  • 🎼 The '25 turnaround' is a specific technique where chords two and five from a new key are introduced to subtly shift the song's key without the listener noticing.
  • 📚 The importance of learning music theory and being open to studying it is underscored, as it was part of McCartney's early development.
  • 🌟 The Beatles' music was raw and simple, focusing on song quality over production techniques, which is a lesson for aspiring musicians to focus on songwriting.
  • 🚀 For aspiring musicians, incorporating complex songwriting techniques like those used by the Beatles can help stand out in today's music scene.

Q & A

  • What was the main argument presented in the video about the Beatles' success?

    -The video argues that while the Beatles' music alone was not enough to account for their success, their unique songwriting techniques, especially the use of subliminal key changes, played a significant role in their global appeal.

  • What does the video claim about the current state of pop music in comparison to the Beatles' era?

    -The video claims that pop music has become more simplistic and less innovative over the past 20 years, lacking the complexity and sophistication found in the Beatles' songwriting.

  • What is the '25 turnaround' technique mentioned in the video?

    -The '25 turnaround' is a songwriting technique where chords two and five from the new key are introduced into the song, tricking the listener's ear into subconsciously transitioning to the new key.

  • How did the Beatles' songwriting evolve from their early days to later albums?

    -The Beatles' songwriting evolved from using basic chords and extended chords to incorporating non-diatonic chords, genre swapping, and eventually mastering subliminal key changes.

  • What is the significance of the song 'Drive My Car' in the video's narrative?

    -The song 'Drive My Car' is used as an example of the video creator's initial negative reaction to a Beatles song without knowing who was singing, highlighting the power of their songwriting once the creator recognized the song's brilliance.

  • What role did George Martin play in the Beatles' songwriting journey?

    -George Martin, a producer, provided the Beatles with access to advanced recording techniques and musical knowledge, which helped them further develop and refine their songwriting skills.

  • What is the 'seamless key change' technique the Beatles were known for?

    -The 'seamless key change' technique refers to the Beatles' ability to change keys within a song so smoothly that the average listener might not even notice the transition.

  • How does the video suggest aspiring songwriters can emulate the Beatles' success?

    -The video suggests that aspiring songwriters should become obsessed with chords and melody, learn from everyone they can, and not be too proud to study music theory to incorporate advanced techniques into their songs.

  • What is the 'major minor switch' technique discussed in the video?

    -The 'major minor switch' technique involves abruptly switching between major and minor chords, often used to transition between different sections of a song, such as from verses to choruses.

  • What examples of Beatles songs demonstrate the use of key changes?

    -Songs like 'From Me to You,' 'I Want to Hold Your Hand,' 'Norwegian Wood,' 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps,' and 'Fool on the Hill' are examples where the Beatles used key changes to enhance their songwriting.

  • How does the video describe the Beatles' approach to songwriting compared to modern pop music?

    -The video describes the Beatles' approach as more sophisticated and innovative, using a variety of songwriting techniques, compared to modern pop music, which is described as having become more simplistic and formulaic.

Outlines

00:00

🎶 The Beatles' Unique Songwriting Appeal 🎶

The video script discusses the Beatles' extraordinary success and challenges the notion that their music alone was responsible. It mentions a previous video where the speaker felt the Beatles' hype and promotion played a significant role. However, many disagreed, citing the power of their music as the key factor. The speaker recounts personal experiences with Beatles songs, like 'Hey Jude' and 'Yesterday,' that had a profound impact despite not knowing the band's identity initially. The script hints at a specific songwriting technique prevalent in the Beatles' music, which contrasts with the simplistic songwriting of today's pop music, and promises to explain this technique in a simplified, jargon-free manner.

05:01

🎸 The Evolution of Songwriting Complexity 🎸

This paragraph delves into the basics of songwriting, using the G Major scale as an example, and explains how chords are built from scale notes. It criticizes modern pop music for its lack of complexity, often limited to the basic seven chords of a scale. The script contrasts this with the more intricate chord progressions used by the Beatles and other artists from previous decades, suggesting a regression in the sophistication of popular music. The Beatles' focus on song quality over production or technological advancements is highlighted, emphasizing the importance of strong songwriting as the foundation of their success.

10:02

🛤️ The Beatles' Mastery of Songwriting Crafts 🛤️

The script describes how Lennon and McCartney's dedication to learning and mastering chords contributed to their songwriting prowess. It shares anecdotes of their eagerness to learn new chords, which later influenced their songwriting after meeting producer George Martin. The paragraph outlines the progression of their songwriting skills, from basic chords to more advanced techniques like using extended and non-diatonic chords, and 'genre swapping' between major and minor chords. It emphasizes that every original song on their first album, 'Please Please Me,' utilized at least one of these advanced techniques, setting them apart from contemporary music.

15:08

🔑 The Art of Subliminal Key Changes 🔑

This section introduces the concept of 'subliminal key changes' as a significant element of the Beatles' songwriting that made their music captivating. It explains that while the Beatles initially used abrupt key changes, they soon developed more sophisticated techniques, such as the '25 turnaround,' which involves inserting chords from the new key into the song seamlessly. The script provides examples of how this technique can be used in practice and encourages aspiring songwriters to learn and incorporate such skills to create music that stands out.

20:11

🎵 Mastering Key Changes in Songwriting 🎵

The final paragraph demonstrates the Beatles' advanced use of key changes in their songs, using 'Here, There and Everywhere' as an example to illustrate how multiple key changes can occur within a single line of lyrics. It discusses the '25 turnaround' technique in more detail, showing how it can be used to transition into different keys effortlessly. The script concludes by emphasizing the importance of becoming proficient in chords and melody, suggesting that studying music theory and being open to learning are crucial for songwriters who aim to create impactful music like the Beatles.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Songwriting

Songwriting is the process of creating a song, which involves composing the lyrics, melodies, and harmonies. In the video, the main theme revolves around the unique songwriting techniques of The Beatles, which contributed to their global success. The script discusses how Lennon and McCartney mastered various aspects of songwriting, from simple chord progressions to complex key changes.

💡Chord Progressions

Chord progressions are a series of chords played in sequence that form the harmonic foundation of a song. The script points out that modern pop music often relies on basic chord progressions, whereas The Beatles used more complex and varied progressions, setting them apart from contemporary music.

💡Key Changes

Key changes involve shifting from one musical key to another within a song, often used to create a dynamic and emotional effect. The video emphasizes that The Beatles were adept at using subtle key changes, or 'subliminal key changes,' which were woven into their songs, enhancing their musical depth and complexity.

💡Major Scale

A major scale is a sequence of musical notes with specific intervals that form the basis of Western music harmony. The script explains the major scale as the 'skeleton' of simple songwriting, with The Beatles using it as a foundation to build more complex musical structures.

💡Chords

Chords are groups of notes played together, creating a harmony. The video script describes how The Beatles expanded beyond basic chords to include extended chords and non-diatonic chords, adding color and depth to their music, which is a contrast to the more simplistic approach of much of today's pop music.

💡Non-Diatonic Chord

A non-diatonic chord is a chord that does not belong to the diatonic scale of a particular key. The script uses the example of a C chord in the key of E to illustrate how The Beatles used non-diatonic chords to add unexpected elements to their songs, contributing to their unique sound.

💡Genre Swapping

Genre swapping is the technique of changing a chord from its major or minor form to the opposite within the same key. The Beatles used this technique to add variety and interest to their chord progressions, as illustrated in the song 'Ask Me Why' from their album 'Please Please Me'.

💡25 Turnaround

The '25 turnaround' is a specific songwriting technique mentioned in the script, where chords two and five from the new key are used to transition into that key. This technique was used by The Beatles to create smooth and often unnoticed key changes within their songs, contributing to their sophisticated song structures.

💡Seamless Key Change

A seamless key change is a transition between keys that is executed so smoothly that the listener may not consciously recognize it. The script describes how The Beatles mastered this technique, using it to create a sense of movement and development within their songs without disrupting the flow of the music.

💡Music Theory

Music theory is the study of the practices and possibilities of music, including the physical, psychological, and social aspects. The video suggests that while The Beatles were not necessarily deeply trained in music theory, they had a strong intuitive understanding of it, which they used to their advantage in their songwriting.

💡Pop Music

Pop music is a genre of popular music that is characterized by its catchy melodies and simple structures. The script contrasts the often basic and repetitive nature of modern pop music with the more complex and innovative songwriting of The Beatles, highlighting the decline in the sophistication of popular music over the years.

Highlights

The Beatles' music was argued not to be solely responsible for their success, but many disagreed, attributing their global success to the quality of their music alone.

The speaker shares personal experiences of being impressed by Beatles songs without knowing the band, highlighting the power of their songwriting.

A specific songwriting technique used by the Beatles is suggested to be a significant factor in their appeal, which has mostly disappeared from today's popular music.

The basics of songwriting are explained, focusing on the importance of the major scale and its corresponding chords.

Modern pop music is criticized for its simplicity and lack of progression beyond the basic seven chords, in contrast to the Beatles' more complex compositions.

The Beatles' early songwriting advanced beyond standard chords, incorporating extended and non-diatonic chords, setting them apart from contemporary music.

John Lennon and Paul McCartney's obsession with learning new chords is highlighted as a key to their songwriting mastery.

The Beatles' songwriting evolved to include genre swapping and key changes, adding complexity and depth to their music.

Subtle key changes, or 'subliminal key changes,' are identified as a unique technique used by the Beatles to enhance their songwriting.

The '25 turnaround' technique is introduced as a method for seamless key changes in songwriting, which was frequently used by the Beatles.

Examples of the Beatles' key changes are demonstrated using simplified chords, showing how they could shift keys without listeners noticing.

The importance of practicing and training one's ear to recognize and create key changes in songwriting is emphasized.

The song 'Here There and Everywhere' is used to illustrate the Beatles' mastery of key changes within a single line of lyrics.

The video concludes with encouragement for aspiring songwriters to study chords and melody deeply, as the Beatles did, to create impactful music.

A call to action for musicians to move beyond basic songwriting techniques and explore more complex structures to stand out in the music industry.

The video provides an educational and inspirational look into the songwriting techniques of the Beatles, offering practical advice for modern musicians.

Transcripts

play00:00

in a recent video called bigger than the

play00:02

Beatles I discussed how I felt that

play00:05

their music Alone was not enough to

play00:07

account for their stratospheric success

play00:10

in the comment section however there

play00:11

were many many comments where people

play00:13

talked about their experience of hearing

play00:16

the Beatles for the first time not

play00:18

knowing who they were and immediately

play00:20

being hooked by the simple power of the

play00:22

music loads of people actually disagreed

play00:25

with me and said that for them the

play00:27

quality of The Beatles music Alone was

play00:29

enough to justify their unbelievable

play00:32

Global success so while that video

play00:35

focused on the hype and promotion side

play00:37

of things today I want to ask that exact

play00:39

same question but focused on the music

play00:43

what did the Beatles have in their

play00:44

songwriting that was unique and set them

play00:47

apart in that previous video I talked

play00:50

about the first time I heard drive my

play00:51

car by The Beatles and my incredibly

play00:54

negative reaction to it before I knew

play00:56

who was actually singing it but in that

play00:59

video I didn't actually mention the flip

play01:01

side of that coin because there were

play01:03

actually multiple Beatle songs that I

play01:05

heard for the first time as a young man

play01:08

with no idea who was singing them and

play01:10

was absolutely Blown Away by the quality

play01:13

and power of the songwriting those Tunes

play01:16

include Hey Jude I'm Only Sleeping if I

play01:19

fell yesterday Fool on the Hill and many

play01:22

more each one of those I heard and loved

play01:26

before I knew anything about the authors

play01:29

and here's the real really interesting

play01:30

thing about that as an adult musician I

play01:33

can look back over that selection of

play01:34

songs I just mentioned and immediately

play01:36

notice they all actually have something

play01:38

in common every single one of those

play01:41

songs was written using a specific

play01:43

songwriting technique that has all but

play01:46

disappeared from popular music today so

play01:49

in this video I want to explain that

play01:51

songwriting technique because it was at

play01:53

least part of what made their music so

play01:56

magical to so many people worldwide on a

play01:59

first listen

play02:00

but I do want to explain it in the most

play02:03

simplified jargon-free way I can

play02:05

possibly manage if you're trained in

play02:07

music theory you'll know all the

play02:09

technical terms for the various things

play02:11

I'm about to describe but I'm

play02:13

intentionally not getting into any

play02:15

academic language if I can avoid it

play02:17

because I want this video to make sense

play02:20

to Young songwriters with no music

play02:22

theory training but first of all for the

play02:25

Beatles lost songwriting technique to

play02:27

make sense I first have to explain the

play02:29

very basics of songwriting so let's

play02:33

start right at the beginning if the

play02:35

guitar has a key it's probably

play02:38

[Music]

play02:40

G this is the G Major

play02:44

[Music]

play02:46

scale there's seven notes in it 1 2 3 4

play02:50

5 6 7 and then we're back to one again

play02:54

and that major scale shape I've just

play02:55

shown you there is basically the

play02:57

skeleton around which all the most

play03:00

simple songwriting is built each of

play03:02

those seven notes I just showed you g a

play03:05

b c d e f sharp and then back to G again

play03:10

each of those has a chord that goes with

play03:12

it so G it's a regular g a it's a

play03:17

minor then B minor C

play03:22

D E

play03:24

minor and the one that goes with chord

play03:26

seven is very rarely used it's a

play03:28

diminished chord and because it's so

play03:30

rarely used I'm just going to leave it

play03:32

out of this video to keep things simple

play03:34

so if we wanted to write a very simple

play03:37

beginner song in the key of G we would

play03:39

have those six or seven chords to play

play03:41

with in pop music today however this is

play03:44

already the full extent of how pretty

play03:47

much every song is written it literally

play03:51

never gets more complicated than what I

play03:53

just showed you and just a double check

play03:56

today I actually listened through the UK

play03:58

Top 10 and not one single song moved

play04:02

beyond the basic seven chords okay the

play04:05

songs were in different keys but in

play04:07

practice all that means is you just use

play04:09

the same seven chords and just put a

play04:11

cppo somewhere on the neck and you can

play04:13

play every single song in the whole of

play04:16

the UK Top 10 from start to finish I

play04:19

think it's fair to say that pop music

play04:21

has become utterly infantile in the past

play04:23

20 years or so and I also think that's

play04:26

part of why everyone seems to think that

play04:28

music today is is just absolutely

play04:31

but it wasn't always this way compare

play04:34

that to the cord sequences that the

play04:35

Beatles And The Kinks were putting

play04:37

together in the 60s compare it to the

play04:39

chord sequences that Noel Gallagher and

play04:41

James Dean Bradfield were making in the

play04:43

'90s just listen to the chords to

play04:45

Suicide drive on the seahorse's debut

play04:48

album and compare it to the charts now

play04:50

and you can hear how badly and how far

play04:52

we have regressed the British music

play04:54

scene has fallen a very very long way no

play04:58

amount of technological PIR Technics can

play05:00

make up for the song itself simply not

play05:03

being good enough and that's the

play05:05

fascinating thing about listening to The

play05:07

Beatles they didn't have any of today's

play05:09

technological Wizardry they didn't even

play05:11

record using a click for the first half

play05:14

of their careers their music was

play05:15

incredibly raw and simple very sparse

play05:18

arrangements and often many mistakes

play05:20

just left in the mix and yet they were

play05:22

still the biggest band that ever lived

play05:25

that's because they knew what the main

play05:27

thing was and what just the decoration

play05:30

was the arrangements and musicianship

play05:32

are just the icing they are not the cake

play05:35

the main bulk the important part is the

play05:38

quality of the song So now let's take a

play05:42

closer look at John Lennon and Paul

play05:44

McCartney how they learned their

play05:46

songwriting craft and what they chose to

play05:48

focus on and become Masters at when

play05:51

Lennon and McCartney were young they

play05:52

weren't obsessed with smartphones the

play05:54

internet or video games none of those

play05:57

things existed yet they were obsessed

play05:59

with their guitars with singing and

play06:01

songwriting today when someone gets

play06:03

really into guitar it's quite often

play06:06

actually because they want to learn

play06:07

something really flashy and wild like

play06:09

Cliffs of DOA Crossroads or Highway Star

play06:12

it's often about lead guitar in the

play06:15

Beatles teenage years however they seem

play06:17

to have been much more interested and

play06:19

kind of fascinated with chords to the

play06:22

point that they literally traveled all

play06:24

the way across Liverpool on the bus with

play06:26

their guitars because they had heard

play06:28

that a bloke on the other side of the

play06:29

city knew how to play a cord they didn't

play06:32

know

play06:33

B7 in fact you know sometimes we travel

play06:36

the whole of Liverpool just to go to

play06:38

someone who knew a cord we didn't know

play06:40

um remember once hearing about a bloke

play06:43

who knew

play06:44

B7 now we knew e and we knew a those

play06:47

were quite easy but we didn't knew B we

play06:50

didn't know B7 that was kind of the

play06:51

missing part of the link the other cord

play06:53

the L cord so on we got on the bus

play06:57

trooped across Liverpool changed a

play06:59

couple of buses found this fell and he

play07:01

showed

play07:02

us B7 we learned it off him got back on

play07:06

the bus went home to our mates and went

play07:10

Jing got

play07:11

it after they were signed the scramble

play07:14

to the top song writing wise continued

play07:17

and the boys who traveled all the way

play07:19

across Liverpool to just learn one new

play07:21

chord now had access to this man George

play07:24

Martin and you start to see the impact

play07:27

of that happy meeting on their songr

play07:29

writing very shortly after they first

play07:32

met their earliest official songs were

play07:34

written before meeting George Martin and

play07:37

those appeared on their first album

play07:38

Please Please Me On which Lennon and

play07:40

McCartney wrote eight of the 14 songs

play07:43

and those eight songs were already far

play07:46

more advanced than anything in the UK

play07:49

Top 10 today even in the ultra

play07:52

simplistic Love Me Do we see something

play07:55

outside of the boring usual cords they

play07:58

were using extended chords meaning for

play08:01

example using an

play08:03

E7 instead of just a regular

play08:06

[Music]

play08:07

e and that is the second rung of the

play08:10

songwriting ladder incorporating chords

play08:13

with a number after their name for a

play08:15

little more color and depth but that's

play08:17

not all by please please me they were

play08:19

also doing what I consider the third

play08:22

rung of the ladder and that is including

play08:25

chords outside of the usual seven let's

play08:28

look at I saw standing there as an

play08:30

example this song is in

play08:32

E so the seven chords in that key are E

play08:36

F minor G Shar Minor A B C Shar minor

play08:42

and that seventh chord that doesn't

play08:44

really get used but in that song we get

play08:47

a chord that is none of those seven he's

play08:49

a very simplified and dropped an octave

play08:52

version how could I dance with another

play09:00

that's the non-diatonic chord that's the

play09:02

C that doesn't belong in this key the

play09:05

fourth rung of the ladder is something I

play09:07

call genre swapping and that's where you

play09:10

take one of the basic seven chords say a

play09:12

d and you flip it from major to

play09:15

minor all the other way around and of

play09:18

course the Beatles were already doing

play09:20

this by the time of Please Please Me in

play09:23

the song ask me why which is in the key

play09:25

of

play09:26

E they change chord three from a g Shar

play09:29

minor into a

play09:31

gsh

play09:33

major in fact there is not one single

play09:36

original Lenin McCartney song on please

play09:38

please me that doesn't utilize at least

play09:41

one of these cord techniques not a

play09:44

single one of them is as crap and

play09:46

simplistic as everything in the charts

play09:48

today but we still haven't hit on the

play09:51

most important technique the one this

play09:52

video is really about and that is the

play09:55

fifth rung of the ladder and that's

play09:57

because in my opinion at this time they

play09:59

hadn't actually mastered it yet on

play10:01

please please me that being said there

play10:04

is one tiny little place on that first

play10:06

album on please pleas me where we get a

play10:09

kind of hint of what was to come the

play10:11

next step on the ladder and it's track

play10:13

11 do you want to know a secret there is

play10:16

a fairly badly done middle section in

play10:19

this song around the 1 minute 10 mark it

play10:21

lasts for just five bars in which Paul

play10:23

MCC also plays a couple of Duff notes on

play10:25

the bass it's shoddily written and

play10:28

poorly executed Ed but this is the first

play10:31

time on an official release I think that

play10:33

the Beatles began to break out of

play10:36

writing songs in the same key and began

play10:38

to just dip their toes into the next

play10:40

step on the ladder key changes now

play10:44

before you roll your eyes and go I know

play10:45

about key changes hang on when most

play10:48

people think of key changes post 1980s

play10:51

they tend to imagine a song like Living

play10:53

on a Prayer by Bon joy that song is just

play10:56

in the same key for the whole thing and

play10:58

then right at the end it's changes up

play11:00

into a higher key for a kind of

play11:01

climactic chorus and yes that is a kind

play11:04

of key change but it's one of the least

play11:06

subtle and it's not one The Beatles

play11:08

really used it was just a matter of a

play11:11

few short years before they were weaving

play11:13

constant key changes in and out of the

play11:16

body of their songs often several times

play11:18

in one single line so I'm going to

play11:22

change the name of that fifth step it's

play11:24

not really key changes per se it's

play11:27

subliminal key changes ones that the

play11:29

untrained listener doesn't even

play11:31

recognize are there its key changes

play11:35

woven into the chords and vocal Melody

play11:37

with absolute Brilliance and finesse

play11:40

whilst simultaneously also still using

play11:44

all of the previous four techniques as

play11:46

well the next song to be released after

play11:48

Please Please Me was from me to you and

play11:51

lenon and McCartney's key changing

play11:52

ability had improved by this time the

play11:55

bridge of that song switches into a

play11:57

completely different key in quite a

play11:59

smooth way that the average listener

play12:01

simply doesn't even notice so let me

play12:05

demonstrate this for you I'm going to

play12:06

only use those bog standard super simple

play12:09

chords in G and then when the key change

play12:13

happens I'm just going to put the cappo

play12:14

on so you can visually see where that

play12:17

shifting key

play12:18

occurs if

play12:20

there's you

play12:22

want if there's anything I can

play12:27

do just C on me and I'll send it along

play12:32

with love from me to

play12:35

you I've got arms that long to hold you

play12:40

and keep you by my side I got lips that

play12:46

long to kiss you and keep you

play12:52

[Music]

play12:55

satisfied so there you can see by that

play12:58

middle section where the cappo appeared

play13:00

there was a short period in that song

play13:02

where the key just completely changed

play13:04

and a hell of a lot of listeners

play13:06

musicians included don't even realize

play13:09

that key change is there now do you

play13:11

remember that actually incomplete list

play13:13

of songs that I mentioned towards the

play13:15

beginning of this video those songs I

play13:17

heard with no context without knowing

play13:19

who the band was but got instantly

play13:21

hooked by the Brilliance of the music

play13:24

every single one of those Beatles songs

play13:27

used this technique subtle and often

play13:30

unnoticeable key changes just woven in

play13:33

to the fabric of the song and that's

play13:36

what I want to show you today how to

play13:38

actually do this in your songwriting do

play13:41

you want to have people listening to

play13:42

your music and falling in love with it

play13:45

before they know anything about the

play13:47

person who recorded it if you want to

play13:49

have a chance at repeating what the

play13:51

Beatles did you at least need to have

play13:53

this skill in Your Arsenal because it

play13:56

was part of theirs so how did the beat

play13:59

actually change key in the middle of a

play14:01

song they had various techniques

play14:04

sometimes as with from me to you they

play14:06

would just abruptly switch keys with no

play14:08

real announcement or transition tricks

play14:11

they would just be playing in the first

play14:12

key for a while and then would just

play14:14

abruptly switch to the next one I Want

play14:16

to Hold Your Hand is another great

play14:18

example of this where they just

play14:19

unceremoniously just change key in the

play14:22

middle of the song and once again I'll

play14:24

just demo that for you now using the

play14:26

really simple bog standard g- shapes and

play14:28

the cap so

play14:31

[Music]

play14:44

[Applause]

play14:45

[Music]

play14:53

[Applause]

play14:55

[Music]

play14:58

[Applause]

play14:59

[Music]

play14:59

[Applause]

play15:07

so that's quite a prominent early

play15:09

technique that the Beatles would use

play15:10

just abruptly changing key in the middle

play15:13

of the song and to be honest it works

play15:15

fine but as time passed they got a

play15:17

little more sophisticated and another

play15:20

trick they would use is the major minor

play15:22

switch meaning for example if they were

play15:24

in E Major for the verses they might

play15:27

switch to E minor for the choruses

play15:30

Norwegian Wood is a really good example

play15:32

of this and I'll demo that now with very

play15:34

simplified

play15:36

chords I once had a girl or should I say

play15:42

she once had

play15:45

me she showed me her room isn't it good

play15:51

Norwegian

play15:53

would she asked me to stay and she told

play15:57

me to sit

play16:02

anywhere so I looked around and I

play16:06

noticed there wasn't a

play16:10

[Applause]

play16:11

[Music]

play16:12

chair so there you can see we just went

play16:15

from E major straight into E minor again

play16:18

just abruptly with no real announcement

play16:20

or transition While My Guitar Gently

play16:23

Weeps from The White Album is another

play16:24

great example of this major minor switch

play16:27

but this song does it the other way

play16:28

around round so the verses are in a

play16:31

minor and then it switches straight over

play16:34

into a major for the choruses the Paul

play16:37

McCartney Masterpiece Fool on the Hill

play16:39

also does this switching from C major in

play16:41

the verses to C minor in the choruses

play16:44

and then back again abruptly switching

play16:46

from one key to the next and using the

play16:48

major minor switch are actually pretty

play16:50

straightforward and easy to do the

play16:53

hardest thing for someone who's new to

play16:54

this will actually be getting your head

play16:56

into the right key if you're still here

play16:58

hearing the original key in your mind it

play17:00

can be quite hard to get yourself into

play17:03

the new one but it does get easier and

play17:05

easier with practice but now we come to

play17:08

the main seamless key change technique I

play17:10

want to talk about that the Beatles used

play17:12

all the time and this is something I'm

play17:15

calling the 25

play17:18

turnaround I've already mentioned a few

play17:20

times in this video that every key has

play17:22

just seven basic chords in G it's G A

play17:26

minor B minor C D E minor and F F SHP

play17:29

diminished the 25 turnaround is

play17:32

basically taking chords two and five so

play17:35

a minor and D from the key you want to

play17:38

go into and just slapping them in the

play17:41

middle of a song and if you get it right

play17:44

it tricks the mind and the ear into

play17:46

subliminally unconsciously transitioning

play17:49

into the new key so I'm now going to

play17:52

attempt to imperfectly demonstrate this

play17:54

with a song everyone knows I'm going to

play17:57

go into the chorus of wonder by Oasis

play18:00

from the bridge and at the very last

play18:01

moment I'm going to put the cappo on and

play18:04

do the 25 switch I'm going to play A

play18:07

Minor and D in a different key and let's

play18:09

see if it works let's see if we can

play18:12

trick our ears even on a song that

play18:14

everyone knows and that doesn't contain

play18:16

any key changes I'm going to play the

play18:18

bridge of wonder wall without a cappo

play18:20

and then I'm going to do the 25 switch

play18:22

with a Capa

play18:24

five there are many things that I would

play18:28

like to say to you but I don't know

play18:35

how because

play18:40

maybe you're going to be the one that

play18:43

saves

play18:45

me Works doesn't it all I needed was my

play18:49

head in the right key and it just clicks

play18:51

over like magic now obviously it's not

play18:54

practical to just whack a cappo on your

play18:56

guitar mid song so you've just got to

play18:59

figure out what the cords are called and

play19:00

another way to play them without the

play19:02

cappo so now I'll do that wonder wall

play19:04

key change without the cppo using open

play19:07

cords there are many things that I would

play19:11

like to say to you but I don't know

play19:16

[Applause]

play19:17

[Music]

play19:18

how because

play19:23

maybe you're going to be the one that

play19:26

saves me

play19:30

I absolutely love that key change in

play19:31

wonder wall I think that sounds as good

play19:33

as the original or

play19:35

better so there we've used the two5

play19:38

turnaround to get from the key of G into

play19:40

the key of C but which other keys does

play19:43

that work for well this is the really

play19:46

fun part over the bridge of wonder wall

play19:48

we're holding a long note over the word

play19:50

how that note is here on the guitar and

play19:54

that note is a so we're going to treat

play19:56

that note as a kind of Pivot Point Point

play19:59

all we need to do is find which other

play20:01

major scales use it and then we can

play20:04

transition into any of them this is the

play20:07

25 transition from g into the key of A

play20:10

there are many I would like to say to

play20:15

you but I don't know

play20:20

how because

play20:23

[Music]

play20:25

mayy you're going to be the one that

play20:28

saves

play20:31

works fine in a there is an A in the B

play20:34

flat major scale so let's see if we can

play20:36

use the two5 transition into that key

play20:39

there are many I would like to say to

play20:43

you but I don't know

play20:45

[Music]

play20:49

how because

play20:54

maybe you're going to be the one that

play20:56

saves me

play21:00

not bad perhaps not as smooth as the a

play21:03

but not bad so I demoed all those

play21:06

changes there just using a minor and d

play21:08

and a cappo in reality you need to

play21:11

figure out what those chords actually

play21:12

are whether open chords or bar chords

play21:14

and play those versions but I use the

play21:16

cappo just to illustrate how simple it

play21:18

really is if you can just play A Minor

play21:21

and D you're leading the ear into

play21:24

whatever new key you want to use and so

play21:27

to finish I want to show you an Abridged

play21:30

version of how the Beatles would use

play21:32

this 25 technique and some of the other

play21:35

techniques we've talked about in one

play21:37

very short song multiple times often

play21:40

within the body of just one line of

play21:43

lyrics so I'm going to demo for you now

play21:46

a short version of the song Here There

play21:48

and Everywhere from

play21:50

revolver and I'll put the text up on

play21:52

screen to explain what key changes are

play21:55

happening and when and just for the sake

play21:58

of this video I've decided to start the

play22:00

song in E rather than G here we go

play22:05

[Music]

play22:19

[Music]

play22:55

n

play23:00

[Music]

play23:23

and you may have noticed that by the

play23:25

time of writing this song McCartney was

play23:27

so good at changing keys he often didn't

play23:29

actually need the 25 he only needed the

play23:32

five and the more you train your mind

play23:35

and your ears to hear different keys and

play23:38

break out of the confines of the toddler

play23:40

level of music on the radio soon you too

play23:44

might be able to do the same and so

play23:46

that's it a Layman's introduction to the

play23:49

Lost songwriting techniques of The

play23:51

Beatles there is of course much more to

play23:54

it than I've covered today but hopefully

play23:56

what we've talked about here should

play23:58

spark some ideas and fuel a little bit

play24:00

of inspiration in any aspiring rock

play24:02

stars out there if you can start to

play24:05

incorporate these things into your songs

play24:07

in this day and age you really might

play24:09

actually stand a chance of sticking out

play24:11

from the crowd and drawing people into

play24:13

your music simply from the power of the

play24:16

music alone it's a very very rare thing

play24:19

in the 2020s but if you have that rock

play24:21

and roll dream to actually equal or

play24:23

become bigger than the Beatles you have

play24:25

to become obsessed with chords and

play24:28

Melody just as they were you need to

play24:31

learn from everyone you possibly can and

play24:34

not be too proud or cocky to study a bit

play24:36

of music theory just as McCartney did at

play24:39

his earliest opportunity very best of

play24:41

luck to you have fun playing around with

play24:43

those two five Transitions and as always

play24:46

I'll see you next time

Rate This

5.0 / 5 (0 votes)

Related Tags
BeatlesSongwritingMusic TheoryKey ChangesChord ProgressionsMusic HistoryLennon-McCartneyMusical EvolutionPop MusicCreative Techniques